Grab your axe and prepare for battle, Ensiferum is back!

There are hundreds of Viking metal bands around; many are good, some are not so good, but very few are very good. Of course we can all have a different opinion on each band, but sometimes everyone seems to share the same point of view. This is the first step to becoming a cult band. When Ensiferum came up with their self-titled debut in 2001, many grounds had already been explored by reigning Viking/folk metal bands such as Bathory, Finntroll, Thyrfing, Einherjer, Therion, Windir, etc. Nobody could ever imagine that something new –and Viking! - could be created… until they discovered Ensiferum and their brand new sound! The masterstroke of this young Finnish band was to put together “happy” folk melodies and fast power-black metal, in other words creating a sound that could have been the offspring of a Finntroll-Children Of Bodom marriage! Now the time has come for their second album – generally acknowledged to be a very hazardous step in the career of a band – will Ensiferum manage to recreate the magic of their first offering? Let us dissect the beast and discover its hidden treasures!

This new album – entitled “Iron”; perhaps to remind the listener that he is listening to a real metal album – starts off as quietly as the first album, with a long epic acoustic introduction. The first real song of the album, also called “Iron”, already announces slight changes; but don’t worry: it’s definitely the same band, staying faithful to their roots and evolving in what seems to be the right direction. As the cover of Metallica’s “Battery” suggested (on the “Tale Of Revenge” single, released a few weeks before “Iron”), Ensiferum seems to want to get closer to their thrash roots, especially as far as the rhythm guitars are concerned. The song “Slayer Of Light” is there to prove this with its pure thrash-metal rhythm guitars and its title which sounds like a tribute to one of the greatest thrash bands ever. Yet I don’t know whether this song was given this title on purpose or whether it is pure coincidence. But don’t get me wrong, Ensiferum hasn’t become a thrash-metal band at all, there is always a folk tune coming after a not-so-folk metal riff. This more present thrash influence is the only major change I noticed, and I have to say that is it very welcome as it gives more energy to the music.

Apart from this, the rest is in the same vein as the first album, especially towards the end of the album - it even sounds more mature. Our Finnish boys have definitely found their own particular sound! The melodic folk tunes are still as present as before, and the energy given by the combination of fast and aggressive riffing with lead guitar playing folk tunes is truly unique. Keyboards are often simply providing a background for the songs, and rarely stand out from the rest. When they do however, they add to the epic energy the music and in this way they are not to be left out. The drummer’s playing is fast and accurate with lots of double bass – but blast-beats seem to have been aside this time, they only appear very briefly in “Slayer Of Light”, and only as a break. Jari Mäenpää (vocals/lead guitar) is still as talented as before and rightly shows off his skills in many songs with speed-of-light guitar solos. Moreover, his vocals remain varied and powerful, ranging from harsh black-metal to clean power-metal vocals, and both are often mixed within the same song. Too bad he left the band...Group “Viking chants” are also playing a great role in this album, giving it an extremely epic feel. After all, Ensiferum wouldn’t be the same band without these chants, but also without the numerous acoustic guitar interludes and introductions, which bring some quietness and allow the listener to have some rest in the middle of the chaos. The album finishes as smoothly as it began with an acoustic outro and even nice and sweet female vocals. They couldn’t have found a better way to conclude this amazing journey.

It sounds like Ensiferum has successfully reached the second step to becoming a cult band with this album, only time will tell if they will be considered as such in the future. I am personally convinced that they will be – mark my words. “Iron” easily stands comparison with its predecessor, and even though it is a bit more thrash-oriented, the band remains true to itself and shows us again how talented it is. Highlights of the album are the songs “Into The Battle” and “Sword Chant” – sheer Viking poetry! Too bad the axe and the sword are not provided with the cd!

[This review was first published on the now defunct scandinavianmetal.info webzine]