Enslave - Riitiir Review

ENSLAVED - RIITIIR (NUCLEAR BLAST)

Enslaved. Pioneers of black,viking metal. Great releases.  A great backstage .
Riitiir is the name of the new release and contains 8 songs + 1 (which is a part of the limited edition).
Before a year I had the chance to talk with the drummer of Enslaved "Cato Bekkevold". You can find the interview  here . 

He admitted that the album will contain fresh material and will be innovative ,because this is indeed what Enslaved wants to offer with their music. Something new - fresh and innovative. 
This is it. Riitiir is a new , fresh and innovative masterpiecce. There's no combination with the last releases. Riitiir is more progressive than the other albums . Progressive may not be good all the time , in case of a band with a black metal background, and this was the fact that worried me a lot. Of course the black metal element is clear-glanced , but there's a balance between the extreme and the harmonic (and I think Enslaved are the only who can manage that definition well enough , with Borknagar). 

To conculde with , don't be afraid with the fact that  Enslaved from a black/viking meta band had turned into an extreme/progressive. The result is always  good. And the elements are still untouched.

Another thing that made me wonder about  this album was the cover art. You can see hands that they look like a tree.  Really impresive and innovative. And this one is my favourite Enslaved's cover artwork. Simple with meaning . (This is my cup of tea)

I liked a lot this album, in a way that I can not choose which was the worst or the best song. This album is a definition of great work. Enslaved are strong and ready for more things. Expect from 'em.

POINTS : 8/10

COMMUNICATION :
Official Page and Orders
Enslaved Facebook

Frosttide - Our Journey Review

 Frosttide. A new band right from the frozen landscapes of Finland. A band that has done a great work so far with 2 EP releases . Dawn of Forst (2010) and Our Journey (2012) .
It is clear that nowadays is such a difficult task to create a good produced music because of the low budget that most of the new bands have, but in the case of Frosttide this fact doesn't really matter .
The quality of this band is an evidence of a great and hard work and most of all , a passionate work .
If you love the music that you play then you play it good. 

So, Frosttide's new EP "Our Journey" is out now from 12th of September via..themselves. Frosttide is a self-released band and this is an even most difficult task. This EP contains 5 tracks and the total length is 26 minutes almost.

The tracks of this EP are : 
1.Enemy Is Back
2.Carefree Village
3.Face Your Demons
4.Assault
5.No Turning Back

In first taste you can face the better mixing from the last EP (Dawn Of Frost) , clear-played melodies on guitar that reminds you a good combination of Ensiferum , early-Wintersun and of course the Frosttide's I.D of their music. 

enemy is back : enemy is back and frosttide are back. Really fast tempo and melodic towards. The shorter track of the EP but still epic as f**ck!

carefree village : while I was listening on this track , I started headbang my head as I was sitting on my chair. This song gives you the emotion of a fast melodic folk album . This song made me to understand that vocals on this EP are even better and well recorded than the first EP. Melodies that reminds Ensiferum from the Victory Songs album.

face your demons : while I was listening to this song for first time , I imagined the scene on live...Such a great song, 100% folk metal and has nothing to miss from "big" bands of the genre. Simply amazing and for me is the best track of the album.

assault : a bit different from the other songs , more melodic with "deep" keyboard recording and more technical guitars.If you like fast tempos with fast guitars,then this is your song.

no turning back : The bigger in length song of this EP. No Turning Back is the highlight of the EP (but not the best song as the best song for me is the "face your demons") . Again combines fast melodies with epic-melodic elements . I hope this song opens a new chapter for the upcoming releases. To be honest I was waiting so much for a long track from Frosttide, and "voilá" here it is!

As I said before this band is an indipendent - one in a world that in order to survive you have to be mainstream all the time and to deal with big companies and publishers. Those guys are believing really in elements that they play to. I hope you will like this EP and that you will expecting for something new after that. Many people are asking why they have not released a full-length album. The answer in my opinion is that as indipendent you can't do such a "huge ammount of work" . I trust them and I think that this move with EP's is great because they are introducing their face in the metal scene. For me Frosttide have the potential to continue moreover on metal music scene and to be the new blood of metal in general. They are passionate as hell and they deserve all the best from now and on.

POINTS : 9/10

COMMUNICATION :
Frosttide Facebook
Frosttide Mikseri .fi
Frosttide Myspace and frosttide@hotmail.com

Coming Up!

Coming up : 2 exclusive interviews with Frosttide (finnish melodic folk metal) and Fferyllt (sympho folk metal from Russia) . Two great bands with one upcoming release from each of them.
Moreover there will be a review of the new EP of Frosttide called " Our Journey " .
Bellow you can have a taste of this new EP . Stay informed and folk!

