Reviews

Viking-opera? World-thrash? Folk-metal? Call it whatever you want, but it's fucking cool. From the fur-clad, red-war painted Finnish maniacs who raided the world with their debut, Battle Metal, a few years ago now comes The Varangian Way. Sons of Odin, Turisas is here to stay.

Their second album sounds like music for a play yet to be staged. The sounds are big, brash, and over the top, yet strangely accessible. Turisas employ the basic rock-metal three piece plus accordion, keyboard, and violin to realize their vision. But it is their lyrical mythology and visual assault that sets them leagues apart from any other typical metal band. Atmosphere and symphonic elements play a crucial role for Turisas in their creation of a style that demands attention and imagination that fully hooks the listener onto their warship across musical waters. Of course, some drinking and pillaging takes place along the way. The Varangian Way is an immense audio wall that somehow combines the pompousness of Queen, the guilty cheese of Survivor, and the balls of Rammstein, but all the while sounding nothing like the aforementioned bands. Turisas surprised us with Battle Metal, and now have forged their own path with The Varangian Way.

From the first track to the last, there is a mid-paced majesty to the entire album that employs some whacky dynamics with a classical sense of anthem. It is the kind of music that demands the lyrics to be learned and shouted in a crowd of like-minded raiders. Turisas are both awesome and ridiculous at the same time. But they take themselves seriously. It is not a joke; too much time and effort has gone into this creation. What they have produced is highly imaginative and creative music. They are a multi-headed Viking beast that thrashes in an eclectic way and thrills and shreds as good as any band you can name.

And the final result? Absolutely bonkers-positive entertainment. Raise a horn of mead (or blood) to these nuts and then bow down. Hopefully they will raid the U.S. this year.