Ultima Thule (Swedish band)

Ultima Thule (Latin for "Furthest North") is a Swedish rock band. Their style is based on what they call "Vikingarock" ("Viking rock"), a way of bringing old Norse folk rhythms into rock, mixed with Oi, Street Punk and Teddy Boy influences. Some of their lyrics are versions of poems and traditional songs by Evert Taube, such as "Änglamark." They have also released a version of Sweden's National Anthem, "Du gamla, Du fria".

History

The band Ultima Thule was founded in early 1984 in Södermanland, Sweden, citing the Sex Pistols and late seventies Punk rock as their main inspiration. Their songs were a mixture of nordic folk music, rock and punk. The group created a whole new style of music which they called "Vikingarock".

After a few years as an underground band, the band entered the mainstream in the early nineties when they signed a record deal with Mariann Grammofon. Despite their success, they soon received criticism for their patriotic lyrics, which were interpreted as racist by some, and ultimately lost their record deal. After that, they created their own records label, named Ultima Thule Records.

Ultima Thule has sold one certified platinum and three gold albums in Sweden [Source: IFPI Svenska Gruppen] , and even managed to have three singles on the 20th-best hits list at the same time [http://www.hitlistan.se Sverige Topp Listan] . Their lyrics are mostly in Swedish, with only a few songs in English, including covers of bands such as Sham 69.

Criticism

The band's first EP was sponsored by Bevara Sverige Svenskt ("Keep Sweden Swedish")cite news|first=Jonas|last=Hellentin|author=Jonas Hellentin|url=http://www.expo.se/www/1_221.html|title=Från punkprotest till nazirock|publisher=Expo|date=nr 6 - 1996] and it was a campaign theme by Sverigepartiet. Some of their songs were included on compilation albums with bands like Skrewdriver and Brutal Attack.

Their first vocalist, from 1984 to 1986, Bruno Hansen, was the leader of the Nyköping "action group" of the Nordic Reich Partycite news|first=Sara|last=Björk|author=Sara Björk|url=http://www.expo.se/www/1_222.html|title=Ultima Thule – profeter i sin egen stad|publisher=Expo|date=nr 2-1996] , and some music critics classify the band as White Power musicFact|date=February 2007.

Ultima Thule successfully entered the mainstream when they were signed up by Bert Karlsson, a record manager with links to the New Democracy party, in the Swedish political right. The band seems to have had a mail-order distribution deal with the record company Ragnarock at some stage.cite news|url=http://www.expo.se/www/1_224.html|title=Ragnarock & Ultima Thule|publisher=Expo|date=nr 2 - 1997]

Between 1983 and 1987 the band played at about 30 skinhead concerts. On 6th June 1987 they played together with Agent Bulldog, Vit Aggression and Dirlewanger at a white power concert in Södertälje. On 30 November 1991 they played at a white power concert with Vit Aggression and Division S.

In 1994 Ultima Thule opened a record store, CD-butiken, where they sold records by Heroes in the Snow, Svastika and Vit Aggression. The band also started a fan club that got up to 900 membersFact|date=February 2007. Through the club they sold records, posters and t-shirts, not only for their own band but also for the record companies Last Resort Records and Ragnarock Records. Ultima Thule's recording studio in Nyköping was burnt to the ground by arsonists on 10th February 2000.

Band's reaction

The band issued a statement making clear they do not consider themselves racist nor are they neo-nazis. In their own words,

"This country must ask itself about its mental health, when patriotic songs about Sweden, when texts from our history books, are deemed equivalent to racism. [...] We live in an increasingly shrinking and globalised world and in one way, it is important for people to know their own roots and for people to feel their national pride. If we Swedes are not allowed to show esteem and pride about our own country without being called racists, this makes much more difficult to show others respect for their own particular identity and singular characteristics. [...] We have taken note of our right to be proud of our own country and we do not tolerate for some obscure publication to link our music with racism and Nazism." cite web|url=http://www.ultimathule.se/ejrasse.php|title=Ej rasse|accessdate=2008-06-21|format=|work=Ultima Thule's Official Website]

