Valient Thorr

Roll call!

Valiant Himself, check! Eidan Thor, check! Dr. Professor Nitewolf Strangees…OK, so maybe these aren’t the real names of Valient Thorr’s band members, so let’s get on to their history.

According to, well, "Valiant Himself," Valient Thorr began on the planet Venus several thousand years ago in his best bud’s garage. Ha, just kidding about that garage bit. Moving on, the band, unsatisfied with the Venus music scene, traveled across time and yes, space, playing intergalactic music fests and building their multi-species fan base before finally touching down on Earth in 1957. Picking out their new home in Earth-music’s greatest epicenter, North Carolina, Valient Thorr was robbed of it’s time machine by none other than Walt Disney. Forced to remain here then, the Venus hard-metal group passes the time until they can return home by doing what they do best, playing Viking Cock-Rock.

While bits and pieces of their history may just be fabricated, their music is defiantly not. Valient Thorr screams out its own brand of heavy-metal that incorporates influences such as Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, all of which are big hits on Venus. The package when totaled is a unique brand of southern metal, complete with scathing guitars and matching leather vests.

While landing in 1957, it wasn’t until 2005 that their debut LP finally hit Earth shelves, followed quickly by their newest album "Legend of the World" in 2006. They’ve been accepted into Warped Tour for the summer, where they continue to tour and support their newest record.

We wish them the best of luck getting back home.

(Written for Shut Up Magazine)