Register Forgot login?

© 2002-2024
Encyclopaedia Metallum

Privacy Policy

Ensiferum > Dragonheads > Reviews
Ensiferum - Dragonheads

Not down, not out. - 84%

hells_unicorn, February 25th, 2009

Of any offering by Ensiferum, save perhaps the early demo material, this is by far the most humble and purely folk oriented. The dragon gazing up at the sky from the Viking longboat might suggest a telling of a grand epic tale, but in truth this is closer in spirit to a watchtower duty experience rather than an adventurous sea voyager into uncharted waters. The period instruments are not terribly prominent, nor are the galloping guitar heroics terribly prominent. It basically functions as a reminder to the band’s followers that they are still around, which tends to be the typical function of EPs.

The absence of Mäenpää from the fold is felt the most here, particularly in the downplaying of the band’s previous genre eclecticism and virtuoso musicianship. There is nothing on here that could qualify as power or thrash metal inspired, though a pretty strong helping of melodic death influences main present, particularly on the songs taken from “Demo II”. One could almost say that this album listens pretty close to what you’d get from Turisas, save a little bit faster and with less vocal emphasis. The vocal top end has also been removed from the background vocal arrangement, leaving an arrangement more in tune with a traditional male choir of tenors and baritones, while the gravely counter-tenor Halford emulations in the lead vocals as well.

The main thing that keeps things on here interesting is superb songwriting, both in the new material, as well as the re-recordings. While extremely formulaic, to the point of literally sounding like a distorted guitar version of a folk dance, “Dragonheads” definitely gets the job done in the melody department, tossing out some classic tunes reminiscent of “Tale Of Revenge” and “Old Man”. The remake of “Warrior’s Quest” is a bit interesting as it largely resembles material heard on “Victory Songs”, especially considering it was written 8 years earlier. It isn’t merely in the vocal approach, but also in the overall mellowness to it and the lack of vocal gymnastics that were also present in the original version.

The standouts of the album are the ones that deviate a bit from the heavier folk emphasis, not merely for reasons of stylistic contrast, but also in terms of a more intricate flow of ideas. The Amorphis cover mixes in some interesting Middle Eastern influences and a nice galloping groove reminiscent of Iron Maiden’s “Powerslave” at times, while also putting more of a straight up power metal feel to an album that otherwise lacks it. The ending gets a little bit more aggressive with a pretty standard thrash riff, but all of the darker elements at play here are tempered with a sorrowful touch from Mejiu’s background orchestrations.

The remake of “White Storm” shows the band at their best, recapturing the spirit of the band’s debut with a series of really good ideas brought back to life with a much cleaner production. The best comparison to be made is to “Guardians Of Fate”, which this song is sort of a slightly longer and more in depth version of in many respects. This is particularly noticeable when comparing the super catchy chorus of the latter with the main instrumental theme of the former. But most of all, it the strength of this song is that we get more out of the lead guitars than a few droning Folk tunes, resulting in something that sounds a bit more intricate and heroic.

Though this functioned more as a teaser for the new sound that the band now has without Jari leading the charge, it is still worth checking into if you’ve owned and enjoyed any or all of the 3 full length albums the band has out. It may not have quite as much going on, but it definitely makes good use of what it has and doesn’t get boring. Absent the somewhat plodding “Finnish Medley”, which doesn’t sound very much like the band with a female guest vocalist largely ruling the arrangement, this is consistent with the band’s known sound, and is by no means a significant step down in the continuity of their superior musical output.

Originally submitted to (www.metal-observer.com) on February 25, 2009.

Ensiferum never left - 89%

MaDTransilvanian, August 25th, 2008

After two incredible albums and the departure of their frontman, many expected this EP with justified anxiety, as it might be the end of a great band’s high quality output. Ensiferum, however, proved to be stronger than that and released an excellent little EP which is somewhere between their older material and their subsequent album, Victory Songs. It’s probably closer to the older material despite the new guitarist/frontman Petri Lindroos from the power metal with harsh vocals band Norther.

Dragonheads is the only new full-length song here and a very good one, if slightly below the quality of their first albums. Logically it’s also the song which is musically closest to Victory Songs and would fit best on that album out of everything to be found on this EP. The song itself features all of Ensiferum’s key trademark elements, including the catchy folkish riffs which still create that realistic medieval aura while combined with enough heavy metal elements to make the music almost seem closer to melodic death metal. Clean vocals are now done by the band’s only remaining original member, Markus Toivonen, and his vocal skills nearly as good as Jari’s.

