Reviewed - 06/28/04
Iron
[Spinefarm Records]
Ladies and Gentlemen, the best album of the year has arrived, and I won't be surprised when it's still sitting at the top of the heap when the year is done. Ensiferum's demo material and debut album had already proven that they were a band to watch out for, but even after those albums I was never prepared for what I was going to hear with this new record. The two song EP Ensiferum released back in February offered just a small taste of what the full length was going to offer. The track Tale of Revenge was so incredible I could barely hold in my rabid desire for Iron. This new album is monumentally fantastic. The first track is all acoustic and starts of slowly, but builds to a faster and faster gallop pumping you up for what's to come. Once the second track starts, the headbanging will not stop until you have finished the whole record (aside from a few interludes and the final acoustic track of course).
I don't want to really put down Finntroll's Nattfodd, it was a great release, but since these two bands are so similar in style (not necessarily execution), I can't help but to draw a comparison here. There is much less folk in Ensiferum's album, but it's not missed, the album still feels like it has everything anyway, this is the ultimate Viking record!
The guitars are lightning fast on most tracks, along with the drumming. When they're not playing at light speed, the music still manages to jump out of the speakers at me. You really get the sense that they actually love playing this stuff. It's not like Ensiferum are the only band to have such talent, but it's tough for them to not stand out when they're this good. The vocals are especially enjoyable as well, ranging from blackish shrieks to a classic metal singing style, slightly reminiscent of Halford. Overall the music just comes together so well, I feel overwhelmed when I listen to it.
As far as I am concerned, there is absolutely nothing that Ensiferum could have done to make this a better record; I couldn't even consider giving this album anything less than a ten.
[Spinefarm Records]
Ladies and Gentlemen, the best album of the year has arrived, and I won't be surprised when it's still sitting at the top of the heap when the year is done. Ensiferum's demo material and debut album had already proven that they were a band to watch out for, but even after those albums I was never prepared for what I was going to hear with this new record. The two song EP Ensiferum released back in February offered just a small taste of what the full length was going to offer. The track Tale of Revenge was so incredible I could barely hold in my rabid desire for Iron. This new album is monumentally fantastic. The first track is all acoustic and starts of slowly, but builds to a faster and faster gallop pumping you up for what's to come. Once the second track starts, the headbanging will not stop until you have finished the whole record (aside from a few interludes and the final acoustic track of course).
I don't want to really put down Finntroll's Nattfodd, it was a great release, but since these two bands are so similar in style (not necessarily execution), I can't help but to draw a comparison here. There is much less folk in Ensiferum's album, but it's not missed, the album still feels like it has everything anyway, this is the ultimate Viking record!
The guitars are lightning fast on most tracks, along with the drumming. When they're not playing at light speed, the music still manages to jump out of the speakers at me. You really get the sense that they actually love playing this stuff. It's not like Ensiferum are the only band to have such talent, but it's tough for them to not stand out when they're this good. The vocals are especially enjoyable as well, ranging from blackish shrieks to a classic metal singing style, slightly reminiscent of Halford. Overall the music just comes together so well, I feel overwhelmed when I listen to it.
As far as I am concerned, there is absolutely nothing that Ensiferum could have done to make this a better record; I couldn't even consider giving this album anything less than a ten.
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Tracklist:
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| Rating: 10/10 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Release Date: 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: 43:16 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Review By: Leprechaun | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Reviews: (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Bands Website: Go Here | ||||||||||||||||||||
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