At last! One of the best folk bands out there returns after three years of studio silence to prove that Black/Death Metal cannot only be raw and brutal but also melodic and... folk!!! Will this album match the gloriousness of their earlier releases? I have to admit that I always adored this band and I am pretty sure that Victory Songs will definitely be a kick ass album, just like everything ENSIFERUM have released!
Formed in 1995, in Helsinki, Finland, the war machine that is hiding under the name ENSIFERUM has steadily gathered a loyal fan base around it with incredible albums like Ensiferum (2001) and Iron (2004). Iron was the last release that would feature Jari Maenpaa (former singer & guitarist). Now, with a new singer/guitarist (who is also a member of NORTHER), ENSIFERUM release their third full-length album through Spinefarm, just like they did with their first two albums.
 For everyone that knows this band, I have not many things to say since we all know that ENSIFERUM remain faithful to their music on every single release. Nothing has changed regarding the music, but this time the sound is by far the best sound they ever had on an album. The vocals sound much better than any other release and the guitars are fucking heavier than ever! So, for all of you who don't know this band, ENSIFERUM is a band that plays a mixture of Black/Death Metal with many folk touches. Some similar bands that I could mention are FINNTROLL, MOONSORROW, WINTERSUN (the band Jari formed after he left ENSIFERUM), AMON AMARTH and CHILDREN OF BODOM. When you listen to Victory Songs you will find fast and furious drumming with guitars that spit poison and many epic moments with slow and majestic rhythms. The keyboards are definitely the star of this band since they are the main instrument (I know that many of you thought that the main instrument would be the guitar). The clean vocals are great for one more time and I think that Petri's voice is more mature than ever. Basically, this is the first time that the brutal vocals are not so distorted, you know, in this Black Metal way. They are much more natural this time. Everyone who followed my advice and listened to Liar Flags (2006) by RUNIC should definitely get this album!
When the album is over, you feel like you are in a battlefield, standing amongst the slaughtered corpses of Vikings. The smell of the battle still floats in the air. Oh, if you want some more battle, you can also get limited edition, which includes Lady In Black (URIAH HEEP cover) as a bonus track, as well as a bonus DVD.