The EP also contains two re-recorded demo-era songs, Warrior’s Quest and White Storm, separated by the beautiful Kalevala Melody interlude. Both tracks were written before the release of the S/T and both are on par with the best from the first two albums, as they could have easily been included on the S/T. Warrior’s Quest is a slower epic track which features excellent vocal work from both Markus’ clean voice and Petri’s harsh voice. White Storm is a more fast-paced song, evoking images of winter battles somewhere in Northern Europe during the Middle Ages and of harsh snowstorms. The guitar work here is particularly amazing, as is the drumming. I’ve heard the original versions of both songs and I must say that both versions are excellent, although I’ll still go with the rawer, more intense original versions from the demos.

Into Hiding is a song originally done by the Finnish progressive metal band Amorphis, which started off as death metal. Taken from their second album, Tales From The Thousand Lakes, the death metal influence is still quite prevalent on the song although not as much in this cover version as in the original song. The cover has been greatly adapted to folk metal and lost most of the dark, evil aura the original possessed, although it’s still good. The clean vocals are an improvement over the original version though, as Amorphis had yet to perfect that style on their second album and Ensiferum are masters at it.

The EP ends with a five-minute Finnish Medley of several Finnish folk songs which is quite beautiful, although not as much as the aforementioned Kalevala Melody. Heavier drumming and riffs start after the two-minute mark, becoming something of a metal instrumental mixed with Finnish folk music, with some very pleasant results.

Overall this EP presents Ensiferum’s many talents as a band as well as proof that they survived both Jari’s departure and the immense expectations laid upon them following the release of the S/T and Iron. It’s not perfect, but the mix of the re-recorded masterpieces Warrior’s Quest and White Storm with the beauty of the Kalevala Melody and the Finnish Medley make this EP worth acquiring to fans of both Ensiferum and folk metal in general.

Bravely towards unknown shores - 80%

Radagast, January 23rd, 2007

With the release of what will likely be a make-or-break 3rd CD just around the corner for Ensiferum, it seems as good a time as any to revisit last year’s holdover EP ‘Dragonheads,’ the first release since the major personnel rotation that saw the departure of the band’s rhythm section and, crucially, vocalist/guitar extraordinaire Jari Mäenpää.

Mäenpää’s departure has meant more than simply finding a new frontman, and some restructuring of existing members’ roles has been necessary. While Petri Lindroos of Norther has been brought in to play guitar and provide the growled vocals, the clean singing is now handled buy bandleader Markus Toivonen and new bass player Sami Hinkka. Lindroos proves a better replacement than one might expect. Norther seem to be plummeting at an alarming rate (at least in this reviewer’s opinion) but Lindroos’ shrill vocals are quite similar to those of his predecessor and he acquits himself very well in his new role.

Similarly, Toivonen and Hinkka prove quite adequate – the only complaint that could be levelled is that they mostly play it quite safe with their performances, with the 2 usually singing in unison in a sort of ‘mini-choir.’ Very appropriate to Ensiferum’s music, of course, but also slightly limiting – while they’ve managed to cover the shrieks and the chants quite well, the middle ground vocals that Mäenpää could provide are gone, and most likely not coming back. The sort of slightly crazed-sounding singing he provided on the likes of “Sword chant,” for instance sadly seems to have been lost in the transition.

Of the 6 tracks to be found here there is only one new composition being kept company by 2 re-recordings, a cover version and 2 interpretations of traditional Finnish pieces. The CD opens with the title track, which is a slow burning effort that may take time to grow on the listener. Mid-tempo up until an expected but still very enjoyable speedy break, the song is based on a simple yet effective riff pattern and an extremely catchy melody that can lodge itself in the brain for days. Some fans of Ensiferum’s more frantic songs will maybe be disappointed, but the previous 2 CDs have had their fair share of more pensive efforts, and “Dragonheads” is an admirable addition to the band’s song store.

The 2 re-recorded tracks are both culled from Ensiferum’s 2nd demo recording and, perhaps as expected, don’t quite match up to the other songs from their early days that were used on the self-titled debut. Still, they are good songs and the new line-up does an excellent job of fixing them up with proper production at their disposal. “Warrior’s quest” features probably the best use of Toivonen and Hinkka’s vocals on the CD – the song is relatively sedate, never really getting past mid-pace even when the double bass kicks in, and featuring probably a 60/40 ratio in favour of clean singing. Keep an ear out for a neat little bass solo just before the 3-minute mark as well. “White storm” sounds closer to the band’s first 2 CDs than any of the other songs, starting with a furious scream from Lindroos and pelting along over blasting drums, punctuated by a couple of mandatory chanting folk interludes.

