Customer Reviews

Ensiferum

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Ensiferum's debut is a gem among the viking metal genre. Another wonderful band has been unleashed from the Scandinavian country of Finland. Jari Mäenpää uses inspiring vocals and masterful shredding ability on lead guitar to create a fun mix of folk music with melodic death metal. Mäenpää and his bandmates really do think they are vikings, as evident in the album booklet. These metalheads pose with swords, robes, and viking war paint. The music is of the highest quality.

The track, 'Hero in a Dream' is a fierce opener (after the intro) with wonderful melodic riffs. Jari's vocals might remind the listener of Alexi Lahio. 'Token of Time' is probably the shortest song present, but this is one of my favorites. 'Little Dreamer' (Väinämöinen part II) is breathtaking and has a great folk breakdown with clean vocals. 'Treacherous Gods' is another great song that is folkish and complex. The album closes with a fun song, 'Goblin's Dance' that is complete with flutes and a very addicting chorus.

Ensiferum's first full length album is one that will stand the test of time. Viking metal is on the rise today and Ensiferum have established themselves in the genre. I know many people who do not even like screaming vocals in metal, but love this band. Unfortunately, Ensiferum parted ways with Jari Mäenpää shortly after the recording of their second full length, 'Iron.' Mäenpää has since started his own project, Wintersun. Norther vocalist Petri Lindroos is now the current singer. Fans of viking/folk/melodic death should definately purchase this album. This is a perfect example of how metal is very fun. \M/

I am quite honestly at a loss of words to describe this CD. Ummm... very rooted in Scandinavian folk music... but also very loud and amplified. There's kind of a gloomy vibe that I get from this, but it's also satisfactory in some kind of perverse way. "Eternal Wait" is by far the best song on here; in fact, it's the reason why I listened to the whole CD in the first place. That said, it's totally possible to listen to the whole thing without skipping tracks if one can resist the urge to hear "Eternal Wait," which appears towards the end of the CD.

If you're looking for some kind of really "extreme" metal, look somewhere else. Same goes for those who are looking for a nice collection of folk songs from the north country. But if you want an exciting and invigorating synthesis of the two, look no further.

Good luck finding this in stores if you live in the States. If you actually DO, buy it. It's mighty rare.

Ok, i just recently got turned on to this band, but I am already deeply, deeply in musical love with this band. The Thunderous rhythem of the combined with powerful, "chant-like" choruses make the hair on my neck tingle with excitment. This is a wierd sub-genre called "viking metal" or "folk metal" and rightfully so. The style of music paints pictures of hordes of vikings seiging forward over the land. This is just perfect music for anyone with even remote intrest in warfare or medieval themed things.

This album just blew me away. From the first song to the upbeat and cheery last this album is pure unparalleled genuise. The musicianship of ensiferum is just perifectly crafted into beautiful melodies and amazing folkey breakdowns. The guitarits are two of the best iv ever heard and as far as mucial compatability, they are unmatched...the riffs sync up perifectly with the melodies to make for the perifect guitar sound. Then the drums and bass do the same and intensify the upbeat cherriness of the album and thicken the already pure sound. I have never heard such an original album. Eventhough some people may claim they are ripping off Hollenthon, this is pure blasphemy...Ensiferum is a new genre all in its own and has a totally different feel than Hollenthon. If I had my own country i would make "little dreamer" my national anthem and play the rest of the CD on repeat all day for all of the people to revel in. So basically BUY THIS ALBUM NOW OR YOU WILL REGRET IT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

