| | Full Review | Ratings (513) |
Give your Rating |
| 3.5 great | Kyle Ward EMERITUS | August 28th 09 |
One listen to Ensiferum's new album "From Afar" and one thing is clearly apparent: this isn't the tentative Petri Lindroos who released the deceivingly comfortable album "Victory Songs" a few years ago. No, this is a new era for Ensiferum, a distinct sampling of their older material when Jari was around, yet undoubtedly an innovation in their sound. There are no more tracks which sound exactly like the one which preceded it. Instead, we are left with a daunting amalgam of folk metal compositions which simply work together like nothing since their self-titled album. From the absolutely brilliant and serene female vocals of "Twilight Tavern" to the extended, guitar-solo laden epics of "Heathen Throne" and "The Longest Journey (Heathen Throne Part II)" to the pure- Finnish interlude "Tumman Virran Taa", this is a career-defining album. Without a doubt one of the top 5 of 2009, this is exactly the album both Ensiferum and their fans were looking for; one hour of nothing but the highest-quality folk metal in the world.
3 Bumps | Bump |
| 5.0 classic | Baeleron | August 25th 09 |
These guys keep getting better with each album. I had considered Victory Songs to be their best (and best album of 2007), and this reaches that high mark with equal energy and more songwriting diversity. This is virtually a lock for best viking/folk album of 2009.
2 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.5 great | BigTuna | November 3rd 09 |
Over-indulgent and over the top, but it is well-written and fun metal.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.5 great | Nagrarok | September 14th 09 |
Once again, everyone's favourite folk/viking metal act Ensiferum release a solid slab of heroic tunes that will surely please fans of their other work. While indeed slightly more bombastic than we are used to, From Afar adds nothing really new to the table, but then again, who cares?
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 2.0 poor | Altmer | September 7th 09 |
Tries really hard to be epic, but sounds like power metal with harsh vocals. For the uninitiated, that means speedy metal with epic (read: lame) keyboards, dumb screaming and folksy acoustic guitars. They lost it after Iron, when Jari left, and this album doesn't do anything to change the fact that Jari took the songwriting skill with him. And when you take the seasoning from a stew, you get something drab and boring. That is this record.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 2.5 average | Eggnog Addict | September 9th 22 |
petri era siffy goes over the top with bombastic synth effects and forget theyre a band not a b fantasy film company. still title is tolerable, tavern is classic siffy fun, and ruins is a trv gem like wanderer. but then u have long ass bores like the interlude in stone cold (otherwise quite good) and the pointless heathen throne doublet
Bump |
| 3.0 good | fireaboveicebelow | September 3rd 09 |
it's another Ensiferum record. expect epic keyboards, bad screaming, and laughable lyrics BUT it's all good fun I suppose
Bump |
| 5.0 classic | growabeardallover | August 22nd 09 |
Ensiferum have always suprised me by their song writing skills but this takes it to a new Level. Well done guys Great Job!
Bump |
| 3.5 great | razeen | July 13th 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | Rick64 | May 15th 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | Alastor | January 14th 25 |
| 3.0 good | Davey | March 20th 24 |
| 3.0 good | MaSuPe | February 10th 24 |
| 5.0 classic | Ztrain | October 5th 23 |
| 4.5 superb | gfgfg11 | September 12th 23 |
| 4.0 excellent | bSmith | May 31st 23 |
| 3.5 great | JoneHK | December 6th 21 |
| 3.0 good | Harlz | February 27th 21 |
| 3.5 great | branm25 | December 18th 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | ariich | November 1st 20 |
| 3.5 great | wingkon | September 25th 20 |
| 3.0 good | Elynna | August 24th 20 |
| 3.7 great | Atari EMERITUS | July 20th 20 |
| 3.0 good | Tibi | January 16th 20 |
| 3.5 great | mEyck07 | December 13th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | heck | December 2nd 19 |
| 5.0 classic | kodama | August 4th 19 |
| 3.5 great | thawey | January 17th 19 |
| 3.5 great | latpac | December 21st 18 |
| 3.5 great | Enzx | November 6th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Ategina | January 26th 18 |
| 3.5 great | Fear | December 30th 17 |
| 3.5 great | Jeclub | September 27th 17 |
| 3.5 great | Jeejee | September 20th 17 |
| 3.5 great | manosg EMERITUS | December 14th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | Snide | May 14th 16 |
| 3.5 great | foldas | January 25th 16 |
