Customer Reviews

The Varangian Way

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Viking metal, while it has been criticized has had a good following with innovators Manowar in additon to bands like Amon Amarth continuing its success. While those bands are good and all (although very corny at times) I always got the sense that the best of this genre hasn't come out. Well, I've got news for you all that band has arrived and its name is Turisas. Turisas mixes power metal, death metal, classic metal and symphonic metal mixed all together and it sounds great. The 8 tracks here are very complex compositions at times that are quite rocking at the same time. These guys have some major talent and are here to stay, so if you like viking metal or if you have an open mind to metal of all types, give Turisas a shot. You won't be disappointed.

The Varangian Way. Awesome, inspiring, moving and well... epic! This is a great piece of folk-metal if I've ever heard one. The guitar work, the wind instruments, vocals, everything is fantastic on this album. If you love folk-metal you owe it to yourself to pick this album up right now.

There is a bit of a side-note, however. With all the applause I give this band/album I COMPLETELY agree with the reviewer McFate. I truly wish some of the more head-banging songs would let the hook stay in the mouth a bit longer and allow more of the sound to build onto itself culminating in ... well ... more head-banging! It's always been my love/hate of progressive metal. While technical and overwhelming at times some of the time I am left feeling like I wanted to hear more heavier vocals and more hair-swaying melodies. That might be one of the reasons this band is so great, though. They can pull you in easy as pie and keep you there for the duration of the album, making you play it again despite your "wants" and "needs".

A truly EPIC piece of musical harmony and thought-out album planning at it's greatest. Buy this. You won't regret it.

Hailing from Finland, folk metal fans have been blessed with the epic music from Turisas. The Varangian Way was a fantastic release of 2007 and the band does not stray from their Viking roots. In many ways this album is a solid continuation of 2003's Battle Metal, and the album tells a fun story of men from the north who travel along the Eastern European river routes. They pillage and plunder on the way through Kiev (Ukraine) and finally Constantinople, which is modern day Istanbul (Turkey).

To Holmgard and Beyond is one of the best tracks on the album. It is a powerful song that prepares the listener for the journey back in time. A Portage to the Unknown has some fun accordian parts and singer Mathias Nygård, also known as `Warlord' shows his wide range of vocal abilities. The final track, Miklagard Overture, is definitely the opus of the album and it is quite epic. The heroes finally make it to Constantinople, the Christian capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. All sorts of musical instruments accompany the 8-plus minutes of the finale.

This is the second album Turisas have released on Century Media Records, with the first being Battle Metal. Both releases are excellent. Turisas' unique brand of folk metal fits well with modern heavy metal and all of the musicians perform very well. I also had the privelage of seeing Turisas live with Ensiferum, Tyr, and Eluveitie on the `PaganFest 2008' tour. Turisas had a fantastic live show and each member of the band showed a lot of emotion and passion with the music. This album is highly recommended and is very worthy of 5 stars. \m/

I might as well just keep on saying what I said above, No tracks on here can be called filler, if there's any track that could have been excluded I would pick Cursed be Iron or In the Court of Jarisleif since those 2 tracks don't really fit in with the rest of the album.

To Holmgard and Beyond - 10/10
A Portage to the Unknown - 10/10
Cursed be Iron - 9/10
Fields of Gold - 9/10
In the Court of Jarisleif - 9/10
Five Hundred and One - 10/10
The Dnieper Rapids - 10/10
Miklagard Overture - 10/10

So while the middle section is a little bit weak, it is still very cool. And the last 3 tracks take no prisoners. Special mention must go to Five Hundred and One, which blends growling and clean vocals perfectly. And of course just the truly epic Miklagard Overture, which if you have anything better to describe it with than epic, I'd like to hear it. A must buy.

Top 5:

1. Miklagard Overture
2. Five Hundred and One
3. To Holmgard and Beyond
4. A Portage to the Unknown
5. The Dnieper Rapids

Complaint - This doesn't come with Viking armor.

TURISAS made an excellent first impression in the metal world by giving us the ultimate soundtrack to a battle--"Battle Metal". This time, they've changed themes while still putting forth high quality, energy-full songs such as the following:

"To Holmgard and Beyond" is a great opening song, getting you ready for the long journey ahead. It's full of optimism, wonder and excitement. I bet Marco Polo felt like this when he went to Cathay (China) back in his day.

"A Portage to the Unknown" is my favorite track so far. Movie soundtrack composers would kill for a song as epic as this one. It starts off sounding like a sea shanty and then the guitars and drums kick in. It has its soft parts, too, to help you enjoy the contrast.

"The Court of Jarisleif" is a very fun and folksy song. It reminds me of the punk-like band GOGOL BORDELLO (very odd but fun music, btw).

"The Dnieper Rapids" has a sound that definitely makes you think of a small boat braving some white water rapids.

A little tip for those that want the newest European metal albums before the States get them: Amazon.de

Overall, a great album and a wonderful adventure! If Odin rode into battle with "Battle Metal", then Eric the Red and other Viking explorers went on their journeys with "The Varangian Way" playing in their heads.

Powerful... Majestic! And if you get a hold of their DVD... absolutely great to watch live! What else to say?

