In metal, there are so many different subgenres, to the point where some bands fail to fall into just one subgenre. This is the case with Faroese veterans Tyr. Tyr combines progressive metal, with power metal and symphonic metal, and include a vast amount of Viking and folk influences as well. That is what folk metal is, and what Tyr have been delivering us with for 25 years. With Battle Ballads, the Faroese outfit have given us a unique blend of folk influences with epic melodies and sounds I’d expect to find on an Epica or Nightwish album.
The album kicks off with the second of three singles released from this record, ‘Hammered.’ This immediately tells me that this band is very confident with this new album. This song is a sign of what epic moments will arrive later in this album. The third song on the tracklist is my favourite of the singles. ‘Dragons Never Die’ is an extremely catchy song and thanks to the sing-along parts throughout, this will definitely be a fan favourite when it is played live. What I really enjoyed about this song, in particular, was how obvious the folk sounded when it was mixed with the chug of the guitars in the verses, and the gallop-like rhythm in the chorus.
This is when the album takes an unexpected turn. ‘Row’ is a moody, and much darker sounding track. The chorus is still epic sounding, but as a whole the song feels much more dramatic, and the listener can really hear the orchestral elements of this record which is something I sometimes struggled with on this record. However, it is ‘Torkils Døtur’ where the album truly takes things to the next level. A near six-minute masterpiece showcasing the very best of each of the musicians in this band. Sung entirely in Faroese, the song starts as a ballad, and progresses into a double bass assault towards the end. Add on the symphonic elements which have another rare moment on this album, and you get the best song on this album.
‘Vælkomnir Føroyingar’ is right after ‘Torkils Døtur’ and is the blandest, most boring song on this album. Four minutes and fifteen seconds of repetition with the exception of a very impressive guitar solo, which however only leads to more repetition. This is meant to be a more traditional sounding song, but for a band who aims to try and do new things on this album, this song simply does not fit, and feels lacklustre when you compare it to the rest of the album.
However, things pick up right away again, as ‘Hangman’ is another infectious and catchy track, with yet another fantastic guitar solo. Right after that though, the very first single from Battle Ballads comes on. The anthemic sounding ‘Axes’ starts, and it sounds like something right from an action movie. The barrage of double bass and synths assault your ears as it comes very suddenly and unexpectedly. The chorus once again, is powerful and is exactly what I would have expected from a folk metal band. This song gives the drums the chance to shine as whilst the double bass is barely audible, the listener can clearly tell what is going on musically.
The final song, ‘Causa Latronum Normannorum’ is once again in Faroese, and is one of the grandest sounding songs on here, just like ‘Torkils Døtur.’ With amazing vocals and patriotic sounding guitar work, this song leaves the listener feeling as if they are in the middle of a Game Of Thrones battle. Such an epic way to end an album.
Something that has been very clear to me from the very beginning of this album, was that whilst the songs are mostly fantastic, the recording is not. The album sounds a little bit all over the place. The guitars are extremely powerful at times and overpower the drums. The drums sound weak, and the bass drum is barely audible, which for a record with a lot of fantastic double bass work, I want to hear it, and I am confident that everyone would have expected to hear the double bass drum work properly. The bass sounds very good, but once again, is overpowered by the vocals and guitar work, and for an album that promises to be symphonic, I felt that the synths were audible at times, but barely audible on some songs as well.
On a whole, this is a fairly consistent album, with only a small hiccup in the middle, and with some epic, grand songs that make you simply repeat the songs over and over again. If the recording was better, and all the instruments were levelled out, so that I could really listen and appreciate each element of every song, this album could have been elevated to a much higher level. With Battle Ballads, Tyr have transported me to a universe where dragons, and heroes, collide in battle. One I hope will continue for many more albums.
Tyr: Battle Ballads – Out 12th April 2024 (Metal Blade Records)
– Dragons Never Die (Official Video) (youtube.com)
