If Metal that moves almost as fast as the speed of light is what excites you then Dragonforce is definatley the band that you have been looking for to feed that hunger. The band was hitting New York City once again and would bring Finland’s “Battle Metal” heroes Turisas along for the ride. The exciting show took place at The Fillmore NY and should you want to learn more and see a lot of photos just scroll past the logo below to see our thoughts on it all.
Artist: Dragonforce Venue: Fillmore NY (New York, NY) Opener: Turisas, Powerglove Date: 11/25/2008 Label: Roadrunner Records
Dragonforce is definitely a band whose busy schedule of touring only seems to match the very speed of their music and with their inclusion on the “Guitar Hero” game and a blistering new release in “Ultra Beatdown” they have been a non-stop musical entity that is hell bent on entertaining the masses. Tonight’s show would be at The Fillmore NY, and it was amusing to be here again so soon since I was only here last night for the performance of Lordi and Lizzy Borden. Joining Dragonforce would be Turisas who I had some awareness of and a band called Powerglove who I had never heard of before tonight. Here is how the adventuring took place should you not have made it into the venue or even knew about the gig. Continue reading Dragonforce @ Fillmore at Irving Plaza (11/25/2008)→
Artist: Turisas Title: “The Varangian Way” (Paganfest Tour Edition) Label: Century Media Records Release Date: 4/29/2008 Genre: Viking Metal/Folk Metal Rating: 4.5/5
To celebrate their appearance on the Paganfest Tour the mighty Turisas had chosen to re-release their sophomore album “The Varangian Way” in a “Limited Paganfest Tour Edition”. Since I had missed the album when it was first released in 2007 I felt that this was the perfect chance for me to catch up on the band as I had not yet done so either. I also felt that it would better prepare me for the assault that they would deliver during that tour as it was an event that I was definitely not going to miss in terms of my concert going adventures. Sadly, my CD would not arrive in time for the show so I only had my Rhapsody and YouTube.com outlets to better enrich my Viking Metal background on this particular outfit. Soon after I enjoyed that killer show the CD arrived and I felt that it was really something that was up my alley. “The Varangian Way” is the bands follow up release to their debut “Battle Metal”, and it finds the Finnish Vikings in fantastic form right from the onset of the CD with the rousing “To Holmgard And Beyond”. The track oozes with an adventurous vibe and as it plays you feel as though you are setting sail with the band in search of whatever glory they are aiming for. There is a rousing chorus which you will quickly find your fists in the air for and lucky for you this is only the beginning. “A Portage To The Unknown” makes you feel as though you are speeding through the high seas with its driving double bass drumming from Tude as their Warlord commander Mathias lines out the battle commands that the listener would be smart to follow without question. The release only gets a couple of songs in before you realize just how strong and adventurous its overall spirit is. They deliver a sound that works well with their visual side and nothing about them seems contrived like some other bands that still hold the sword of battle in the air after so many years. Perhaps one of the things that make Turisas so interesting was their use of Folkish instruments like the accordion and violin. They work in perfect melodic harmony with the bass and guitars and don’t seem like “extra” instruments but instead perfectly fitting puzzle pieces. We get a true Folk Metal rocker with “In The Court Of Jarisleif” and this one will have you dancing with furious abandon and starting some celebratory spinning with whomever you find around you. I recommend either putting your beverages aside or chugging them before getting involved with this one. It’s a really fun tune to say the least. Continue reading “The Varangian Way” (Paganfest Tour Edition) by Turisas→
Artist: Various Artists Title: “Pagan Fire” Label: Nuclear Blast Records Release Date: 2/5/2008 Genre: Viking/Folk Metal Rating: 4/5
So you’ve finally realized that Bon Jovi will take you no farther than New Jersey and that while you love your Metal on the heavy side there are times that the Black and Death stuff could be a little bit frightening. You’ve always found your mood rose when you see pictures of the icy fjords and there is something about those movies featuring warriors of the past and ice cold lager that really gets your energy level going. These are the most commonly visible signs of a Viking Metal fan and luckily for you these feelings are easily dealt with. Your treatment begins with the new Nuclear Blast Records compilation “Pagan Fire”, a rich assortment of Viking and Folk Metal bands from around the world and it’s indeed a roaring blaze of Metal that’s as hearty in its musical content as it is in its deep mythological lyrics. What makes this all the more