The idea of an Ensiferum interpretation of the Finnish epic Kalevala melody is quite a gripping prospect – unfortunately, all they’ve really done is create a mostly-folk rendition of the melody that runs for a minute and a half between “Warrior’s quest” and “White storm.” A pleasant little track to be sure, but no more than filler, really. On the other hand, the aptly-titled “Finnish medley” that closes the CD is a much better prospect. 3 traditional songs have been strung together and metalized to create a brilliant, uplifting track. Featuring guest vocals from Kaisa Saari (well remembered from her wonderful performance on “Tears” from the ‘Iron’ album) and male vocals entirely by Toivonen and Hinkka, it is a rousing conclusion to what is a more than acceptable stopgap recording.

The cover of Amorphis’ “Into hiding” is, understandably, something of a black sheep on the CD, with Lindroos adopting a more traditional low-pitched death growl to accompany the strangely Egyptian-sounding melody. The heaviest song of the 6, the band have done an excellent job of making it fit in with their own material and it injects some variety into proceedings that maybe would seem out of place on a full-length – the sort of thing that EPs are made for, really.

Predicting how Ensiferum will cope in the long run with their new line-up and its slightly diminished abilities is a difficult task on the basis of ‘Dragonheads,’ with only one new song, excellent as it is, to go by. Time will tell, but even if the worst should happen, ‘Dragonheads’ can sit proudly alongside Ensiferum’s previous efforts as an example of how Viking metal should be done – stirring, powerful and mercilessly catchy.

Good teaser before the new album - 80%

Koolacc, June 29th, 2006

Lots of people impatiently waiting for the new album of Ensiferum were given a small teaser in the form of the EP Dragonheads. What has the silver disc to offer? Three brand new, two re-recorded and one cover track.

I've always seen Ensiferum as some kind of folky version of Norther and look who's behind the microphone on Dragonheads (actually, who will be there from now on) – Petri Lindroos (yeah, it is the Norther vocalist :-)). The change of the singer is always a big event for the band and also an incentive for loads of discussions, whether the new one is a good replacement of the old one or even an asset for the band. Now it might be too early to judge, but I reckon, that Petri integrated very well and Ensiferum sound equally good and maybe even better as/than before.

First of the new stuff is the title song Dragonheads. Truly interesting, varied song full of folkish melodies. Next one is Warrior's Quest. I never liked the original and the re-recorded version didn't impress me euther. Not that catchy slow viking melodies, which repeat too often ... Kalevala-Melody is an instrumental song inspired by one of the most important Finnish literary works. A peaceful song, something like Ferrum Aeternum from Iron, only not that catchy. Re-recorded White Storm is the best song on the EP for me ... blackish song full of great riffing and ideas (reminds me of Windir at times, which itself is the sign of perfection :D). Cover version Into Hiding of Amorphis is not bad, I definitely prefer listening to it than to the original. Mixture of three Finnish national songs – Finnish Medley is closing the CD. Sung in Finnish, charming here and there charming – I'm glad it's here :-)

I also have to mention the artwork on the cover, which is really nice (I guess the first time on an Ensiferum album :-))

So to sum it up, three really good pieces, three rather average ones. The good new is, that off the three outstanding ones, two are new stuff, so I think we have something to look forward to and the remaining time until winter pass quickly maybe also thanks to Dragonheads.

Written for http://www.metalzone.info

Magnificent! - 90%

nick_forest, June 16th, 2006

What Ensiferum has done in their new release really exceeds my expectation. The first time I listened to the title song "Dragonheads", I just felt excited and a weird thrill came to me. In their past works, especially in "Iron", Ensiferum tried their utmost to express a Finnish-folk-influenced viking style of music which was impressive in both melody and riffs. Ensiferum's works are different from both Moonsorrow and Finntroll. Moonsorrow is more epic, and Finntroll is more folkish, while Ensiferum is more metal-like and kind of romantic, if you like. Their viking melodies are based on steady and catchy riffs. Despite the crowning success in the past, Ensiferum still keeps their high quality and has fulfilled the audience's requirements.

In this album, Ensiferum has added more keyboards to the viking atmosphere. The keyboards are not so heavy as those in the works of Windir, but well support the guitar riffs and make the melody and the atmosphere more distant, or rather more viking. The title song "Dragonheads" is impressive and fascinating. The riffs are steady like the Viking soldiers are marching bravely. "White Storm" has a viking chorus and guitar plays a great moledy. The last song "Finnish Medley" is a very nice one, whose melody is originally from a Finnish folk song. The female vocal sings gently, in contrast to the powerful guitar riffs. At 3:00, the song turns into a quick part, different from the feeling of most cold viking style, but a bit like Finntroll. In short, the EP is a magnificent scenery of viking lands in every way.

