Yes The Lord of the Rings has inspired fantasy literature and cinema for nearly 70 years, JRR Tolkien’s work has also greatly inspired metal music. The proof, with these selection of seven songs which explicitly refer to the Lord of the Rings Where The Silmarillion.
1# The Curse of Feanor – Blind Guardian
When we talk about the relationship between Tolkien’s work and metal music, hard not to mention the concept album Nightfall in Middle Earth of power metal band Blind Guardianall of whose songs are inspired by Silmarillion. Evidenced by this song, The Curse of Feanor. Creator of the Silmarils, stolen by Morgoth, Faenor makes his sons swear to do anything to get them back, whatever the cost.. Against the recommendations of the Valars, he pursues Morgoth to Middle-earth, where he will find death, without having found the Silmarils.
2# The Battle of Evermore – Led Zeppelin
This song by rock and hard-rock band Led Zeppelin was released on the album Led Zeppelin IV. Very folk, this song explicitly refers to the Lord of the Rings. Indeed, according to many analysts, “The Prince of Peace” is an allusion to Frodo or Aragorn, while “The Prince of Light” is a reference to Galadriel. To note that This isn’t the first Led Zeppelin song to reference JRR Tolkien’s work.. Before her, the British group had composed the songs Ramble On, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp or Misty Mountain Hop.
3# Through the Forest of Dol Guldur – Summoning
From his first album Lugburz (the name given by the orcs to the Fortress of Barad-dûr), Austrian black metal band Summoning multiplies references to JRR Tolkien. The titles of their songs speak for themselves: The White Tower, Caradhras, Through The Forest of Dol Guldur, The Legend of the Master Ring, Orthanc or Ungolianth.
4# The Fall of Gondolin – Cruachan
Irish folk metal band, Cruachan mixes elements of traditional Irish music with black and heavy metal. From his first album, released in 1995 and entitled Tuatha na Gaelthe band from Dublin devotes a song to the work of JRR Tolkien, entitled The Fall of Gondolin, which recounts the destruction of the great elven city by the armies of Morgoth. Not content with being one of the defining events of the First Age of Middle-earth, The Fall of Gondolin is also one of the first writings of JRR Tolkien, in which the British author evokes the atrocity of the First World War. Regarding Cruachan, did you know that his first name was Minas Tirith?
5# Fangorn – Battlelore
Finnish symphonic metal band, the Battlelore group has devoted its entire career to the work of JRR Tolkien. From his first album, well received by the press and the public, entitled …Where the Shadows bindwe find songs about the march of the Ents on Isengard (Fangorn), Gandalf (The Gray Wizard), Beren and Luthien (The Green Maid), Minas Morgul (Shadowgate) or the birth of Moria (Khazad-Dum Part. 1).
6# Rivendell – Rush
Skillfully blending hard rock/heavy metal with folk since 1968, Rush evokes a lot of themes related to Fantasy and Science-Fiction in his songs. On the strength of its inspirations, the group devoted a song around the work of JRR Tolkien, from their second album, Fly by Nightreleased in 1975. The song, titled Rivendellis a description of Elrond’s elven home: Rivendell.
7# Bad Hobbits Die Hard – Wuthering Heights
Although its name is a reference to the novel The Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, the Danish folk metal and progressive metal band Wuthering Heights seem much more passionate about fantasy literature than about 19th century British literature. As shown by the many references to the work of JRR Tolkien found in the album Far From Madding Crowdreleased in 2004, notably in the songs The Road Goes Ever On, Bad Hobbits Die Hard and Lament for Lórien. Note that like the group Cruachan, already mentioned in this article, the group had started under the name Minas Tirith.
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