Brymir up to the second album.

Finns metallers , Brymir are gonna release a second album soon , after the release of the great "Breath Fire To The Sun" . For more details you can check daily their many newsfeed on facebook or their official web site. Links are bellow.
Official Site

Facebook Page

Arkona On Tour (10th Anniversary Tour)

 
   

Arkona, due to their feasting of their 10th anniversary in metal music, are on your arround
Europe for 21 exlusive shows. Be sure to check them out .

Kampfar On Tour Europe 2012

Kampfar, are on tour arround Europe from 19th of October 'till 3rd of  November.
About german fans , don't forget that tomorrow Kampfar will appear in Berlin for the last
live show of their tour.

Pagan Metal on Majesty of the Seas.

As everyone knows , 70000 Tons of Metal is the most well- known festival because bands are playing in a cruise. 4 days with 40 bands and only 2000 tickets. A good chance to get in touch with your favourite bands and have a good time arround some exotic places.
This year , pagan bands will participate again in this festival. So far the names that are announced from this sub-genre are , TÝR and TURISAS.
More details bellow :
70000 Tons Of Metal

Månegarm Confirmed For Rockstad : Falun 2013

Månegarm confirmed for Rockstad : Falun 2013 .
"We are of course very pleasant and are really looking forward to finally hit
a big stage on our homeland. Visitors of Rockstad prepare for war"

More information you can find here bellow :
Rockstad : Falun

Månegarm Facebook

Paganfest 2013

Paganfest 2013

Headlining will be none other than mighty ALESTORM who have left no stone unturned in the past couple of years with their hefty brand of pirate metal! Russians ARKONA also know exactly how to get a good heathen party started - they will bring along their new live DVD. Swedes THYRFING have been around since 1995, and their pumping viking metal is the stuff of legends. The guys will have their new album ready in time for tour kick-off! 
EX DEO from Canada are much more than just a Kataklysm sideproject – their second album „Caligvla“ recently mingled epic death metal with hymnic character impressively. WOLFCHANT, on the other hand, stand for epic pagan metal from Germany. The band is currently working on the successor to “Call of the black winds” and will blast out new songs at the PAGANFEST! Opening will be Hungarian act BORNHOLM who fuse black and pagan sounds in order to tear your heads off with new album „Inexorable defiance“ !
As special guest at all extended shows, the wolf pack of VARG plus their new album „Guten Tag“ will appear!A further special guest will be annonced soon!
PAGANFEST 2013Presented by METAL HAMMER, LEGACY, NOIZELETTER, MUSIX, ORKUS, X-TRA-X, METALNEWS & BLAST!
AlestormArkonaThyrfingEx DeoWolfchantBornholm
Special Guests Extended Shows:VARG + 1 special guest (tba)
TOURDATES28.02.2013 DE - Saarbrücken, Garage01.03.2013 DE - Würzburg, Posthalle *Extended*02.03.2013 DE - Essen, Weststadthalle *Extended*04.03.2013 DE - Stuttgart, LKA Longhorn05.03.2013 CH - Solothurn, Kofmehl07.03.2013 DE - Berlin, K1708.03.2013 DE - Leipzig, Hellraiser *Extended*09.03.2013 DE - München, Backstage *Extended*10.03.2013 DE - Hamburg, Markthalle *Extended*
The ticket presale starts on November 1st. Get your tickets and fan packs here: www.hardticket.eu
Furher information will be announced soon on

Paganfest

Enslaved - Riitiir Out Now via Nuclear Blast

Enslaved have released their new album called "riitiir" and it's released from Nuclear Blast.
Bellow you can see the link were you can buy it.

Official Site

Official Merchandise
 

Finntroll's new album demo trailer

Finntroll's new demo from the upcoming recordings of the new album,which is gonna be out in 2013 via Century Media.
Keep in mind that the sound is not as good as you could expect for.
This demo is licensed by Century Media and Finntroll's approvement.

Eluveitie Wintersun and Varg on Tour in Canada and U.S

  Finally, eluveitie , wintersun and varg will be on tour in canada and u.s.
The following dates are :
11/28 Tempe
11/29 Hollywood
11/30 Oakland
12/1 Portland
12/2 Seattle
12/3 Vancouver
12/5 Edmonton
12/6 Calgary
12/7 Saskatton
12/8 Winnipeg
12/9 Saint Paul
12/11 Chicago
12/12 Cleveland
12/13 Toronto
12/14 Ottawa
12/15 Montreal
12/16 Quebec
12/18 Rochester
12/19 Milvale
12/20 New York
12/21 Boston

Make sure to book your tickets before the show in your preffered area. 

