Turisas - The Varangian Way
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Free Music Notes for The Varangian Way
Free Music Review: Amazingly epic music.
Hit: 4 Stars
The Varangian Way. Awesome, inspiring, moving and well... epic! This is a great piece of folk-metal if I've ever heard one. The guitar work, the wind instruments, vocals, everything is fantastic on this album. If you love folk-metal you owe it to yourself to pick this album up right now.
There is a bit of a side-note, however. With all the applause I give this band/album I COMPLETELY agree with the reviewer McFate. I truly wish some of the more head-banging songs would let the hook stay in the mouth a bit longer and allow more of the sound to build onto itself culminating in ... well ... more head-banging! It's always been my love/hate of progressive metal. While technical and overwhelming at times some of the time I am left feeling like I wanted to hear more heavier vocals and more hair-swaying melodies. That might be one of the reasons this band is so great, though. They can pull you in easy as pie and keep you there for the duration of the album, making you play it again despite your "wants" and "needs".
A truly EPIC piece of musical harmony and thought-out album planning at it's greatest. Buy this. You won't regret it.
Free Music Review: Turisas - The Varangian Way
Hit: 5 Stars
Hailing from Finland, folk metal fans have been blessed with the epic music from Turisas. The Varangian Way was a fantastic release of 2007 and the band does not stray from their Viking roots. In many ways this album is a solid continuation of 2003's Battle Metal, and the album tells a fun story of men from the north who travel along the Eastern European river routes. They pillage and plunder on the way through Kiev (Ukraine) and finally Constantinople, which is modern day Istanbul (Turkey).
To Holmgard and Beyond is one of the best tracks on the album. It is a powerful song that prepares the listener for the journey back in time. A Portage to the Unknown has some fun accordian parts and singer Mathias Nyg?rd, also known as `Warlord' shows his wide range of vocal abilities. The final track, Miklagard Overture, is definitely the opus of the album and it is quite epic. The heroes finally make it to Constantinople, the Christian capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. All sorts of musical instruments accompany the 8-plus minutes of the finale.
This is the second album Turisas have released on Century Media Records, with the first being Battle Metal. Both releases are excellent. Turisas' unique brand of folk metal fits well with modern heavy metal and all of the musicians perform very well. I also had the privelage of seeing Turisas live with Ensiferum, Tyr, and Eluveitie on the `PaganFest 2008' tour. Turisas had a fantastic live show and each member of the band showed a lot of emotion and passion with the music. This album is highly recommended and is very worthy of 5 stars. \m/
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.
Free Music Review: To Holmgard!
Hit: 5 Stars
Wow, I love this album so much! I've had it for little over a week now. My only disappointment is that at a length around ~40 minutes, this album is kind of short. I don't know how to describe this music because it's a little different from what I usually listen to (Nightwish, Within Temptation, Lacuna Coil).
The singer has a nice voice whether singing or screaming. I think this album is something like symphonic/power/folk metal (which equals Viking metal, I guess?). Well, listening to it makes me feel like I'm watching a battle movie. I'm probably better off describing each song:
To Holmgard and Beyond- A fantastic intro to the album. Nice blend of symphonic metal with male-choir-sounding thing.
A Portage To The Unknown- Slightly different stylistically from the above. Not as upbeat. It sounds like a sailor's song(?). Hopefully, you get the idea. Screaming involved, but it'll be fun... :)
Cursed Be Iron- Heavy. Haha, how else can I describe the beginning? This song contrasts heavy and screaming with folk and regular singing voice.
Fields of Gold- This upbeat sounding. Nothing too different from previous.
In the Court of Jarisleif- Wow. Okay, this song is fun. The song is about a celebration I think, and the Vikings are toasting their host. Very folk-esque. The singing style is a little different towards the end (maybe a guest vocalist)-think Spanish male opera singer...maybe. Great song.
Five Hundred and One- Kind of resembles the second track. There's a really fun part in this song where it sounds like they're taking roll-call or something. Haha. The ending is good, too, when the group breaks into chorus.
The Dnieper Rapids- Stylistically, this song is pretty awesome. The title is very fitting especially for the beginning and other in between sections. It's more obvious that they use a female and male choir, and the sopranos are easily heard.
Miklagard Overture- Very much the symphonic metal song. It's pretty awesome.
Favorites (relative, actually, because I love them all!): The Dnieper Rapids, In the Court of Jarisleif, Miklagard Overture
Ahhh...don't know it that helps. But I was dying to review it. I love the whole album! I can't wait for future material!
Free Music Review: What an epic adventure!
Hit: 5 Stars
Simply amazing. These guys, besides their cheesy looks, are actually great musicians and outstanding composers. The richness of their sound and lyrics are only overwhelmed by the greatness of the musical adventure they are part of. All other viking bands, like another review says, is a shame. Even if they would be as cheesy in their lyrics as Manowar, I would definitely buy this album, cause the feeling of listening to it is hardly encountered once in a musical lifetime.
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