A Grove of Ashes and Aspens

Now Playing: To The North by Elvenking

So many metal bands have stories behind their songs, right? But at what point do those stories stop being stories and become actual lore? (A question pondered by many great philosophers.)

Some bands (such as Twilight Force or Hans & Valter) will have an overarching story behind the entire band, with their songs providing different stories from within the central universe created specifically for the band. These cinematic universes (musical universes, I guess, considering the context) have their own internal lore, kept consistent by the minds behind the music. (I will say that in cases of lore pertaining to specific members of the band can and will change as needed, as we saw when Twilight Force had their massive lineup change in 2024. The lore for the new members can be found on the band’s social media accounts.) However, the fans don’t have access to the minds of the songwriters, so the only way for us to keep track is by keeping up with the lore we are told.

This is where the role of the lorekeeper comes in. Now, this is a bit of a term I use with my partners as a bit of a joke, but I feel it applies more broadly as well. In essence, the role of “lorekeeper” as a fan can be described as that one person who seems to know the lore to an almost unhealthy extent.

Now, while Twilight Force and Elvenking (they have lore behind their music, especially with the Reader of the Runes trilogy) have sizable fanbases to keep the lore straight for each other, smaller bands like Hans & Valter don’t have the same audience. As a result, the lorekeeping has to start somewhere.

It’s not a super necessary thing; many fans don’t have a particular interest in the lore behind the songs and are just there for some good power metal. Many fans will be super invested in the lore, wanting to see where the story takes them. Many fans will be somewhere in the middle, enjoying the music and the story together. All of these options have a place in metal, especially when it comes to lore heavy bands. I tend towards being at the extremes of both sides, loving the music as a musician and loving the lore as a storyteller.

The role of “lorekeeper” started as a joke, but it seems to have rapidly become something that is serious. (As is my joke title of “metal evangelist,” but that’s for another time.) Storytelling is fun, though, and the lore deserves to be shared for those who wish to hear it.