Týr – Battle Ballads Review

By Steel Druhm

The Fisher Kings of Faroian metal are back and on the hunt once more with ninth album Battle Ballads, and all is right in the metalverse. Ever since these lads put the tiny Faroe Islands on the map way back in 2002 with their How Far to Asgaard debut they’ve been highly reliable purveyors of a unique blend of trad/folk/Viking metal that has no peer. 2019’s Hel provided highly entertaining and classy tales of swords and shields and I wanted more almost immediately. After a 4 year wait we finally get more from Týr. And the sound remains the same. They’re still the stewards of a unique style and that special blueprint has proven surprisingly durable, sounding fresh on album after album. The good news is, it still sounds that way. But can they keep their win streak going for yet another release?

The short answer is yes, though Battle Ballads isn’t quite as gobsmacking as their past works. That “it” factor that makes Týr special is still present and accounted for and there are several absolute bangers here that will thrill old fans and earn them new ones. Their kinda-sorta Ensiferum-esque style still cracks skulls, as opener “Hammered” demonstrates forcefully. This one has everything I love about Týr boiled down into one massive dose of awesomeness and it’s a great example of everything they do right, sounding like a more jovial Amon Amarth. It’s aggressive and epic with an urgent gallop driven by riffs heavy enough to leave an impression, and it’s so fooking catchy! Heri Joensen’s one-of-a-kind vocals seal the deal with a cool factor that can’t easily be defined and the chorus is V-money. Give me an album of cuts this badass and I could start writing my Record o’ the Year piece right now. “Dragons Never Die” is another stomping monster with that classic Týr sound as vibrant and effective as ever. The hooks flow like mead and the Viking ethos roars from the ever-catchy riffs and vocal harmonies. “Row” keeps the longboat moving through the waves with aggressive, rowdy energy and another winning chorus.

The second half of Battle Ballads has its moments but isn’t as stacked with killers. More restrained folksy pieces like “Torkils Døtur” and “Vælkomnir Føroyingar” are good but not great, and closer “Causa Latronum Normannorum” is a bit sleepy and uneventful. That said, rabble-rousing tracks like “Hangman” and “Axes” keep things from going too far down the folk hole and turning things into a Korpiklaani-fest. Battle Ballads blasts by in a flash and flows quite well. Its 41-plus minutes feel very accessible and most songs get in, give you the axe, and storm out all within 3-4 minutes. The production is big, bold, and clear without sounding too clean, allowing you to hear everything going on.

As with all Tyr platters, the big attraction are the vocals by Heri Joensen. He’s the rare frontman who sounds like no one else. His croons and bellows are the near-perfect blend of metal and folk and he injects a lot of passion and feeling into his vocals without having to overdo things. He’s just a special kind of frontman and he makes Týr stand apart. He and Hans Hammer serve up stirring riffs and harmonies aplenty, blending traditional metal ideas with folk and shades of Viking metal. There’s even a slight blackened edge appearing at times. Their playing creates a unique sonic tapestry that’s epic, majestic, and mighty, interlaced with folksy charm from their corner of the world.

Týr continue to do their own unique thing and the results continue to impress. I prefer Hel to Battle Ballads by a small margin but there’s still a lot to love here. Even the songs I don’t completely adore are quite good, and the best tracks strike hard and show no mercy. In a time when so many bands sound interchangeable, Týr continues down their own path and they should be respected for that, especially when their output is this consistent and fun. If you haven’t spent time with Týr yet, you’re a coward and a knave. Get your fishing rod and get with these bass masters ASAP.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Metal Blade
Websites: https://tyr.fo/ | tyrband.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/tyrband
Releases Worldwide: April 12th, 2024

#35 #BattleBallads #Ensiferum #FaroianMetal #FolkMetal #HeavyMetal #MetalBladeRecords #Review #Reviews #Tyr #VikingMetal

Hamferð – Men Guðs hond er sterk Review

By Angry Metal Guy

Like so many things doomy, Hamferð doesn’t move quickly. Back in ’18,1 these Faroese doomsters—fronted by my golden-voiced arch-nemesis and all around begrudging ‘friend o’ the blog’ Jón Aldará—released their second album Támsins likam. The album was my Record o’ the Month and would go on to be my Record o’ the Year because it was an incredible accomplishment of dour and sinister, but simultaneously fragile, funeral doom. But Evst—the band’s debut full-length2—was released in 2013, so already then, Támsins likam was 5 years in the making. At an Orphaned Land-esque speed, Hamferð has plodded back with its third full-length, Men Guðs hond er sterk (But God’s Hand Is Strong). And I’m not going to be coy; it’s a doozy.

