(I found this in an issue of Rock Retrospective from 1992! It's a great look back on the band's history, but I don't think it's the whole truth!!!)

History
The Anderson brothers founded the band in 1971. While both had already been professional musicians for several years, their careers had been less than successful, mostly because – as the duo believed – they lacked the formidable stage presence of other, more successful bands.



In a bid to achieve more popularity, and influenced by their Scandinavian heritage, they co-opted the identities of Norse Gods for their stage personas, going so far as to legally change their names. It’s fair to say that the Andersons weren’t scholars, and especially in the beginning, this was little more than a gimmick, but the new personas were spot on, and as the band gained momentum got more comfortable with these roles, they became an irrevocable part of their lifestyle and public image.

Odin Anderson was the band’s leader and co-founder. He wasn't the most flamboyant figure, but it's fair to see that he was the driving force behind Old Gods of Asgard. This fit well with his namesake, as in the myths, the wise Odin was the All-Father, ruler of Asgard, the home of the Gods.

Odin's brother Tor co-founded the band with him. His new name referred to Thor (even though he preferred the original spelling), the hot-tempered god of thunder whose mighty hammer and gigantic strength featured in many old stories. It was a good fit for Tor Anderson, whose energetic drumming and often unpredictable mood swings – as well as his well-known unwillingness to back down from a fight – soon became the stuff of rock’n’roll legends. On the other hand, Tor’s persona exemplifies the way the Old Gods were willing to overlook certain details: in the legends, Thor is Odin's son, not his brother.

The duo next found “Fat” Bob Balder who, despite his nickname, was actually a very lithe man. In the Norse myths, Balder was associated with beauty, love and happiness – all qualities that fit Fat Bob tremendously well. Not only did his hippie roots predispose him towards a certain tender sensibility that made him very popular with women, he was also a calming influence on the often tumultuous band.

And finally, there was Loki – in retrospect, perhaps not the wisest choice of identities, given that in the Norse myths, he’s a malicious and cunning character known for his tricks. On the other hand, from all accounts it fit Loki Darkens perfectly, who was constantly at odds with his bandmates. Loki went missing after the release of their second album, the 1972 Follow Me Underground.

(I've heard a lot of rumors that Tor beat Loki up so bad he ended up in intensive care for a week!!! I don't know if its true but I hope it is because he stole money from the band and just screwed everything up!!!)

Despite the loss of Loki’s considerable guitar skills, it’s clear that without him, the band functioned better. During the next six years Old Gods of Asgard released four fairly successful studio albums, bringing the total up to six. Megastardom on the level of some of their contemporaries eluded them, but the sales were consistently good and the band was in constant demand. A great deal of this success came from the carefully crafted image Old Gods of Asgard and their material – a curious mix of heavy rock, Norse myths, strange urban legends and fantasy – presented, and their bona fide hits, like “The Poet and the Muse” (The Black Rider Cometh, 1976) and “Children of the Elder God” (In the Valley of My Shadow, 1978) earned them mainstream popularity.

A seventh album was in the works, but was never released after the unfortunate demise of Fat Bob before the recording was complete. After his death, the Andersons retired to the small town of Bright Falls, Washington, where their old family farm had long served as the band’s headquarters.

(I hear that place was insane back in the day! :D Actually I went there with my crew in 2003 to see if we could meet the Andersons but the place looked pretty messy and run-down, and then this mean looking guy came and told us to leave because we were trespassing. We were just looking in through windows (they had some wicked guitars in there!!!) He said the guys were seeing their doctor and they were pretty old now so they didnt wanna meet any fans.... We didnt want any trouble so we left but it was pretty sweet just to see their dig's!)

The Old Gods never quite gained the worldwide recognition they hoped for, but for almost a decade, they enjoyed a successful career and maintain a solid cult following among rock’n’roll connoisseurs to this day.