| 3.0 good | Rembo | December 3rd 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | mEyck97 | November 29th 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | Faustus | November 6th 15 |
| 3.5 great | ABlake | October 23rd 15 |
| 3.0 good | ICDD | September 6th 15 |
| 3.5 great | ngk44 | August 29th 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | oeaftos | July 31st 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | Abraxas | February 28th 15 |
| 3.5 great | daberu | September 29th 14 |
| 3.5 great | Pherin | September 1st 14 |
| 3.5 great | NoSons | August 7th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | jopower | August 4th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | NVCTOR | June 20th 14 |
| 3.0 good | adr | May 20th 14 |
| 3.5 great | Arashi | April 25th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | sirius53 | February 27th 14 |
| 3.5 great | Kroz | February 26th 14 |
| 4.5 superb | Nagash | September 12th 13 |
| 3.5 great | Smial | September 5th 13 |
| 3.0 good | valek | July 12th 13 |
| 3.5 great | Xihaan | July 10th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | arf | March 17th 13 |
| 3.5 great | vrooom | February 28th 13 |
| 4.5 superb | bisuax | January 18th 13 |
| 3.0 good | ezba45 | December 28th 12 |
| 3.5 great | Warpt | November 17th 12 |
| 3.5 great | jamai36 | November 17th 12 |
| 3.5 great | Hybza | November 4th 12 |
| 3.5 great | Lucy | October 17th 12 |
| 3.5 great | Styrr | October 15th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | Stonik | October 14th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | Sabaton | September 11th 12 |
| 4.5 superb | RayRay | August 31st 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | Shooz | August 28th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | bohmoh | August 28th 12 |
| 3.5 great | Shogun | August 18th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | Ueddy | June 23rd 12 |
| 1.5 very poor | Edlund | May 30th 12 |
| 3.5 great | Tale | April 19th 12 |
| 3.5 great | Thor | April 16th 12 |
| 3.5 great | mifzal | April 4th 12 |
| 3.5 great | SMK | February 22nd 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | lak89 | January 19th 12 |
| 3.5 great | maihes | December 18th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | ANJ45 | December 12th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | Xyrnos | December 11th 11 |
| 3.5 great | Apina | November 26th 11 |
| 3.5 great | true | July 26th 11 |
| 5.0 classic | Kryde1 | March 13th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | Wakalord | February 14th 11 |
| 3.5 great | Murli | February 14th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | ramirez2 | February 12th 11 |
| 3.0 good | 37er00 | January 31st 11 |
| 4.5 superb | 32left | January 21st 11 |
| 4.5 superb | y77erb | January 10th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | SadGonzo | December 10th 10 |
| 3.5 great | Aether | November 15th 10 |
| 3.5 great | iZac | October 11th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | feanaro | October 7th 10 |
| 5.0 classic | TrickyX | October 2nd 10 |
| 3.0 good | ABR157 | September 13th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | ecogen | September 12th 10 |
| 3.5 great | hmff | August 30th 10 |
| 3.0 good | Undead | August 16th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | fulgrim | July 14th 10 |
| 3.5 great | nbden | June 30th 10 |
| 3.0 good | nyc87 | June 12th 10 |
| 3.0 good | KILL | June 1st 10 |
| 3.5 great | Kriss | May 15th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | Exxor | May 12th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | ajjekko | April 15th 10 |
| 2.5 average | blkmtl | March 2nd 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | zman213 | February 27th 10 |
| 3.5 great | kayowas | February 26th 10 |
| 2.5 average | Hoenir | February 14th 10 |
| 3.0 good | 1monk | January 30th 10 |
| 3.5 great | Markk1 | January 6th 10 |
| 2.5 average | lobby | January 4th 10 |
| 3.5 great | ameypv | December 29th 09 |
| 3.5 great | drewkar | December 28th 09 |
| 2.5 average | pride | December 25th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | Ripped | December 11th 09 |
| 3.5 great | VixSin | November 18th 09 |
| 3.0 good | kaleb | October 30th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | DalioG | October 27th 09 |
| 4.5 superb | maxd89 | October 18th 09 |
| 2.5 average | chaos17 | October 9th 09 |
| 2.0 poor | shaitan | September 21st 09 |
| 3.0 good | Tandred | September 10th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | snores | September 5th 09 |
| 2.0 poor | Wolfe | August 29th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | mikev | August 23rd 09 |
| 2.5 average | Zoo | August 21st 09 |
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