Conceptually, Men Guðs hond er sterk focuses on a tragedy that took place in 1915, where 14 men died in a whaling accident that was witnessed by the local inhabitants of Sandvik in the Faroe Islands. This focus on a very real tragedy is a new beginning, as Hamferð’s debut MLP (Vilst er síðsta fet), and previous LPs Evst, and Támsins likam shared a basic story. The album’s name is derived from the key quote from an interview from a survivor,3 who rather than focusing on just how tragic the event was, instead focused on the miracle that some people survived. “But God’s hand is strong,” he says, in the part I understand, before explaining his own miraculous survival (I surmise). These facets help to structure the album to my ears: a descent into tragedy, foreshadowed through the storytelling, with a mournful—but almost hopeful—turn at the end.

The thematic duality between tragedy and hope that characterizes the narrative is made manifest in the music. The quote that became the album’s title encapsulates the mixture of despair, sorrow and hope contained herein. Compared to its predecessor, Men Guðs hond er sterk is often quite energetic—fast, even—featuring what I’ve previously referred to as “eighth note doom”—which you can often hear in the cymbals (“Ábær,” the chorus in “Marrusorg”). This energetic narrative stands in contrast to the crushing pace and seas of white space featured on Támsins likam.4 The mournful wrinkle to the tragedy is reflected not in grief following the event, but rather in the hushed, melancholy tones that characterize the storytelling. Tracks like “Glæman” and “Marrusorg” feature an Opethian swing and with beautiful melodies and delicate vocals. The two sides, of course, work together to build tension towards a coming tragedy, before the tragedy (“Hvølja”) that becomes Men Guðs hond er sterk’s denouement.

It helps, of course, that everything about Hamferð’s new opus sounds incredible. Engineered and mixed by guitarist (and primary composer) Theodor Kapnas, the album clocks in at a roomy DR 8,5 and is distinguished by a smooth, organic sound. A strong, well-balanced mix emphasizes the nuanced songwriting and performances (love the variations on the guitars in the build in “Fendreygar,” for example), and I continue to be impressed by how tight they are, even eschewing a click-track in their recording process. Furthermore, the tone choices demonstrate excellent taste that perfectly communicates the band’s message. And I would be remiss if I didn’t note that Jón Aldará (Iotunn, Barren Earth6) sounds as good as he’s ever sounded. Aldará’s voice bridges the unknown—incomprehensible lyrics—and the listener’s feelings with ease. His emotive voice, with his idiosyncratic and throaty7—yet strikingly clear and brassy—delivery carries the emotional weight necessary to listen to an album in Faroese and feel just as moved as if it were in my native language.

Hamferð’s strengths are abundant and Men Guðs hond er sterk leverages each of them to land a coup de maître. The one complaint I could imagine about the album is that it is simply not as heavy as the band’s earlier material. For me, this feels like a consequence of an album written to its concept. Yes, I would gladly listen to more of the band’s crushing, quarter/half-note doom á la Támsins likam, but good concept albums like this one are more than the sum of their individually excellent parts. And when it comes down to it, the record’s flow is impeccable, the writing is subtle but addictive, and the glimmer of sorrowful hope is just what I need to help me get through my days right now.

Rating: Excellent
Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s CBR mp3 | DR: 8
Label: Metal Blade Records
Websites: hamferd.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/hamferd | instagram.com/hamferdofficial
Releases Worldwide: March 22nd, 2024

#2024 #45 #BarrenEarth #DoomMetal #Evst #FaroianMetal #FuneralDoom #Hamferð #Iotunn #JónAldará #Mar24 #MenGuðsHondErSterk #MetalBlade #Opeth #Review #Reviews #TámsinsLikam