Vikings has several awesome musical moments.
- "Battlefield"
is perfect for throwing us back into the the savage world of the Vikings. The album version adds a kullning (a traditional Swedish farmers call), which sounds positively primordial. - "If I Had A Heart". A perfect summation of Ragnar's character. Its remix in the second half of season 6 is just as amazing, establishing the darker tone for the final episodes.
- There is hardly a better music choice than Fehu for a scene showing a Viking raid. The lyrics are made up of Norse poems how wealth is the cause of war. The first of the show's very successful use of Wardruna/Einar Selvik.
- In season 1, the soundtrack had its moments but was rather generic overall. In season 2, composer Trevor Morris realised how awesome Wardruna is an recruited Einar Selvik of Wardruna to provide additional music and authentic instruments that would have been used in the age of the vikings. The result? "Battle of Brothers" is the perfect example: The mix of ancient and modern elevates the score into a sound of its own. The music is absolutely furious, with Norse war-poems chanted over distorted strings and drums, horns and Norse fiddles. The chanting sounds like the gods of war inciting the vikings to animalistic fury (the ritualistic nature of the music does not help). The music becomes more and more harrowing, until Rollo slaughters Arne One-Eye and the music regresses into a harrowing wail. Here that music is played live. Hearing that chant and lament sung by a full choir is in a dimension of its own.
- "Battle for Kattegat" is less wild and more controlled, but the fiddle leading the track really sells it and when the chanting kicks in, it turns triumphant.
- Ragnar Describes the Blood Eagle is as creepy as it sounds.
- "Heimta Thurs" ("Conjuring Frostgiants"), whenever the religion of the Norsemen enters its more disturbing elements, like the carving of the blood eagle.
- Feeding Rollo Poison Mushrooms is pure magic.
- "King Ragnar", deliciously Conan-esque. Surprisingly, the electric guitar fits right into the mythological sound.
- Battle for the Hill of the Ash. Hell Is That Noise chant is raw, and it certainly sells Thorstein's death and Thorunn's disfigurement. And Einar Selvik's chanting and fiddle delivers.
- The spoilerific title of this track, Floki Appears to Kill Athelstan is the single best track of all of season 3, if not all of the score. Einar Selvik chants passages from freaking Völuspa, passages about Ragnarök! Combined with heavy chanting and drums that build up to a climax, the final moments of the piece sound like a ritual sacrifice. It really helps setting up the scene as Loki's murder of Baldr, with Floki and Athelstan taking up each role respectively. Fridge Brilliance, as it's the beginning of the end for Ragnar and Nothing Is the Same Anymore after that. Loki murdering Baldr, indeed. For added symbolism and Fridge Brilliance; the track is reused in episode 9 of season 4 as the vikings sail up river for their final attack on Paris. Not only is it foreshadowing Ragnar's fall from grace but the lyrics contains this verse: Bræðrmunu berjask ok at bönum verðask, munu systrungar sifjum spilla. It means "Brothers shall fight and each other bane be, sisters' sons shall kinship stain".
- Vikings Reach Paris, the north has come for Paris!
- Harald Finahair's theme song: "My mother told me". A jolly pirate-esque song about the anticipation of going on Viking raids, often contrasted against scenes of Harald's horrible actions. Bonus for actually being based on a poem from The Viking Age.
- "Laukr", when Ecbert cries in his chapel after realising he has to essentially sentence Ragnar to torture and death.
- Ragnar Lothbrok's death song, which plays before Ragnar delivers his badass death speech.
- "Algir - Tognatale" which is heard briefly when Floki and the Paris-army does their badass warchant: Skeggǫld! Skálmǫld! Skildir ro Klofnir!''. Then it makes a glorious return as Odin appears to tell the Ragnarssons about their father's death.The raven flies in heavenwheel
in the forest
lives ancient wise
Algir
The track vanishes
The tongue speaks
Algir
