Ensiferum
S/T

September 2001
Released: 2001, Spikefarm Records
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewer: Luxi Lahtinen

If we are talking about the best and most stunning debut albums of some certain bands, then I feel an urgent need to count Finland's folk-inspired metallers, Ensiferum's debut in to be a part of that pile, definitely! To be honest with you right off, I never - just never was expecting Ensiferum's debut to be THIS great. This is almost too awe-inspiring stuff to be believed at a first listen! OK, actually when I was listening to the songs like "Hero in a Dream", "Token of Time", "Old Man (Väinämöinen)", "Windrider", etc. - just any of the songs out of the album, three bands came in my mind without almost any effort: Namely first and foremost, Finntroll whose obvious influence is there; then Children of Bodom and lastly Skyclad (mainly their old albums, though). Try to imagine 3 jukeboxes side by side - one of them churning out Finntroll's JAKTENDS TID, another concentrating on playing Children of Bodom exclusively, and the 3rd one having either THE WAYWARD SONS OF MOTHER EARTH or A BURNT OFFERING FOR THE BONE IDOL bursting folk´ish noises out from the speakers at maximum volume - and you have an infernally marvelous cacophony filling the air by these 3 fine bands somewhat perfectly! Got a picture now? You did not?! Then I can only advise you to check them out 'coz they're actually THAT good and talented sons of bitches due to both a technical approach and tonz of a folk-inspired melody on their debut - just like I was bravely claiming previously.



According to a band shot on the back cover of the CD, I bet every Ensiferum - warrior is under 25-year-old; more like nearer to 20 than 25, but remember that's just a fragile shot in the dark more than anything, spit out by your poor Metal-Rules.com Finland´s team member respectively. Keeping that in mind, they truly are 20-something, I'm sure you'll be hearing a lot of more from this bunch in the future... - or to be more precise, in the near future. And who knows maybe during the next couple of weeks, or maybe even next few days already?



Bet with this well-crafted, highly inspirational Viking Metal material they have got for their debut album, Ensiferum will probably get their asses out for a public eye much sooner than none of us could imagine in our most realistic guesses. My crystalball has never let me down thus far, so...