Týr – Hel

Label: Metal Blade Records
Releasedate: 08-03-2019

Týr is a folk/viking metal band, hailing from the Faroe Islands. Formed in 1998, the band is undoubtedly one of the famous names in the scene with plenty of full-lengths and countless live shows. They are back after six years of silence, with the 8th full-length “Hel”.

Some of you may wonder if the band is still going strong after all these years as well as a line-up change in 2018… Well, you are in for a great treat consisting of thirteen fantastic tracks within this genre. From the beginning to the end, we are accompanied with an epic, dynamic and melodic sound, with the highlight on vocals and the guitar solos. So in general, the sound and the style of “Hel” is what I expected from these Faroese metallers. The band’s essence is definitely there even after many years but it’s also great to see the sound evolving.

One biggest highlight is the element of the double clean vocals in songs, and I think that this is what has made and makes this band unique. Within this viking/pagan metal genre, one is maybe used to a mix of clean & harsh vocals but Týr has always been a bit different and stood out with their double-vocal style and color, giving it an extra dimension to the songs. This is also the case in the album and, combined with the powerful and technical guitar solos (sometimes even leaning to power metal), makes “Hel” a special one. The album is also well-produced; especially considering a few above-mentioned highlights being on the front, a good production is the key and the record delivers a good quality in that sense.

One con of the album is the length. Since the band delivers a same and consistent style throughout the record, they could have kept it straight to the point and shorter. Now this is an advantage if you are up for 70 minutes of viking metal non-stop. As for me, I tended to lose my interest after a certain point. That being said, some songs stood out more than others and became my highlights; the songs in the band’s own language, namely “Ragnars Kvæði” and “Álvur Kongur”, caught my attention a lot more in particular and reflect the band’s true spirit.

It has been a long wait but it is over and worth it with “Hel”. With the departure of the long-time guitarist Terji Skibenæs last year and Atilla Vörös joining the band, new dynamics are surely anticipated. The songs in “Hel” have the great potential to work well as live songs so get the album and catch the band live! Definitely recommended to the fans of viking/folk/pagan metal genre.

Highlights: Ragnars Kvæði, Empire of the North, Against the Gods

Current Line up:

• Heri Joensen – vocals & guitar
• Atilla Vörös – guitar
• Gunnar “Gunz” H. Thomsen – bass
• Tadeusz Rieckmann – drums
  

Tracklist
01. Gates of Hel
02. All Heroes Fall
03. Ragnars Kvæði
04. Garmr
05. Sunset Shore
06. Downhill Drunk
07. Empire of the North
08. Far from the Worries of the World
09. King of Time
10. Fire and Flame
11. Against the Gods
12. Songs of War
13. Álvur Kongur

Links:

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