Do you like accordion with your viking metal? Don't knock it if you haven't heard it. Turisas is another of the latest onslaught of metal bands from Finland, and The Varangian Way is their second album released in 2007.
Who and What is Turisas?
Turisas is named after an ancient Finnish god of war. This is an appropriate name since Turisas is a band in the death metal/viking metal genre. Listening to The Varangian Way, they can also be called symphonic metal. The band has also been listed under the folk metal genre. The band was actually founded back in 1997 by Mathias Nygard and Jussi Wickstrom, although they didn't release an album until 2004, the band's debut Battle Metal. Nygard sings and plays drums. Wickstrom plays guitar, Hans Horma plays bass. Unlike the stereotypical image of death metal or similar genres, the band members also include Olli Vanska on violin and Netta Skorg on accordion. That is the current line up anyway. Although the band is Finnish, they sing all songs in English.
The Varangian Way
The bands second album released in Varangian Way is an interesting blend of different musical styles. Janne Mackinen played accordion on this album, otherwise the current line up noted above was the same.
Album Art The first thing I love about Finnish death metal bands are their album covers. They always seem to evoke almost mythical vikings that inhabit legends and Frank Frazetta paintings. The Varangian Way features a black and glowing red graphic of a Viking ship coming straight at you over the waves. A map is behind the ship and the band's logo is over the front. The red almost looks like it is a glowing red fire lighting up the illustration.
The Songs I won't go into detail on every song, a detailed description of a few songs should give you an idea of what you might think of this album. Nevertheless, the songs are To Holmgard and Beyond / A Portage to the Unknown / Cursed be Iron / Fields of Gold / In the Court of Jarislief / Five Hundred and One / The Dnieper Rapids / Mikligard Overture
To Holgard and Beyond The opening track of the album opens with a symphonic flare, it is a grand opening overture. The song then slows down as Nygard sings his tale Far beyond the sea and distant lands Came men with thirty ships Had wanted to reach the Neva by night But the weather was not on their side. The songs subject is simple enough, an armada of Vikings sailing towards Holgard hoping for good winds to guide them. The first thing that you have to get over, listening to Turisas is the singing style of Nygard. He sort of sing speaks in English with a heavy Finnish accent. This will either sound epic or sort of funny like early Arnold Swchwarzenegger movies. The music itself uses keyboards, violins and guitar riffs to create a symphonic sounding chorus. The feel of the song is indeed one of inspiration for battle.
A Portage to the Unknown starts off with a mournful dirge like accordion solo. Soon the band joins in with heavy drumming and the chorus of We've sailed across the sea / Rowed for miles and miles upstream / Passed by Aldeigjuborg /Seen Lake Ilmen gleam. The choruses sound very much like fight songs or drinking songs. Nygard speak sings the verses in his Finnish accent Dripping with sweat a new day dawn on The ropes cut flesh, as they've done in times foregone /I see my breath, my hands are going numb / Far from home we have come. In case you haven't guessed, it's another Viking song about a Viking excursion.
Cursed be Iron This song is a blend of death metal choruses and bad verse singing. The song starts off with the sound of a blacksmith's hammer, followed by classic death metal guitar riffs grinding with heavy drum beats. The song slows down to simple accordion accompanyment as the verses are sung. They aren't particularly melodic or memorable, you wouldn't be humming any of them soon. When the choruses are sung, they fall squarely into place with death metal. Raspy shouted choruses are barely understandable. A sample of the lyrics here By the furnace, by the anvil / By the rongs, and by the hammer/ By the dwelling of the blacksmith /By the fire within the furnace.
The songs are all in a simlar vein as the first three, sometimes folk tale like sometimes grandeur fighting/songs of Vikings and sometimes death metal guitar crunching. Sometimes the blending of different musical styles works, other times it does not. I would get into the sturm and drang of the Viking choruses only to be taken out of it by the almost comical spoken verses. Other times the symphonic grandeur works with death metal guitars and drums. In one song, there was even a bit of a Russian folk sound in it. The Viking like choruses reminded me of Ensiferum, but the use of the accoridion and some of the folk like refrains reminded me of Finntroll.
Summary
Turisas - The Varangian Way isn't my favorite album from the new wave of Finnish Metal, but it is an interesting listen. I can't say I loved it, but neither did I hate it, so it gets three stars.
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