My first review, so please forgive me if it's a bit brief. I found Turisas a while back and loved Battle Metal. I was then incredibly excited to find that they had released a follow-up. I have to say, that while the sound is a bit different from Battle Metal, it is nonetheless, just as satisfying. The story they tell is fun and lively, the sounds they create are quite unique, and they don't hold back. Frankly, my biggest disappointment is that the CD is pretty short (~47 minutes). But other than that, I don't have too much to say in terms of critical statements. It's well worth the price and a great CD.

I bought this based on numerous positive reviews and came away somewhat disappointed. Don't get me wrong, this CD will leave a smile on your face, but for all of the grandiose ambitions, the songwriting here just isn't in the same league as Opeth or Nightwish. Personally, I think Liv Kristine & co. did a better job with Vinland Saga. That's not to say that it's bad, it is actually pretty good. As an earlier reviewer stated, "there's a little something missing". Despite all the varied instrumentation (including sampling from the Vienna Philharmonic!), the songwriting is pretty basic. I don't think that this is a lousy CD, there are many places where it effective and there is nothing here that is truly awful. This is after all, only the band's second CD. So, buy it and have some fun, just don't expect a masterpiece.

It's crazy how gaga everyone seems to be over this album. I haven't read a single critical review of it yet, and I must admit that made me very excited to hear what I was missing. I always let myself get all excited about new albums that people are crazy about, and I'm almost always a little disappointed. So I'm trying not to let myself get my hopes up as much. I hope that doesn't sound too jaded, since I want folks who read this to take it seriously. Anyway, the point is, I was less disappointed with this than I might otherwise have been, because this album is quite good. I really, really like it. I would recommend buying it if you're into this sort of heavy metal -- I promise you'll like it. But be warned, this is not the album of the year. It's only April, and I've already heard something better. The problems I have with The Varangian Way are a bit small and petty.
One is that there's a little something missing to the sound that I can't quite put my finger on. I think that the general atmosphere of this album is missing something...I don't know what to call it...I guess it's a "bigness" to the presence. I want this album to take its time more, to let itself build, to create some sort of atmosphere. Just a little, mind you. You know what it reminds me of that I think has the same problem? The band Rhapsody. Go listen to Rhapsody and tell me if you can recognize what I'm talking about.
Second, I think that while the music here is really nicely choreographed, I would like to see it balanced with simpler melodies at times. The melody is complex (again, without having a true "fullness") and Turisas sometimes don't give you a chance to get into it before they change it into something else. It makes the music a little hard to follow, and a little hard to get into. I think this CD could be a lot more successful if they'd just hook you with some simple riffs and some catchier verses. I think there's a lot to be said for that, and I think that's what makes bands like Manowar so likeable. There's also another band, Battlelore, from Finland, that does that sort of thing well, and that's why I still think Battlelore is better than Turisas.
There's plenty to like here, though. There's some fun fiddlework in Track 5 that really got me going, and the last song, Miklagard Overture, brings the whole concept of the album full circle and really finishes everything nicely, and I think it's a totally successful way to close the album. It's truly epic. The backing vocals are perfect throughout, as are the main vocals, which I think is very crucial to good music.
So all in all, a great album. I give it a B+. Are these guys going to be bigger than Manowar? I would find that hard to believe. Will I get their next album? Probably. And so should you. This band is way better than lots of others out there.

Wow, I love this album so much! I've had it for little over a week now. My only disappointment is that at a length around ~40 minutes, this album is kind of short. I don't know how to describe this music because it's a little different from what I usually listen to (Nightwish, Within Temptation, Lacuna Coil).
The singer has a nice voice whether singing or screaming. I think this album is something like symphonic/power/folk metal (which equals Viking metal, I guess?). Well, listening to it makes me feel like I'm watching a battle movie. I'm probably better off describing each song:

To Holmgard and Beyond- A fantastic intro to the album. Nice blend of symphonic metal with male-choir-sounding thing.
A Portage To The Unknown- Slightly different stylistically from the above. Not as upbeat. It sounds like a sailor's song(?). Hopefully, you get the idea. Screaming involved, but it'll be fun... :)
Cursed Be Iron- Heavy. Haha, how else can I describe the beginning? This song contrasts heavy and screaming with folk and regular singing voice.
Fields of Gold- This upbeat sounding. Nothing too different from previous.
In the Court of Jarisleif- Wow. Okay, this song is fun. The song is about a celebration I think, and the Vikings are toasting their host. Very folk-esque. The singing style is a little different towards the end (maybe a guest vocalist)-think Spanish male opera singer...maybe. Great song.
Five Hundred and One- Kind of resembles the second track. There's a really fun part in this song where it sounds like they're taking roll-call or something. Haha. The ending is good, too, when the group breaks into chorus.
The Dnieper Rapids- Stylistically, this song is pretty awesome. The title is very fitting especially for the beginning and other in between sections. It's more obvious that they use a female and male choir, and the sopranos are easily heard.
Miklagard Overture- Very much the symphonic metal song. It's pretty awesome.

Favorites (relative, actually, because I love them all!): The Dnieper Rapids, In the Court of Jarisleif, Miklagard Overture

Ahhh...don't know it that helps. But I was dying to review it. I love the whole album! I can't wait for future material!