TURISAS have released their new album in almost every country in Europe (UK and France 2nd September; US and Canada 3rd September), and we've presented you some of the songs on the blog. Just few days ago, before the album release, I was lucky to catch the premiere of "Turisas2013" on the radio, so I decided to take some notes and here I am trying to describe it for you...
First of all, 'Turisas2013' is a quite different thing from its elder brothers. Let's make things clear at this point: 'different' doesn't mean it's a good or bad thing itself, just that it's not similar to other stuff. Besides, we're talking about a good band, so I decided to keep my mind and ears open to what was to come.
The album opens with the track "For Your Own Good", with a dark intro performed by the allegiance of a heavy distorted guitar and keyboard. This last, will continue drawing behind Mathias's voice and all along the song. As the chorus approaches, it still has the scent of the band somehow, but this melody and catchiness -far from "Battle Metal" or any other of their greatest hits- makes it sound quite mainstream, a more commercial song. Final growls. By the way... where are you, Olli?
We move on to "Ten More Miles", which has some good guitar lines and arpeggios and a nice contrast between clean and distortion. The song seems to have a marching tempo with a feeling of "nothing's gonna stop me" as if I was stepping onto the battlefield. The sentences we will chorus at the shows: "Who will be there when the skies turn grey? Turiiiisas!" This really feels like a new epic anthem for the band!
On "Piece by Piece" the keyboard creates the atmosphere and allies again with guitar, leading with its riff into the song. While on the verses we find clean vocals, in the chorus Mathias sounds rough and fierce, devouring your ears and demanding the whole of you. Backing vocals inject a sense of greatness to the song.
"Into the free": One of the songs we presented you on a previous blog entry, closer to Turisas' previous stuff than its predecessor 'For Your Own Good'. As it starts, I can see some mosh-pits with this tune... Drums exhort you to move, whether you want it or not, while guitar creates a new melody. More backing vocals for us to sing along and some growls over Jussi's solo. Mind your heads when you headbang to this tune!
After the dose of dance, fight and sweat, folk comes "Run Bhang-Eater, Run!". Or so I thought from the percussion and folk instruments at the beginning. Then the metal part is added to keep developing the melody into more Turisas madness. Wait. Saxophone, gasps and moans... I felt as if I had opened the wrong door... Back to growls and double bass drum and more of this fun, good vibe melody, that prepares the way for the outro, a simple solo with long notes, with some bending/vibrato, and without excessive and unnecessary decorations, that ends on that sense of grandeur keyboards add.
"Greek fire" starts with a heavy riff like we've never listened to in this band. Very well chosen title, because the music actually makes me feel a big force stalking and getting ready to attack and defeat its victim mercilessly... Remarkable work of drum and bass (squeezing me from inside, creating that anxiety). As the fire, the song grows, and the choir over the riff make me visualise the real explosion. Wait for the bridge, with flames speading over the land... As terrible as fascinating -wouldn't mind to see a video version!
Another dose of battle metal comes with "The days passed", its marching tempo, epic intro, and some more moments for violin to impress. We come back to the contrast between a more calmed verse and the growls in the chorus.
A song called "No Good Story Ever Starts With Drinking Tea" must have a good story behind, don't you think? -And then it starts! And it does with such a great (and unexpected, I should say) bass intro! Love the guitar and choir. I think we'll have more moshpits here, as the speed increases too... and don't think audiences remain too silent at the call of "alcohol all night long".
And this is how we arrive to the last track, "We Ride Together". From the messy, incoherent notes I took, I'd say this is a quite different song with a little bit of everything: starting with drum roll and western-like guitar, add trumpets and horns to it, Olli and his violin, surprising choirs, traditional Turisas chorus but with more typically heavy guitars... All of it make of this song a great finale for the album.
Variety. Strength. Surprising. Don't expect "Battle Metal II" because this is obviously a very different album for the band, as they intended. Actually, the line-up has changed too, and this is reflected on the music too. As a result, "Turisas2013" sounds heavier in general, with more guitar and keyboards -but this, I fear, has put violin to the background. Some bands find a formule that works for them, and repeat it because they know it'll produce good results; some seek to re-invent themselves, shake off categories and tags, experiment ane evolve. For Turisas this album implies a risky change but there is also very good stuff in it, like guitar melodies, keyboards atmospheres and magnificence or contrasts in the vocals, keeping at the same time Turisas' trademark. An awaited album that is already giving a lot to talk about! Do listen to it and share your opinion!
As I was about to click enter and upload this new post I got the news of Turisas' new video release! So here's your 2x1 and another glance into the album. Watch "Ten More Miles" below:
Variety. Strength. Surprising. Don't expect "Battle Metal II" because this is obviously a very different album for the band, as they intended. Actually, the line-up has changed too, and this is reflected on the music too. As a result, "Turisas2013" sounds heavier in general, with more guitar and keyboards -but this, I fear, has put violin to the background. Some bands find a formule that works for them, and repeat it because they know it'll produce good results; some seek to re-invent themselves, shake off categories and tags, experiment ane evolve. For Turisas this album implies a risky change but there is also very good stuff in it, like guitar melodies, keyboards atmospheres and magnificence or contrasts in the vocals, keeping at the same time Turisas' trademark. An awaited album that is already giving a lot to talk about! Do listen to it and share your opinion!
As I was about to click enter and upload this new post I got the news of Turisas' new video release! So here's your 2x1 and another glance into the album. Watch "Ten More Miles" below:
Judith Sáez
