Release Date: May 15, 2007
Label: EMI
Genres: Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Scandinavian Metal, Power Metal
Number Of Tracks: 8
"The Varangian Way" transcends all metal styles and unites them all into an experience unlike any other in a current scene of copycat bands.
The Varangian Way
Reviewed by:
aenimafist, on december 09, 2008 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Sound: I went to the record store not really expecting what I was in for as far as The Varangian Way was concerned but I think over all I made a good purchase. The songs are not all classics of the viking metal genre (I'm not sure what else to call it, folk metal maybe) but this record is fun to listen to and doesn't really get old. To Holmgard and Beyond is a great opening track and really settles into a groove fast while having an adventurous and powerful chorus to back it up. The added keyboards played by the vocalist make the music even more attractive to hear. Cursed Be Iron is my favorite though because Nygard has his best growling part here plus I like listening to the verses with his thick Scandinavian accent. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics all seem to connect with eachother to tell a story about a journey to Miklagard which apparently is near the Bosporous around where Istanbul is, if the map on the back of the CD is anything to go by. The adventure seems to start near the gulf where St. Petersburg Russia is and then it follows a path down the Dneiper River and eventually reach the Dardanelles or something. Warlord Nygard is a very versatile vocalist because he has a very soothing and clean normal voice yet he can really let loose if he decides to go into growl mode. His best performance was on Cursed Be Iron but he also performed well on Five Hundred and One. // 9
Impression: This CD was a lot of fun to listen to but I think it was too short unfortunately. If the band could have added at least one more section to the story of their journey, this album would have been quite a bit better. The tune In The Court of Jarislief is a very good way for the band to create some ebb and flow in the midst of the heavy songs. I admire the fact that they take off bands such as Korpiklaani and Finntroll by having a violinist. Best songs are Cursed Be Iron, To Holmgard and Beyond, and Five Hundred and One. Not an amazing album but definately a success. // 9
The Varangian Way
Reviewed by:
enterlude, on july 10, 2007 0 of 1 people found this review helpful
Sound: “The Varangian Way” has been three long years in the making, and is that most challenging (for the listener) of formats, a concept album. The concept is all bound up with a group of 11th century Vikings who travelled to the Baltic and then on to the east. I wouldn’t have a problem with this at all, but, somewhere along the way, the glorious anarchy that was so prevalent in “Battle Metal” has been glossed out of the picture. Musically, this album is striving towards Therion in one direction and the symphonic majesty of Dimmu Borgir in another. Unfortunately, it all comes off a bit more like Andrew Lloyd-Webber. Somebody should certainly slap a fine on Warlord NygÃ¥rd for overuse of keyboards: far too many of the tracks suffer from overblown pomp. His vocal style for the clean vocals is too reminiscent of Michael Ball, there is nothing of metal left in this sanitised twaddle. // 8
Lyrics and Singing: And yet there is still hope in the darkness. There are pale echoes of what Turisas are capable of, and the accordion player Lisko, is still hanging in there. Some of this is extremely catchy, and the folk elements are well done. When Warlord NygÃ¥rd drops the need to educate, and switches back to the more metal style of vocals, this becomes a far more listenable album. The problem is that for me, there is no single track which I enjoy in it's entirety, they are all blighted to a greater or lesser degree by this desire to produce something that, frankly, Turisas don’t seem to be comfortable with. // 6
Impression: I must admit that this release has grown on me slightly from the first time I heard it, but I am still not as enthusiastic about it as I would have hoped. One of my main concerns is that I can’t see much of this being performed live, and Turisas are a band who need to be seen live. This is not so much battle metal as airbrushed metal. // 7
I'd disagree, i think its a totally epic album easily as good as 'Battle Metal,' and they did the new tracks they played at Download fine. It's also not meant to be taken all to seriously i guess, any band that wears fur armour and cover themselves in paint really aren't making any profound statements, so dismissing it as 'sanitised twaddle' is perhaps too harsh.
personaly i prefer battle metal, however the varangian way has more to offer in the differant styles of metal used, but i honestly do think they should go back to what they where doing with the likes of battle metal.
I love this album. It's easily one of the best I've ever heard. The songs fit together nicely, the epic viking-like feel just prevails throughout the whole album and the album just feels right as a whole.
For those people who doubt that these songs don't work live: You're WRONG. Just saw them live a week ago and songs like "To holmgard and beyond" and "the dnieper rapids" were among the best songs played (along with battle metal and one more, of course). And please go see these guys live for your own good: they're the best band live that I've ever seen .
lol, who saw these guys in myrtle beach on nov 23 with dragonforce? kickass show! tickets were $30, but i woulda paid $30 to see turisas and $50 or more to see dragonforce
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