| Tyr By the Light of the Northern Star |
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 | Tracklist:
1. Hold the Heathen Hammer High
2. Tróndur í Gøtu 1
3. Into the Storm
4. Northern Gate
5. Turið Torkilsdóttir
6. By the Sword in My Hand
7. Ride
8. Hear the Heathen Call
9. By the Light of the Northern Star
10. The Northern Lights (Bonus)
11. Anthem (Bonus)
Release Date: 01/01/2009 | |
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On 2 Lists
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| Summary: “By the sword in my hand, I will conquer the land. I will decimate and decapitate those who question the sword in my hand!” |
5 of 6 thought this review was well written
While on their innumerable raiding and pillaging voyages, the Vikings must have picked up two vital skills: the ability to come up with an eternity’s worth of tasteless war lyrics, and the skill to continually write delectable metal until no one really cares about the lyrics anymore. Like a clean-vocals incarnation of Amon Amarth, Faroese band Tyr have cranked out another Viking power metal record, and for the life of me I can’t stop listening.
Even past the laughable lyrics about swords, war, and heathenism, Tyr still embody stereotypical Viking metal. These Faroese go shirtless, braid each other’s beards, and wear leather armor. But from the hooky power metal of “Ride” to the beer-chanting of “Tróndur * Gøtu,” By the Light of the Northern Star is just ridiculously entertaining. The vocals (especially the omnipresent gang vocals) can verge on pretentious, but it’s all for the sake of good fun…and beer. On “Hold the Heathen Hammer High” the riffage topped by the slurring gang vocals is more fun than an ale-soaked beard, and Korpiklaani would be proud of the battle cry “By the Sword In My Hand” and the epic “Into the Storm”. Both the guitar-backed religious chorale of “Turið Torkilsdóttir” and the title track are epically beautiful. Even the solos are excellent.
The music may be simple, there’s no over-technical guitar wankery or keyboards, but that also means that the album is gimmick-free and completely true to form. Tyr veer from the heavy (“By the Sword In My Hand”) to the melodic (“Turið Torkilsdóttir”), but every song is full of mead-driven spirit and incredibly catchy hooks. No grand awards will be given to By the Light of the Northern Star, but fortune prick me if it isn’t a longboat-load of awesome.
“By the sword in my hand, I will conquer the land. I will decimate and decapitate those who question the sword in my hand!”
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Album Rating: 4
Shit man, i've been blasting this all day. With the windows down, most specifcally the title track, By The Sword In My Hand, and Northern Gate. This is balls out viking metal, none of that pussified faggoty purple Wintersun shit. Ace review.
Digging: Isis - Oceanic | | | Album Rating: 4
I really really like this. It's ridiculously awesome.
Digging: Equilibrium - Sagas | | |
This is balls out viking metal, none of that pussified faggoty purple Wintersun shit. Ace review.
Could have made that the entire review and I would have downloaded it. Yes I'm aware Balls didn't write it, but if you're writing a Viking Metal review, you might as well quote him.
Digging: Vordr - I
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Yah Balls is basically this site's offical Viking
Digging: Disparaged - The Wrath of God
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Never got into Tyr, should I start with this or Land?
Digging: Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue
| | | Album Rating: 3
I'd start with this, it's better then Land. Their best albums are How Far to Asgaard, Eric the Red, and Northern Star.
Digging: Converge - Axe To Fall | | |
epic
Digging: Sigur Ros - ( )
| | | Album Rating: 3
will acquire this real soon
Digging: Ghost Brigade - Isolation Songs | | | Album Rating: 4
yay, i'm influential.
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I will definitely be checking this out soon, good review.
Digging: Nyktalgia - Nyktalgia
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good review man, I've been spinning some Ensiferum and Amon Amarth lately so i guess i will check this out also in the coming days.
Digging: Dark Age - Acedia
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Good review, I have their other albums but I could never really get into them, still, I may yet check this out
Digging: Strapping Young Lad - City
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Yah Balls is basically this site's offical Viking
Yet he looks far from a viking.
Digging: Gunther - Pleasureman
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He's a broking.
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