Turisas - The Varangian Way
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Music CD Cover Artist: Turisas Edition: Music CD CD Release Date: 2007-07-17 Music Label: Century Media Soundtracks:
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| Used | Used Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $6.99 |
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Free Music Notes for The Varangian Way Album
Free Music Review: Let's not get carried away here...
Hit: 4 Stars
It's crazy how gaga everyone seems to be over this album. I haven't read a single critical review of it yet, and I must admit that made me very excited to hear what I was missing. I always let myself get all excited about new albums that people are crazy about, and I'm almost always a little disappointed. So I'm trying not to let myself get my hopes up as much. I hope that doesn't sound too jaded, since I want folks who read this to take it seriously. Anyway, the point is, I was less disappointed with this than I might otherwise have been, because this album is quite good. I really, really like it. I would recommend buying it if you're into this sort of heavy metal -- I promise you'll like it. But be warned, this is not the album of the year. It's only April, and I've already heard something better. The problems I have with The Varangian Way are a bit small and petty.
One is that there's a little something missing to the sound that I can't quite put my finger on. I think that the general atmosphere of this album is missing something...I don't know what to call it...I guess it's a "bigness" to the presence. I want this album to take its time more, to let itself build, to create some sort of atmosphere. Just a little, mind you. You know what it reminds me of that I think has the same problem? The band Rhapsody. Go listen to Rhapsody and tell me if you can recognize what I'm talking about.
Second, I think that while the music here is really nicely choreographed, I would like to see it balanced with simpler melodies at times. The melody is complex (again, without having a true "fullness") and Turisas sometimes don't give you a chance to get into it before they change it into something else. It makes the music a little hard to follow, and a little hard to get into. I think this CD could be a lot more successful if they'd just hook you with some simple riffs and some catchier verses. I think there's a lot to be said for that, and I think that's what makes bands like Manowar so likeable. There's also another band, Battlelore, from Finland, that does that sort of thing well, and that's why I still think Battlelore is better than Turisas.
There's plenty to like here, though. There's some fun fiddlework in Track 5 that really got me going, and the last song, Miklagard Overture, brings the whole concept of the album full circle and really finishes everything nicely, and I think it's a totally successful way to close the album. It's truly epic. The backing vocals are perfect throughout, as are the main vocals, which I think is very crucial to good music.
So all in all, a great album. I give it a B+. Are these guys going to be bigger than Manowar? I would find that hard to believe. Will I get their next album? Probably. And so should you. This band is way better than lots of others out there.