Albums

Album Review: Turisas

Album: The Varangian Way [Director’s Cut]
Label: Century Media

With a tour of the UK just kicked off, it’s time to don furs and war-paint and join us in celebrating the thrilling battle metal of Turisas. If you’ve never been to one of their gigs before you’re in for one hell of a surprise! When asked to describe how their style of rousing folk-flecked music came about their lead singer, Mathias ‘Warlord’ Nygård, responded with “This comes from deep inside. We play around with history, there’s fantasy imagery there, but I hate fantasy metal with all those dragons or whatever. There’s no substance there. We actually believe in what we’re doing”.

Their latest album is a fine example of what he‘s talking about. ‘The Varangian Way’ tells the tale of a group of 11th century Vikings, or Varangians, and their journey through the Baltic on a quest for glory. It’s literally bubbling with orchestral instrumentation amidst a thunderous momentum that propels you through the tracks. ‘To Holmgard And Beyond’ is the rousing lead track and it has a blinding battle-cry to which few can resist. Then there‘s ‘Fields of Gold’, bright and sparkling, with striking lyrics like “Is a draw the only win? Would a tie double the loss?” It bristles with a steady rhythmic underscore, pulsating drums, sweeping keys and brutish vocals. Which brings you to the utter joy that is ‘In The Court Of Jarisleif’ with a mesmeric accordion that simply dances over a sequence of tub-thumping.

The whole album is a pure celebration. It’s uplifting and, actually, quite oddly amusing - check out their bizarre bonus track, a cover of Abba’s ‘Rasputin’. I defy anyone who hears this album for the first time not to smile. What it does best of all, though, is provide something different to the trend of machismo that runs through heavy music and, therefore, something thought-provoking. With a talent for writing such theatrical pieces you could easily imagine Nygård to move to composing soundtracks or directing movie musical scores. Who knows, this album itself may even end up in the West End! In a way, it truly is a work of art, a symbol of what can be achieved with a little imagination - and Nygård certainly isn’t lacking in that department. “Okay, people think this is crazy but there’s a reason it works. There are so many interesting, inspiring old stories that are still connected to our reality. These aren’t just meaningless lyrics, we’re telling a tale here”. And he’s right; this really is the most fun you can have while learning history.

The band are touring Europe with Norther (and with added support on the UK leg from Alestorm) at these venues - bring a big plastic axe and shield but leave your sense of reality at home.

Mar. 01 - Northampton, UK @ Soundhouse
Mar. 02 - Sheffield, UK @ Corporation
Mar. 03 - Aberdeen, UK @ Moshulu
Mar. 04 - Edinburgh, UK @ Studio 24
Mar. 05 - Liverpool, UK @ Academy 2
Mar. 06 - Norwich, UK @ Waterfront
Mar. 07 - Peterborough, UK @ Park
Mar. 08 - Leeds, UK @ Cockpit
Mar. 10 - Exeter, UK @ Cavern
Mar. 11 - Cardiff, UK @ Clwb Ifor Bach
Mar. 12 - Southampton, UK @ The Brook
Mar. 13 - London, UK @ Electric Ballroom
Mar. 14 - Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2
Mar. 15 - Haarlem, Netherlands @ Patronaat
Mar. 16 - Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Doornroosje
Mar. 18 - Hamburg, Germany @ Marx
Mar. 19 - Karlsruhe, Germany @ Substage
Mar. 20 - Munich, Germany @ Metropolis
Mar. 21 - Winterthur, Switzerland @ Salzhaus
Mar. 22 - Bochum, Germany @ Matrix
Mar. 23 - Berlin, Germany @ Kato
Mar. 25 - Vienna, Austria @ Planet Music
Mar. 26 - Bratislava, Slovakia @ Randal
Mar. 27 - Prague, Czech Republic @ Rock Cafe
Mar. 28 - Lichtenfels, Germany @ Ragnarok Festival
Mar. 29 - Osnabrueck, Germany @ Tomahawk Festival
Mar. 31 - Malmo, Sweden @ KB
Apr. 01 - Gothenburg, Sweden @ Musikens Hus
Apr. 02 - Copenhagen, Denmark @ The Rock
Apr. 03 - Oslo, Norway @ John Dee
Apr. 04 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Klubben

For fans of: Finntroll, Amon Amarth, The Lord Of The Rings Soundtracks
Band links = Turisas

Buy this CD!

Tags: album, cd, turisas, varangian way, review, alestorm, norther, battle metal, finntroll

Bookmark to:

Previous & Next