Buy it as soon as possible!!!!! , this is the first thing I would tell you if you'd come up to me on the street and ask me about this album , " run into the next store, leave everything behind and buy this album , purchase this album and trust me you won't be sorry. this is agagin for true metal ppl ,( not for wimps or any kind of posers...), Ensiferum as the name of the band so is the name of the album, they take the folk metal to other levels, and even if it's their first album it's the greatest. awsome folk melodies by Markus toivenen who does great job by handeling the might folk melodies for this album ( if you read this - great job ). and I won't forget to mention Jari maenpaa the vocals in this album who does death vocals but kind of vocals that you could understand everything he sings unlike other death bands which you have to read the lyrics to understand what they are saying. the voice is death but clear and sound . and on the chores you have this choir whosings like in rhapsody and luca turilli, it's like you took rhapsody and mixed thgem up with chikdren of boddom or somethine like that .
the album begins with an intro of guitar solo ... after that it bursts with hero in a dream , great epic song, the imagination is working late extra hours in this song ang even in the other songs the epic lyrics are enormous and are very sweepful and can lift you in to your world of metal dreams.
there are two ballads in this album - "Abandoned and eternal wait"

abandoned is realy sand at fisrt but after a minute you'd feel the power of the metal rise inside your arms , i love to sing along in this song it is realy megical what ensiferum can do for you , again buy this album !!!! , "eternal wait " , can make you cry in situations , it's so emotional that your heart is like opened to two parts and the coirs are really adding great power to the songs as they mixed up weith the voice of jari. Well . ensiferum come from Finland so they must sing about their roots and as you know those are the vikings . they sing battle songs and other fairytales which can mezmorise you and make you go to the battle field and fight with the metal brothers together side by side.
I really love this album and with all honour I command you to by this album you won't regret it ...

A truly phenomanal debut album from a truly phenomanal band. It's too bad that the band is now minus vocalist/guitarist Jari Maaenpaa, but Petri Lindroos is an adequate replacement (though I wish he did the clean vocals, as well).
Anyways, on to the CD.
The CD opens with 'Intro', just a short folk introduction, before bursting into 'Hero In A Dream'. This track really sets the standard for the rest of the disc- it has EVERYTHING that is essentially Ensiferum- viking breakdowns, shredding vocals, killer solos and riffing, and a brutal pace. I'm not talking a death metal pace, but it is definately a metal pace.
Next up is 'Token of Time' which starts out with an acoustic intro. This track has a pretty catchy chorus but isn't one of my favorites. 'Guardians of Fate' has an awesome intro and an even better chorus, plus just a killer guitar line. 'Old Man' is next, followed by the best track on the CD- 'Little Dreamer'. This song has THE BEST bridge I have ever heard in any song, a beautiful viking/folk breakdown, plus a very emotional guitar riff and some of Jari's best vocals yet. 'Abandoned' is next, which is a much more mellow song vocally, but probably one of the faster cuts on the album (aside from the verses).
The other killer track on this disc (while they're all good) is 'Eternal Wait'. Anyways, buy this CD. Now.

I just dont know how to put into words how good this cd is. Treacherous Gods is my favorite song but every one of them is freakin awsome. Just sit back and imagine yourself back in the times of old looking across a vast field with thousands of warriors ready to meet there fates in battle. That image is what i think of when i hear music like this. This is the epitome of creativity. Just damn good music in reality this isnt 5 stars its every bit of 10. Enjoy!

This may have to be the greatest music I've heard all year, if not the best Epic Viking Melodic Death metal ever conceived. They never seem to run out of beautiful guitar melodies. Such mastery... I wonder who they are, but I don't care. All that matters is that I found them. Thank you m-club!

I have been into the metal scene for a long while now and I've never been gripped so hard by any other band. You put in the disk and you are held there until it's finished. It is such a beatifully crafted album that you don't ever want to stop listening to it. If they had Ensiferum Anonymous I would have to become a member, because I totally addicted to the amazing sound of this album. The musicianship is downright awesome. If you want to hear a metal masterpiece at it's best, get this album NOW. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.

The epic/folk/metal sound, skillfully woven guitar, and almost medieval lyrics make this a unique and powerful album. The only downside is the singers voice is hard to hear because he sings harshly. Despite this I thoroughly enjoyed the album, and I'm sure some would enjoy the "growling". A fan of guitar will definitely like this album.