I’m currently listening to ‘Turisas2013’, probably the WORST name for an album of all last year, but definitely not the worst album. Turisas are my band of the day today, because they have written some of the best fist pumping folk metal anthems this side of Korpiklaani, but with less booze. With their debut album they named their entire genre. It truly is ‘Battle Metal’, yet another subset of folk metal with focus on fighting the heathen enemy etc etc. ‘The Varangian Way’ was a masterclass in exactly this, with the stomping ‘To Holmgard and Beyond’ being their eternal anthem and of course, the titan ‘Miklagard Overture’, probably my favourite track.
Then came ‘Stand Up and Fight!’, a raucous orchestra metal record to equal the best. It was so ridiculously over the top, that it seemed that Turisas had found their signature sound from then on. But their newest record is much more stripped back, more straightforward, and perhaps the better for it. The songs are insidiously catchy, whether the band crank up the aggression or not. It opens with the storming ‘For Your Own Good’ and careers on, past ‘Ten More Miles’ and the ludicrously strange ‘Run Bhang Eater, Run’ to the heavier ‘Greek Fire’ and more serious ‘The Days Passed’. It is a good record from 2013, if not one of the best. Sadly, it isn’t even the best folk metal record from last year; for me I think that’s probably Falkenbach’s glorious ‘Asa’ (review coming soon!). But it’s a great record if you need a simple 41 minutes of head banging and catchy tunes. And there’s fuck all wrong with that! ‘RA RA RASPUTIN!!’
Amended: I deliberately didn’t add anything about their Boney M cover, simply because it stands perfect for what it is: probably the best metal cover of a non metal song there is.
The Killchain 