So, I believe that I have found the Two
Guys Metal Reviews album of the year. Ensiferum's new record Victory
Songs is a crushing slab of folk metal that proves these guys still
have got it. In fact, this may even be my new favorite Ensiferum
record. With all of the elements that make this band so great I can't
stop listening to the crushing riffs, solid rhythm, beautiful
melodies, and awesome singing that makes this band so cool. For me
Ensiferum is and always shall be THE folk metal band, and here they
prove it yet again. Ensiferum has made the album that I impatiently
waited three years for and this album has rocked my world. With all
of the elements of a good folk metal record this band does not fail
to impress and has showed some impressive advances from their last
album. In particular the guitar parts have really evolved.
With some more guitar centric melodies
than on the previous record Ensiferum continues to find new avenues
to expand their music down. The song Burning Leaves with its powerful
guitar harmonies is a classic example of something that would not
have been seen on an older Ensiferum record. Yet it fits into the
bands overall sound and is truly awesome. However the overall style
of riffing is the same, and that is a very good thing. This means
that you can truly just headbang your heart out to some of the truly
awesome playing on this album. At the same time Ensiferum has been
sure to guard their acoustic side with lots of slowed down quieter
parts that features some of the awesome folk metal chanting that this
band helped popularize. Finally, I'd just like to say that the solos
are absolutely stellar (as always) Lindroos and Toivonen have really
outdone themselves this time to say the least.
The bass work on this album is fairly
solid and features some really cool playing on some of the heavier
songs. Hinkka has always had some cool fills in the Ensiferum records
and this album is no exception. We really get to hear all the magic
and brutality in his playing, I really like how his bass is mixed on
this record. As a final note I feel like his playing has achieved a
new level of violence in tracks like Retribution where his vicious
bass leads the charge into Valhalla. The drumming on this record is
also rather excellent, with a brilliant combination of folk elements
as well as more metal playing Parviainen once again proves his
drumming prowess. His double bass attack has not slowed down and he
still can blast out wonderfully fast rhythms. He exudes energy and
truly captures the atmosphere of the band. He is a highlight on his
very own.
Emmi Silvenoinnen's keyboard playing is
beautiful and adds a lot of different elements to the sound. Her
playing can be atmospheric and make the music seem epic, or it can be
more melodic and provide a major folk element. She adds a lot of
power to the music and it feels like she has orchestras at her
fingertips. Her folkier playing adds a lot of flavor to the music as
well, it makes things feel older and more powerful, it takes you back
to an ancient time when true men roamed the earth and the gods were
alive and well. Her playing is a testament to how might folk metal
can be and she really just makes this album a glorious testament to
the greatness of the genre.
Finally we have the vocals, I have
always liked Ensiferum for their combination of death growls with
more choral elements and this album just continues the line. The
growls are brutal as always and filled with a wonderful viking energy
that drives the album to new vistas of glory. The mix on this album
seems to be a bit more lively than on previous releases and the
growls really get to shine more than ever before. Meanwhile, the
choral parts are back in force with a huge viking choir adding
strength to the track Retribution Shall be Mine. They add a lot of
flavor to Ensiferum's music. In addition the clean vocals are also
stellar. The male cleans really shine, especially on Star Queen,
which is the only track on the album to feature only male cleans.
Silvenoinnen's voice is also truly beautiful and really shines on her
song Celestial Bond. If anything she has improved from her singing on
the last record. Overall, this album is a vocal triumph and has a bit
of everything.
In conclusion, the new Ensiferum record
is possibly their best ever. It is filled with all sort of wonderful
songs and you can't help but sing a long. This album shows how far
these guys have advanced from their demo days. This is a polished
effort filled with crashing guitars and soaring operatic vocals.
Speedy drums and epic keyboard arrangements. This album has something
for everyone and shows odd the pure beauty and majesty of this genre
of music. You MUST go listen to this album, it is very easily the
greatest heavy metal record of the year, and possibly even the
decade.
10/10
No comments:
Post a Comment