Cold Wind To Valhalla

Picture a motorcycle gang (hells angels) riding down the lane, drunken warriors(loosely) with no battle or cause to fight (but, try telling them that). Ragamuffins banded together loosely, acting tough and bragging about their conquest, or victory over their foes. The line "out-sized unicorn" represent the Harley Davidson. "rough-shod winging" is reference to the method of force by such men. "ice bound majesty" and "cup of silver liquid fire" represents their drunken lifestyle. "fish raw nerve" and "split ceiling swerve" represent the sheer insanity (chaos) of this lifestyle. And what about the women who accompany these men? What if their hero's are slain in battle, what was it for? What is in store for these women? Are they to be done with as these men please? Discarded at will? Most women understand the lack of stability of such a lifestyle, and the resulting futility in its future. Hence you can imagine the class of women these men attract. So these "maidens" "ride" "cry" and ultimately end up "empty handed" on this journey. But I don't think this song is necessarily a message to women, but rather an observation of something one finds disturbing. Comparing them to the Vikings is in reference to the drunken, reckless, lawless, plundering, they both have in common. The Vikings lived along time ago, and one might think we'd have grown a bit by now. On the contrary, and here's the irony, its the undeserving admiration some people have for this mostly criminal, unproductive, non heroic, element of society. "were getting a bit short on hero's lately"

This is a generalization only. It is not intended to inflame or put down any person, or persons, and is only a guess at what the author might have meant metaphorically or otherwise.