ENSIFERUM — Iron (review)

ENSIFERUM — Iron album cover Album · 2004 · Folk Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
siLLy puPPy
Raising their Viking swords to save another day ENSIFERUM delivers and displays their thrash metal leanings and power metal fantasies and rolls out another folk-tinged metal assault on their 2nd album IRON. While the debut album focused more on making thrashy metal powerhouses out of folk musical chord progressions and focused more on the heaviness, IRON has a lighter feel overall and focuses more on the folk side of their musical equation. From the pure folk (perhaps overlong) instrumental opener “Ferrum Aeternum” we get the full side of the melodic aspects of ENSIFERUM. The second track kicks into the metal but even then doesn't lean toward the thrashiness of the debut. The harder rip roarin' tracks don't really begin until track eight “Slayer Of Light” where there are three tracks of melodic folk assault that can actually complete with the debut.

What I love about ENSIFERUM is you really get all kinds of metal rolled into one with traditional folk music as well. The folk is symphonic and professionally done complete with bouzouki, mandolin, saz, dulcimer, sax, kantele and female vocals. On the metal side we get traditional metal, thrash, death growls and some smokin' solos that add an extra layer of intensity. This is the last album to feature Jari Mäenpää on vocals and guitars because he was more dedicated to the Wintersun projects and was booted from the band so he could dedicate his full attention. While I loved the debut album this one was initially a bit of a disappointment. I thought it was a little weak in comparison because it isn't as heavy throughout its entirety, but after many listens I have grown to really like the subtleties of this offering. True, it could have been paced a little better with some of the tracks moved around but on the whole I find myself liking this album quite a bit despite it not topping the debut in any given way.
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