Turisas On Tour In South America 2013

Turisas are goin' to head for a new Latin American Tour in 2013, under the name of "guards of glory".
The stations are :
March 8th Mexico
March 9th Costa Rica
March 10th Colombia
March 12th Argentina
March 14th Chile
March 16th Brazil
March 17th Brazil

We are waiting more informations from Turisas about new tour.

Fferyllt New Album

 Fferyllt are on to release their new full length album called "Proritsanie" (The Prediction).
According to band's members , the album is already finished but there are some issues with the publishing label that are signed in.
This album will contain 10 tracks with many guest musicians.
Hopefully the album will be out in 2012 or 2013 in case that stygian crypt records had slowed down their activities as it seems.
Rumours says that the new Fferyllt's album is gonna released via  napalm records . 
Bellow you can see the tracklist of the new album and the video with the album's overall trailer .

Tracklist :

I. the prediction
II.loki's revenge
III.brother's of north
IV.fenrir
V,berserk's way
VI.aurgelmir
VII.axe of ice
VIII.symphony of flames
IX.called by war
X.iddavöll

Trailer : 

Communication :  
http://www.fferyllt.net/
Facebook Official Pages:
Fferyllt's newsfeed page (please be a member)
be a member
Fferyllt's official page
Fferyllt's Facebook Page

Wintersun - Time I Review

Wintersun - Time I (Nuclear Blast) Review

Well well...mr.Mäenpää's new starchild.
After a real odyssey , Time I is finaly out via Nuclear Blast Records.
From the first week this album faced a massive success with entries on international
charts worldwide.
Ok let's go now in the review details.

To be honest ,I was waiting a sequel of the first album,something technical. 
The result was the opposite. Time I has nothing almost mutual with the debut album.
But this doesn't means that this album is not a Wintersun's pure material.
I will do this review track by track.

when time fades away : One song full of emotions. A warm album's "welcoming".
A track inspired by some Southern melodies and in my opinion one of the greatest instrumental songs ever written by a person.

sons of winter and stars: This song contains 4 other songs which are "Rain of Stars","Surrounded By Darkness" , Journey Inside A Dream","Sons of Winter And Stars". I want to avoid the many "sauce" arround this track. I have to say that this song is one of the most EPIC songs ever written. Amazing out-cosmic riffs and melodies . 
The highlight of the song is the choir .
Don't forget to include that in this song there are many guest musicians .
Those musicians are : Markus Toivonen (Ensiferum), Sami Hinkka (Ensiferum) , Mathias Nygård (Turisas) ,Olli Vänskä (Turisas) , Jukka-Pekka Miettinen (Turisas) , Heri Joensen (Týr) , Mikko Salovaara (Kiuas) .


land of snow and sorrow : A track that has to remind tracks such as "sleeping stars" or "death and the healing". Slower tempo , full of melodies . Just close your eyes and imagine that you are in a realm of ice . A hint . Listen this song again and again if you don't like it in the first time. As Jari said , this album is gonna be a "difficult" album.


darkness and frost : Darkness and frost is the second instrumental song of the album. Maybe some of you that you have been in the recent Wintersun's concert , may remember this song from the instrumental intro before the song "beyond the dark sun". 


time : The song of the album that will leave you with a bitter sweet taste. May remind you some people that you have lost already. But this song made me curious to listen the next time album .
For me this is the best song of the album with sons of winter and stars.
The highlight is the instrumental melody and Jari's vocals during the chorus. 


Points : 9/10


The album is out now worldwide in compact -disc case , in limited edition mediabook , on itunes and in blue-signed vinyl.
Be sure to buy the album from the link bellow.
Don't forget that this band can't continue on creating new stuff without our financial support as money is the ruler of the world now.



CLICK HERE TO THE WINTERSUN OFFICIAL SITE



CLICK HERE FOR THE WINTERSUN OFFICIAL WEB-SHOP

VIKING LAND IS BACK

 VIKING LAND IS BACK 

After a year of completed silence , Vikinglandblog is back.
As the owner of this blog , I am asking sorry for this "deep"sleep, but I have
to run with my schedule and fight my "inner demonds".
So , I am back with new material and with appetitte to continue on this work that 
many of you out there are supporting. 
To conclude I want to thank you all for keeping this blog live...in 5 months I had 30.000 hits almost without any commercial.

Best Regards,
Paul.Å.
http://vikinglandblog.blogspot.gr/