{"id":15273,"date":"2013-09-16T00:00:20","date_gmt":"2013-09-16T00:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=15273"},"modified":"2013-11-19T17:40:09","modified_gmt":"2013-11-19T17:40:09","slug":"album-review-tyr-valkyrja","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/album-review-tyr-valkyrja\/","title":{"rendered":"T\u00ddR – Valkyrja (2013) | Album \/ EP Reviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

T\u00ddR
Valkyrja<\/strong><\/span>
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\nMetal Blade (2013)<\/span>
Rating: 9\/10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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T\u00fdr is one of the most interesting bands to come on the metal scene in the last decade. Hailing from the Faroe Islands, this Viking metal band has been releasing increasingly astounding music since their 2002 debut How Far To Asgaard<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In that time pagan and Viking metal bands have become a driving force in the modern landscape of the kingdom of heavy metal. T\u00fdr is such a jewel in the crown of the metal realm because the music is not content to fit into a particular subgenre. Valkyrja<\/em> is no exception, mixing Viking themes, folk melodies and classic power metal guitar lines to create a strong album. <\/p>\n

Very few albums grab me with intensity from the first notes. Valkyrja<\/em> manages to do just that. \u2018Blood Of Heroes\u2019 brings high energy and a sense of urgency from the first sound to bless the listener\u2019s ears. An intro of strong drums and dueling guitars leads to the deep, clear vocals of Heri Joensen. You\u2019ll hear none of the death metal growling that has become common among other pagan metal bands, just Joensen\u2019s rich, full voice.<\/p>\n

By the chorus session drummer George Kollias is pounding his bass drum to make Manowar proud. The clear mix allows each instrument room to be heard, partially due to the uncluttered arrangement of these songs. Rather than bring in a bevy of traditional folk instruments like many of their contemporaries, T\u00fdr relies on the tried and true heavy metal formula of two guitars, bass, drums and vocals. \u2018Blood Of Heroes\u2019 is ample evidence that these are enough to provide a strong performance that emphasizes the \u201cmetal\u201d in pagan metal.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to name the highlights on an album as consistent as Valkyrja<\/em>. \u2018Mare Of My Night\u2019 can\u2019t be forgotten for its driving chorus, which boasts some of the tightest backing vocals my ears have enjoyed. Similarly, \u2018Hell Hath No Fury\u2019 has a hook that sinks deep, mixing power metal rhythms with a folksy melody that brings to mind a band of rowdy pirates\u2026 or maybe Vikings?<\/p>\n

\u2018Lady Of The Slain\u2019 breaks from the band\u2019s generally mid-tempo pace to offer fast paced riffing that points directly to a power metal influence. All of these songs are well written and flawlessly executed. There is a power on Valkyrja<\/em> that doesn\u2019t rely on speed or gimmicks, but is built on the firm foundation of classic heavy metal. <\/p>\n

There are a few surprises to be found on this release. \u2018The Lay Of Our Love\u2019 includes guest vocals from the always amazing Liv Kristine, known for her work with Leaves\u2019 Eyes and Theatre Of Tragedy. Her duet with Joensen on this muscular ballad is outstanding. These two unique voices create powerful harmonies that must be heard to be believed.<\/p>\n

Other surpises include two covers, the Iron Maiden classic \u2018Where Eagles Dare\u2019 and Pantera\u2019s \u2018Cemetery Gates\u2019. Covering Maiden seems fitting given the obvious power metal influence on T\u00fdr\u2019s music. Both songs are fairly straightforward covers, given enough of a T\u00fdr flavour to sit well with the other songs offered on Valkyrja<\/em>. Whether working on their own music or paying tribute to their influences, T\u00fdr brings the metal in a unique and wholly enjoyable way. <\/p>\n

T\u00fdr is what the pagan metal community needs to break into the metal mainstream. Don\u2019t get me wrong, I\u2019m a big fan of pagan metal, but sometimes amidst all the pipes, hurdy gurdys and lutes I rather miss good old fashioned heavy metal. Valkyrja<\/em> bridges the gap between metal and one of its most interesting subgenres, and T\u00fdr has offered one of the best releases I have heard this year. Rather than stick to a corner of the metal realm, T\u00fdr has created an album that\u2019s best described as damn good metal. <\/p>\n

Jim McDonald<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

T\u00ddRValkyrja Metal Blade (2013)Rating: 9\/10 T\u00fdr is one of the most interesting bands to come on the metal scene in the last decade. Hailing from the Faroe Islands, this Viking metal band has been releasing increasingly astounding music since their 2002 debut How Far To Asgaard. In that time pagan and Viking metal bands have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,816],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-album-ep-reviews","category-tyr"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15273"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15273\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15277,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15273\/revisions\/15277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}