During a concert in 2001 some members of the audience made Hitler salutes. The band stopped playing to make clear that they did not want to play for Nazis.cite web|url=http://www.levandehistoria.se/node/1571|title=Musik i gränslandet|accessdate=2008-07-17|format=|work=Expo #2 2007, replublished at the Forum för levande historia website]

Members

* Jan "Janne" Thörnblom - Vocals, Guitar
* Niklas Adolfsson - Guitar
* Thomas Krohn - Bass
* Ulf Hansen - Drums
* Bruno Hansen - Vocals, Guitar (1983-1987)

Discography

*1985 – "Sverige, Sverige fosterland" - EP
*1990 – "Hurra för Nordens länder" - EP
*1991 – "Svea hjältar" - EP
*1991 – "Havets vargar" - EP
*1992 – "Sverige, Sverige fosterland" - EP
*1992 – "Schottis på Valhall" - EP
*1992 – "Mitt land" - EP
*1992 – "Svea hjältar (RE Rec.)" - CD
*1992 – "Svea hjältar (UT Rec.)" - CD
*1992 – "För fäderneslandet" - EP
*1992 – "För fäderneslandet" - CD
*1992 – "The early years 1984-1987" - CD
*1993 – "Vikingablod" - CD
*1993 – "Vikingabalk" - CD
*1994 – "Öppna landskap" - CD
*1994 – "Nu grönskar det" - CD
*1994 – "För fäderneslandet" - EP
*1994 – "Svea hjältar" - MC
*1994 – "För fäderneslandet" - MC
*1994 – "The early years 1984-1987" - MC
*1994 – "Vikingabalk" - MC
*1994 – "Studio outtakes" - EP
*1994 – "Tack för hjälpen!" - CD
*1995 – "Studio outtakes" - EP
*1995 – "Once upon a time…" - CD
*1995 – "Once upon a time…" - MC
*1995 – "Blonda, svenska vikingar" - CD
*1995 – "Lejonet från Norden" - CD
*1996 – "Skinhead" - CD
*1996 – "Skinhead" - EP
*1996 – "Karoliner" - CD
*1997 – "Nu grönskar det igen…" - CD
*1997 – "Live in Dresden" - CD
*1997 – "The early years 1984-1987" - EP
*1997 – "För fäderneslandet" - EP
*1997 – "Svea hjältar" - EP
*1997 – "Vikingabalk" - EP
*1997 – "Nu grönskar det" - EP
*1997 – "Lejonet från Norden" - EP
*1997 – "Karoliner" - EP
*1999 – "Sörjd och saknad" - CD
*1999 – "Sörjd och saknad" - EP
*1999 – "Sverige" - CD
*2000 – "Once upon a time…" - CD
*2000 – "Once upon a time…" - EP
*2000 – "Sverige" - Vinyl
*2000 – "Folkets röst" - CD
*2000 – "Herrlich Hermannsland" - CD
*2000 – "Herrlich Hermannsland" - EP
*2001 – "Sverige" - EP
*2001 – "Resa utan slut" - CD
*2001 – "Ragnarök" - EP
*2001 – "Ragnarök" - CD
*2001 – "Once upon a time…" - EP
*2001 – "The early years" - EP
*2002 – "Live in Dresden" - CD
*2002 – "Live in Dresden" - EP
*2002 – "Blonda, svenska vikingar" - EP
*2002 – "Carlie" - EP
*2002 – "Öppna landskap" - EP
*2002 – "Resa utan slut" - EP
*2003 – "Sverige" - Picture-EP
*2003 – "Lejonet från Norden" - Picture-EP
*2003 – "För fäderneslandet" - Picture-EP
*2004 – "Lokes träta" - EP
*2004 – "Vikingablod" - EP
*2004 – "Rötter" - CD
*2005 – "Rötter" - EP
*2005 – "Skaldermjöde" - EP
*2005 – "Yggdrasil" - CD

Notes

External links

*http://www.ultimathule.se/ Ultima Thule Official Website (Swedish)