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Týr - Eric The Red review



Reviewer:
9.0

258 users:
8.32
Band: Týr
Album: Eric The Red
Release date: November 2003


01. The Edge
02. Regin Smiður
03. Dreams
04. The Wild Rover
05. Stýrisvølurin
06. Ólavur Riddararós
07. Rainbow Warrior
08. Ramund Hin Unge
09. Alive
10. Eric The Red
11. God Of War [bonus]
12. Hail To The Hammer [bonus]
+ Regin Smiður [video]
+ Hail To The Hammer [video]

How would you find it if someone would come and tell you about a band from the Faroe Islands? I think obscure, that's how i felt when i discovered from where Tyr come from, but what i found more obscure was the fact that this band sounds so awesome! I' ve always considered viking metal as a genre that deserves to come from the countries of Northern Europe from where the almighty Vikings arose in the past and formed their own unique civilization and mythology simply because the past flows in their veins and they know how to express it in the most appropriate way. And this is what Tyr offer to the world of metal, some fabulous and heart-felt viking metal that won't disappoint the fans that are willing to cherish tales of the past through the blending of metal and traditional northern music!

During 2006 Tyr appeared once again to the metal scene with a double strike, their third full-length release, "Ragnarok", and the re-release of their second full-length, "Eric The Red" (2003 original release), and i'm here to say a few words about the second in the row of reference. The album is epic to the bone, the atmosphere comes straight from the olden times when the Vikings ruled the lands (and to be more specific, the seas) of the north (and not only), and what is really remarkable is the fact that Tyr in their songs also present traditional tunes of their country through a metal prism quite succesfully if i may say, proving that folk elements can be presented beautifully with the sound of an electric guitar! The original album consists of ten compositions, but in this re-release you will find two extra tracks, "God Of War" and "Hail To The Hammer", coming straight from their debut attempt, "How Far To Asgaard". The two bonus tracks are good nevertheless, but i don't think they reach the greatness of the songs consisting of "Eric The Red".

From the fabulous and intense epic vocals of Heri Joensen that are filled with purity of emotion and expression to the well-expressed and heavy guitar riffing and inspired solos (take "Alive" for example, brilliant solo guitar work! And also on other songs that solos appear now and then, like on the epic and devout masterpiece "Styrisvolurin" and "Ramund Hin Unge") and from this to the unerring tempo-keeping rhythm section everything flows in an exceptional manner, evoking visions of the past into nowadays. Ten magnificent songs to fill your time with elegant epic atmospheres varying from emotional ("Dreams") to intense ("Olavur Riddararos" and the upbeat monolith "Ramund Hin Unge") and from drunken ("Regin Smidur" and "The Wild Rover") to epic/devout ("Styrisvolurin") etc according to the tempo and the nature of the song structure.

Concluding, if you're a fan of the so-called viking metal you should never skip checking Tyr and "Eric The Red" and who knows, maybe you'll feel the embrace of Eric The Red's almighty course hailing you from his flaming drakkar as he reaches Valhalla!


Rating breakdown
Performance: 10
Songwriting: 9
Originality: 8
Production: 9





Written on 02.11.2006 by "It is myself I have never met, whose face is pasted on the underside of my mind."


Comments

Comments: 17   Visited by: 139 users
02.11.2006 - 20:20
Rating: 7
ylside

How Far To Asgard and Ragnarok are far better albums imo ! EriC The Red seemed to me a bit empty.
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02.11.2006 - 20:56
Rating: 8
Ernis
狼獾
I LOVE THIS ALBUM.....I love this so much that I could cry for I like this music so much.....it has went straight into my soul.....
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02.11.2006 - 21:45
blackthor

Don't be surprised that they are playing viking metal, because Faeroe Islands were conquered by vikings in their expansion period. Celts were the original inhabitants of this Island. So there is viking blood too. I our days these islands are sort of part of Denmark, if i'm not wrong.
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02.11.2006 - 21:58
KwonVerge
Odysseus
Written by blackthor on 02.11.2006 at 21:45

Don't be surprised that they are playing viking metal, because Faeroe Islands were conquered by vikings in their expansion period. Celts were the original inhabitants of this Island. So there is viking blood too. I our days these islands are sort of part of Denmark, if i'm not wrong.

