Lead Guitar (fictional),
Bass Guitar (fictional)
Tor Anderson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Other names | Markus Kaarlonen (drums) Lloyd Floyd (AW) Stuart Milligan (AWII, old) Markus Kaarlonen (AWII, young) |
| Occupation | Old Gods of Asgard |
| Years active | 1971 - 1978, 2012 - Present |
Tor Anderson is one of the founding members of the Old Gods of Asgard from Remedy Entertainment's Connected Universe. There is both a real and a fictional element to this persona, with the band having now had a genuine album release Rebirth: Greatest Hits that charted in Finland and a live performance at The Game Awards 2023. His Poets of the Fall counterpart is Markus "Captain" Kaarlonen.
The Reality
Tor Anderson has been portrayed by multiple people across voice roles, live action footage and musical performance.
2010 - 2019
His first appearance was as a voiced character in the game Alan Wake, portrayed by Lloyd Floyd. Later in the game, the tracks Children of the Elder God and The Poet and the Muse feature Captain as Tor's drums. He also provided this part for the tracks Balance Slays the Demon in Alan Wake's American Nightmare and Take Control in Control.
2023 - Present
The Old Gods of Asgard featured again in Alan Wake II, with the Anderson Brothers appearing both in their "current" old age and in their youth at the height of the band's fame. The old Tor is a voiced character portrayed by Stuart Milligan, while the young Tor appears only in live action - portrayed by Captain. He wears a bandana and a waistcoat covered in patches in the role. Captain mimes playing the drums for the tracks Herald of Darkness and Dark Ocean Summoning as the part was actually pre-recorded.
On 7th December 2023, founding members of Poets of the Fall Marko Saaresto, Olli Tukiainen and Markus "Captain" Kaarlonen performed as Old Gods of Asgard at The Game Awards 2023, with Captain again miming the pre-recorded drum part.
Tor's Waistcoat
Tor's waistcoat as seen in Alan Wake II and onstage at The Game Awards 2023 is covered in patches. These include the logos of Old Gods of Asgard and Poets of the Fall, "Scratching Hag" (a name for Barbara Jagger), a valknot, a mjolnir symbol, crossed bones and numerous others with unknown symbolic meanings.
The Fiction
Tor Anderson was one of the founding members of the Old Gods of Asgard in 1971, alongside his brother Odin Anderson, Bob Balder and Loki Darkens. Following Loki's departure from the band in 1972 and Balder's death in 1978, the band was disbanded. However under the stewardship of Barry Wheeler, the Anderson Brothers returned to the studio and stage in 2012. Tor has held the role of drummer since the band's formation.
Tor, like his brother Odin is aware of the power of Cauldron Lake. He compares The Clicker to "an amp", implying their own use of a similar object to amplify the power of their music back in the 1970s. They claim to have fought and defeated a "dark army of the scratching hag" in 1976, referring to Barbara Jagger as host to the Dark Presence. Both Anderson brothers are seers, able to probe the minds of other characters or have telepathic conversations with other seers, as demonstrated by Tor's granddaughter Saga Anderson. This ability allows Odin to speak with Saga despite his drunken incapacitated state and for Tor and Saga to speak in secret.
During Alan Wake II, Saga searches for her grandfather Tor who has become infatuated with the Dark Presence-corrupted Cynthia Weaver, following him as he leaves a trail of destruction through the Valhalla Nursing Home using a hammer that he claims is Mjolnir. He chases Weaver into an Overlap and Saga is forced to seek out the unreleased Old Gods of Asgard single Anger's Remorse within the nursing home. Tor wrote Anger's Remorse as an apology to his estranged daughter and Saga's mother Freya Anderson. The music allows Saga to descend into the Overlap to save Tor from Weaver.