Metal Reviews

Now, this is a band I was shown by my brother who's best experience with metal is Guitar Hero. Then one day he calls me up and asks me if I've ever heard of a band called Turisias. I say know then he tells me they're viking metal. The first thing to pop into my head here is "Amon Amarth? My brother listening to death metal? what?"

So I download their two albums and it's fairly interesting. Though they're far more folk metal than Viking metal. Their first album Battle Metal is especially quite folky. Whereas The Varangian Way tries to be heavier but I think it falls short. Although I love that cover they do at the end of the album, Rasputin I think it's called.

Overall I think they're decent. I'll be keeping my eyes on them in later years.

They have some great songs, my favourites are Rasputin and Battle Metal.

First album good, second album meh. They've kinda fallen off the radar a little after Alestorm became the 'fun' band of the moment.

I like 'em.

After all the serious hype this band got after their recent release I expected something far far better than I got... Really disappointed. Will check their first one though.

Fail.

Though to be fair I've always been turned off by this style.

I loved them at first... played their first album nonstop, but when I put it on now I get bored immediately. I love the style of music, but Turisas just don't do it for me anymore.

Yeah, they're definantly not brilliant, but some of their songs are great. To be honest, I know this is trivial but my main problem is that for Viking Warriors they don't look very big or scary...Give 'em a year on the steroids and some Chris Benoit footage, then have them record an album. That would kick ass. Also the little Smeagol one is gay as fuck.

Better Finntroll that this.
Battle Metal is still a good album though. Beginner's luck I guess.

The first album is a bit too cluttered and stop-start, but I think they're a good band if very overrated. I'm in the minority (I think) that prefer the second album because I think it's a lot more focused. It also has a lot more clean vocals, which is good because the harsh vocals on the debut are a bit crap.

I also think they're a bit misunderstood - despite the image, they're not really a total folk metal band, which a lot of people seem to miss. The second album in particular has a lot or proggy sections on the go.

i like em. In fact, i like the whole viking/folk/pagan metal scene as a whole. Some do it better than others, but i like em all. Alestorm, SuidAkrA, Tyr, Equilibrium, Battlelore, Eluveitie, Holy Blood, Crimfall, ect.......

I dont think they're too bad. Their first album was pretty good actually but there are plenty of better bands in this particular genre (such as Ensiferum, Korpiklaani, and Eluveitie).