Valkyrie

My friend Jeremiah works at the Taco Bell on Gateway in Springfield. A year or two ago, he was working when the band The Cruxshadows came in on their way from one concert to another and the Eugene/Springfield area was a stop along the way to get something to eat. He was retelling us the story, very excited as to have met them. but then, he also, said he was so awestruck at the time that it didn't even occur to him to possibly inquire about if he could get an autograph for his then girlfriend. They were her favorite band, afterall. He had tried to show them to me while we were in the car one day, but it was on his PSP and I wasn't really paying all that much attention.

A few weeks later, I asked him again what the name of the band was that he was talking about and what would be the best song or couple songs to listen to as an introduction to their music. So he told me and I then downloaded my first two Cruxshadows songs, Dragonfly and Deception. After that, I was hooked I then downloaded the highest rated album at the time on itunes, Dreamcypher, which also was their latest album at the time. It was actually awhile ago when that came out, I believe 2007. They did release an EP Quicksilver which, along with the other songs and the album mentioned above became some of my favorite songs to run to. I would run in the rain listening toWindbringer  and Winterborn--The sacrifice as I pounded the pavement during one of my wet and/or rainy Oregon runs, as well as Defender and contemplated the world and characters of the story that was in my head (I will probably post about this on another blog at some point in the near future).

Anyway, I am very excited to read today that they have previewed a track from their upcoming album on the 4th of July. So far there only seems to be postings of the recording of the live stream, but they're surprisingly decent and I'm just glad to get a taste of what they've been working on since Quicksilver, especially after the theft of a bunch of their equipment in early 2010 upon returning to the states after completing their European Tour.





I haven't listened to their entire discography, but they have some amazing older tracks to. And of course I'm partial to the Skinny Puppy remix of "Edge of the World". But Jackel head and Monsters, and Marilyn My Bitterness are great tracks as well as the Clan of Xymox remix of Citadel/Never Surrender, which is probably my all time favorite running song! It's like an anthem as I push myself through a run or any workout: "I will never Surrender! I will never Surrender!"

And then, not to mention, the bodies of the women in the group, inspire me to get up do a TurboFire video right now. Just gorgeous, strong and powerful. Just lovely.