Evige Asatro (English: Eternal Asatru) is the debut full-length studio album by Norwegian folk metal band Glittertind, released on 27 May 2004 through the record label Karmageddon Media. The album was recorded between July and December 2002 at the Jotunheim studio in Lillesand, Norway, and its total running time is 41 minutes and 14 seconds. All instruments on the recording were performed by the band’s founder, Torbjørn Sandvik, who also handled production duties.
The work blends elements of folk metal and Viking metal, featuring lyrical themes centered on Norse mythology, historical figures, and Norwegian cultural heritage. The album’s title, “Eternal Asatru,” references a phrase from the unfinished opera Olav Tryggvason by composer Edvard Grieg and poet Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson; the opera, which dramatizes King Olav Tryggvason’s attempt to Christianize Norway, concludes with a victorious portrayal of the pre‑Christian Norse religion.
Artwork and Release History
The cover art and band logo were created by Skrymer, a member of the Finnish folk metal band Finntroll. Following its initial release, Evige Asatro was reissued in 2009 with an expanded booklet containing a statement by Sandvik expressing his anti‑Christian political sentiments and his motivation for reviving what he described as “the genuine, pre‑Christian national character” of Norway. Subsequent reissues have appeared on labels including Ultima Thule Records (2002 demo version) and Napalm Records (2013), after Karmageddon Media declared bankruptcy.
Track listing (selected)
- “Lindisfarne – 793” – 1:57
- “Karl den Store” (Charles the Great) – 2:45
- “Sønner av Norge” (Sons of Norway) – 2:52
- “En stille morgen” (One Silent Morning) – 1:34
- “Fjellheimen gir meg fred” (My Home of Peaceful Mountains) – 4:06
- “Olav Digre” (The Fat Olav II of Norway) – 3:39
- “Nordmannen” (The Norseman) – 2:14
- “Frostriket” (Kingdom of Frost) – 4:08
- “Evige Asatro” (Eternal Asatru) – 3:27
- “Se Norges Blomsterdal” (Look, the Valleys of Norway are Blooming) – 2:43
- “Om Kvelden (En liten vise)” (In the Evening) – 3:56
- “Skumring” (At Dusk) – 3:01
- “Norges Skaal” (A Cheers to Norway) – 2:55
The album received favorable reviews within the international metal press, noting its fusion of traditional folk instrumentation with metal arrangements and its lyrical emphasis on Norse cultural identity. It remains a notable early example of the Norwegian folk‑metal scene.