I recommend Ensiferum and this EP to every fans who love folk-influeced metal, you'll never regret!

Still Going Strong - 85%

fredcap69, February 12th, 2006

After Jari Mäenpää left Ensiferum in 2004 to create Wintersun, a replacement was found in Norther’s Petri Lindoos. I myself and probably many others were wondering how this would effect the bands sound, I much prefer Jari’s vocals to that of Petri’s vocals in Norther, although he was very good in his performance at Wacken 05. Dragonheads is the first release with the new line-up, it only contains only one new song but it gives a taster of the new album expected at the end of 2006.

1. Dragonheads 05:21
2. Warrior's Quest 04:53
3. Kalevala-Melody 01:47
4. White Storm 04:56
5. Into Hiding 03:49
6. Finnish Medley 05:09

1. Dragonheads – The title track to this EP is just simply an awesome song. This song is very ‘Vikingish’ with a slow but steady powerful riff driving the song with lots of folk instruments to give it that classic Ensiferum feel. At first listen I didn’t think Petri’s vocals were that great, but second time you listen you realise they fit in perfectly and just want to listen over and over again (which I have done). Hopefully this is a perfect example of what to expect from the new album.
2. Warrior’s Quest – Again, a slow steady but powerful riff opens this song, it reminds me of Lost in Despair from their first album. Warrior’s Quest is a re-recording of the song first on their second demo CD released in 1999. Although I’ve not heard the original version of the song, I am sure this much better and I wonder why it was never included on the first album. A very good melodic song.
3. Kalevala-Melody – I am guessing that this is originally a traditional Finnish folk song; Ensiferum do this style very well. Think of Ferrum Aeternum from Iron, it is down those lines, very melodic and atmospheric.
4. White-Storm – This is another re-recorded song from Ensiferum’s second demo. On this song they speed things up and make it heavier, some of this song is more along the death/black lines. But for only the first two minutes or so of the song and then it goes back into Viking folk and then back into the speed death/black. This was probably my least favourite of songs on this EP (not including the traditional ones), but I think it is definitely growing on me the more I listen to it.
5. Into Hiding – This is a cover originally by Amorphis; as a result this is a lot heavier and darker than Ensiferum’s usual style. This is very much still a death/doom metal song but with melodic/folk parts in it too (I’ve not heard the original). Ensiferum have proved in the past that they are good at cover versions with Metallica’s Battery on the Tales of Revenge single being awesome, possibly better than the original and Judas Priest’s Breaking The Law, although that did prove you can’t make a song that shit good, but just slightly better. A very good song indeed.
6. Finnish Medley – This as the title suggests is a medley of Finnish folk songs, Karjalan Kunnailla, Myrskyluodon Maija and Metsämiehen Laulu. This song is stunning, so upbeat and grand but yet still heavy and metal. This features both male and female vocals singing in Finnish which compliment each other superbly, in the past I have not liked many songs sung in Finnish (with the exception of some Finntroll) but this really does work very well. A great way to end a CD and I bet it is awesome live.

Dragonheads EP is very good indeed, and gets rid of any worries over Ensiferum’s future without Jari. Petri Lindoos does a great job taking over a hard act to follow and I am very much looking forward to their live DVD recorded on New Years Eve which should be released in June or July and their third album at the end of the year.

Ensiferum is back - 84%

Viking_Horde, February 8th, 2006

Of course, everyone was wondering how Ensiferum would end up without the allmighty Jari at the wheel. Well here's the answer (somewhat). Ensiferum is still producing great music!

Don't expect another S/T here, but thats pretty much impossible. This EP is a little bit slower, and not as many solos and impressive guitar melodies. However, there are some very good viking melodies here.

The new lead singer (from Norther) actually does a very good job. His harsh vocals sound kind of like Ihsahn circa IX Equillibrium to me. His clean are very similar to Jari. Overall a very adequete replacement on vocals.

Dragon's Quest is my favorite song on this one. A very good epic viking song with good vocals to support the guitar. Ensiferum can still inspire some feeling from the heart. The Ending song, Finnish Medley, has female vocals and violin, so they're keeping it diverse.

Overall, a solid release that i recommend, especially for ensiferum fans. Not as impressive as their other stuff, but it is just an EP, and i expect the upcoming album will probably be better. I was really worried about them but this one reassured me a bit. Up the horns!