special is that this isn’t only a Nuclear Blast Records artist display and the listener gets tastes of bands from labels like Metal Blade Records, Napalm Records and Candlelight Music to name a few. The CD begins with a song by Bathory, and it’s a fitting tribute to Quorthon, the founder of Viking Metal, who the world lost sadly in 2004. “Song To Hall Up High” is more of a regal track as opposed to a thunderous Metal one, but this was used more for the respect and honor aspect. A nice touch to begin with. There is a sample of some Enslaved and Amon Amarth who might be among the more popular bands to visit this genre in today’s musical world and their achievements are great, but what intrigued me most about the album was the inclusion of bands that might have not yet hit the radar of fans of the genre. There is a great track by Ensiferum in “Deathbringer From The Sky” from the album “Victory Songs” and a little Primordial and once listeners get their ears set on these bands I can’t seem to think they would not become lifelong fans. Continue reading “Pagan Fire” by Various Artists→
Artist: Ensiferum Title: “Victory Songs” Label: Candlelight Records Release Date: 4/24/2007 Genre: Viking Metal Rating: 4/5
I’m beginning to think that there’s nothing better than a little Viking Metal when you are looking for music to get the blood pumping and the energy level raised. This belief was affirmed when I began to play the album “Victory Songs”, the US debut by Finland’s own Ensiferum. As the album begins you immediately hear that Ensiferum approaches the Viking Metal genre with a slightly different twist and this is perhaps based on the band being Finnish as opposed to being Norwegians. They blend many elements of Finnish Folk Metal into the Viking side and as result have some similarity to bands like Korpiklaani and Finntroll. Of course they don’t sound exactly like them since Korpiklaani is quite festive and vibrant and brings dancing to mine while Finntroll makes you want to pillage a town and maybe even drink quite a bit. With “Victory Songs”, Ensiferum are presenting you with a call to arms and as the album opens with “Ad Victoriam” , I felt as though I was riding a proud stallion up a mountain with armies behind me until we overlooked a region that was to be ours for the taking. The orchestrations end and the band attack commences with as “Blood Is The Price Of Glory” which is a thunderous number where you can really envision a terrible battle taking place as it plays through. It is right then that you realize this is going to be an exciting album. There is straight ahead Metal found on “Deathbringer From The Sky” with its crushing guitar riffs and bombastic double bass drumming and with the song “Ahti” the guys sound quite a lot like Children Of Bodom based on the structure used in the tune and in the way that singer Petri Lindroos is handling the vocal lines. The band is also comprised of founder Markus Toivonen (guitar), Sami Hinkka (bass), Meiju Enho (keyboards) and Janne Parviainen (drums). The keyboards on the album however were the work of Finntroll’s own “Trollhorn” Henri Sorvali who uses his vast talents to bring different worlds of sound to the release. The guys also make strong use of the traditional Finnish Folk instruments such as the kantele, bagpipe, nyckelharpa and bodhrans which really help to make this album sound all the more interesting. Continue reading “Victory Songs” by Ensiferum→
Artist: Folkearth Title: “By The Sword Of My Father” Label: Stygian Crypt Productions Release Date: 2006 Genre: Folk/Viking Metal Rating: 4/5
The majesty and grandeur of Folk and Viking Metal has never been as vividly portrayed by any other group when compared to that of the Metal ensemble group Folkearth. The reason for such a bold statement is based on the groups staggering thirty one members from no less than eight different countries around the world and due to the fact that some of the best players in both genres are among its membership roster. The resulting recording is as massive as its membership would offer insight to and just as enjoyable when it comes down to it. “By The Sword Of My Father” is the second release by the group and has great inclusions such as “The Death Of Beowulf” and “Domain Of The Darksome Ravens”. If you were a fan of this kind of stuff before or only heard of it via Finntroll, Korpiklaani and Skyclad then this is right up the alley of your interest. The title track itself is heavy and brooding at times but the simply named “Instrumental” makes you feel as though you ride on open fields into glorious battle or adventure and while I love spirited vocal numbers an instrumental like this wins me over easily. Some of the album makes you wonder how it would be possible to deliver this in the live sense and perhaps if done as some sort of Broadway style production in a sizable theatre it could very well work. Tribute is offered up to the Viking Gods on the song bearing the same name and it comes off as a strong drinking and “HAILS” track. Continue reading “By The Sword Of My Father” by Folkearth→
