Yggdrasil

Tokyo band Baraka was formed in 1997 by Shin Ichikawa (bass, vocals), Issei Takami (guitar, vocals) and Max Hiraishi (drums). Boasting a variety of styles including jazz, blues, funk and progressive rock, the band has released many albums since 1999 (usually titled after the band). Their seventh album, 'Baraka VII', was their first all instrumental release. The trio is infamous in its native Japan, having had over three hundred gigs on the island. They have also toured extensively around the globe, from Thailand to Toronto, and even attended the Prog'Sud International Progressive Rock Festival at Marseille in May, 2006. Musically, Baraka freely mixed lounge jazz and loud rock in a way that resembles metal more than fusion. This hard rock grounding, plus a couple of spacey keyboards occasionally mixed in for good measure, might make the listener think of a jazzier, subtler, more instrumentally minded Rush.

Northsong is the Symphonic Folk/Viking metal solo project founded by Cortland Runyon in 2010, which blends epic symphonies, heavy guitars, folk instruments, and a varying range of vocals to create an adventurous and battle-like atmosphere. Basing it's lyricism off of Norse Mythology, along with epic stories and battles set in the Viking Age, it is essential music for listeners of Ensiferum, Amon Amarth, Moonsorrow, and any other fans of Viking and Folk Metal.

Sweden's unstoppable Unleashed have forged the blood and spirit of their Viking ancestry into a modern weapon of death metal mastery. A true rallying cry for the dedicated metal legions around the globe, 'Odalheim' raises the band's intensity level while telling of the future of Yggdrasil and those who survive Ragnarok. Unleashed's 11th album is an epic story steeped in history and mythology, and of course, their unmistakable sound as forefathers of true Viking death metal.

Mantra - Words of Power (2000). Mesmeric ethnic percussion interweaves with smooth orchestral textures to provide the perfect musical framework for this collection of "Mantra chants". For centuries Mantras have been used to harmonize, calm and focus the mind and create an inner spiritual balance in our lives. Mantra - Words of Power is specifically designed to provide the perfect atmosphere for deep relaxation and spiritual enrichment. Sounds have vibrational energy and for every word we speak in our daily lives we create an invocation or decree: a Mantra for the enrichment of our lives - a word of power…

Crown of Creation was released in 1968 and is the fourth album by the San Francisco rock band Jefferson Airplane. The album peaked at number 6 on the album charts and was eventually certified gold. The David Crosby-penned "Triad" is the only track not composed by Jefferson Airplane. The song was previously rejected for release by Crosby's group The Byrds as being too risqué.