I'm not surprised that they play Viking Metal, i know where the Faroe Islands are ;p that's why i said i consider viking metal as absolute right of the northern people ;p I just was surprised from the fact that there is a band playing metal coming from the Faroe Islands!
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Dec. 30, 1334.

...And the whiskey and wine entered our veins when blood was too weak to carry on.
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02.11.2006 - 22:03
Rating: 7
ylside

However Regin Smiður's video is great
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02.11.2006 - 22:56
Talvi

This is as great as Viking Metal can be. Only Gods like Moonsorrow and Ensiferum can match and/or top this album (or the next, Ragnarok). Even though, I think they deserve a point (or two) on originality. Yes, more bands play Viking Metal. But not Progressive Viking Metal as they do. The only other band that plays a bit like them is Nomans Land, but eve nthough, Týr are unique.
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03.11.2006 - 10:35
Rating: 7
GT
Coffee!!
Are very good album. The review reflects my opinion af the album pretty good
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Dreams are made so we don't get bored when we sleep
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03.11.2006 - 23:23
PyRaMaZe
Account deleted
I love Tyr, great viking music that makes you feel you are there in the battlefield. A must hear band indeed,
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04.11.2006 - 09:27
Raiden
Down Under Staff
I also hold the opinion that this album is good. I got it a while ago, but I still dig it out for listens. I think, to pick a fault, I'd have to choose the vocals. They're good, but when I listen to the album I just get the sort of feeling that at times they sort of don't suit. But yeah, good album.
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- Bruce Dickinson

"I don't see any god up here"
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06.11.2006 - 04:04
Rating: 9
HardSide

04. The Wild Rover - Probably the wierdest song i ever heard if you actually listen to the lyrics.

Btw this is yes, viking metal but very avant garde like (wierd), it gets the black metal genre of the viking metal part and incorporates mythology like atmosphere into the music. Its excellent and wierd at the same time.
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23.11.2006 - 22:44
Jeff
Freaky Admin
Some of you probably know it already, some others not...

So for the ones who don't know it yet, The Wild Rover is a classic traditional Irish song (and a great one )

It's a cover
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Come with us to Hellfest 2011!
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13.12.2006 - 17:04
Talvi

Written by Jeff on 23.11.2006 at 22:44

Some of you probably know it already, some others not...

So for the ones who don't know it yet, The Wild Rover is a classic traditional Irish song (and a great one )

It's a cover


I discovered it yesterday, when I heard the last Cruachan. I was thinking... it's an Irish song or a viking one? Seeing how weird it sounds on a Týr album, I guessed it's Irish xD
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23.06.2007 - 19:00
Rating: 6
Warman
Erotic Stains
Overestimated as hell, but it's a good album. Sometimes it's great, sometimes boring as fuck. Ramund Hin Unge though is one of the catchiest songs I've ever heard!
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23.06.2007 - 19:58
Rating: 8
Ernis
狼獾
Written by Talvi on 13.12.2006 at 17:04

Written by Jeff on 23.11.2006 at 22:44

Some of you probably know it already, some others not...

So for the ones who don't know it yet, The Wild Rover is a classic traditional Irish song (and a great one )

It's a cover


I discovered it yesterday, when I heard the last Cruachan. I was thinking... it's an Irish song or a viking one? Seeing how weird it sounds on a Týr album, I guessed it's Irish xD

I agree it's an Irish drinking song...and not at all at all a bad drinking song....but I don't like it as much the other Tyr songs on that particular album because it is too different and doesn't fit with the overall atmosphere of the album....
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11.05.2008 - 12:07
Valaskjalf
Account deleted
Not a bad album but when compared to Ragnarok it seems very stagnant and boring in a way. Majority of people here think its better than Ragnarok but Im not exactly sure why?...The songwriting and progressive touches are far superior to that of "Eric the Red" and ETR just gets a bit bland very quickly. Perhaps people like this album more because its more folky and thats waht they want from a band like this. Musically however, Ragnarok is better.
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01.01.2010 - 06:58
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
Now Im addicted...
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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08.07.2023 - 04:02
Rating: 8
tintinb

Someone mentioned above this being progressive folk metal and I am in total agreement with him. I have heard folk metal before but none so progressive as this. Tyr hails.
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Leeches everywhere.
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