Eric the Red

Only one year after the promising debut record How Far To Asgard, the authentic Faroese viking metal band Týr follows up with an album about the legendary Eric The Red, along with other famous figures and events in viking history. After a few line-up changes, guitarist Heri Joensen takes charge of the new vocal duties. In general, many front men and women have some troubles with playing an instrument and singing at the same time, but Heri Joensen does a quite convincing job both live and in the studio. His vocals are more melodic and joyful, but are just as powerful as those on the band’s first output, and should please a larger crowd.

The second output is quite different from the band’s first strike. There are still some doomy moments on the album, but they are transitionally replaced by power and heavy metal influences without losing that atmospheric and epic touch that made the first work such a promising debut. The songs still have a slower pace than is traditional for heavy, power, and prog, though not as much as previously, and some are even situated on an upper mid tempo level. Simply put, the band just sounds more diverse than before. The bass guitar and the drums also play a more important role, the guitar solos have become more emotional, and the technical skills are also slightly (but noticeably) improved in only one year between both releases. Just listen to the highly diversified album highlight “Alive” or the epic title track “Eric The Red”, and you will immediately hear the difference.

Some considerable changes have occurred here. Most noticeably, the new folk influences and increased Faroese lyrics that are performed with enthusiasm, as in the dark “Ólavur Riddararós”. These changes take some time to digest, but might rather please fans of the first release. The truly majestic anthem “Stýrisvølurin” really helps give this album a fresh, and at the same time, historical identity. While the first release had its lengths and became a little bit redundant after a while, this album is much more even, though we have once again, a quite long running time (around one hour) with only ten tracks.

Add to this length that almost all songs have an anthemic approach with catchy choruses and majestic choirs (like “Hail To The Hammer” from the debut), and you’ve got a rather grand affair. Immediately, the opening “The Edge” comes quite close to that song in terms of catchy sing-along passages, despite a length of almost eight minutes. Faroese-sung songs like “Regin Smiður” and “Ramund Hin Unge”, which begin with dreamy folk parts and become energizing, anthemic tracks with catchy hooks and melodic guitar solos represent this new, catchier approach of the band quite well. This is where the band easily surpasses most bands that regularly touch on the topics of viking culture and legacy in terms of authenticity, diversity, and sheer grandiosity. These guys don’t just talk about vikings, they sing it in the right language, are inspired by actual historical events, and rehash some famous folk melodies and texts on this release as well. In comparison to other bands, these Faroese skip the stereotypical approaches and teach all the Amon Amarths of the world how to do things right.

In the end, Týr takes a big step forward with this release. Eric The Red moves away from the band’s doom metal roots and introduces new folk and heavy metal elements. The band finds just the right mixture of shorter, catchier songs and progressive epics that never get redundant. I would even go as far to say that the band’s second album is their greatest to date. It’s probably one of the best releases of its increasingly popular genre. Any viking metal fan should call this record her or his own. Anybody who has only read about this band before but never found the time to check them out should immediately go for this most essential release, and surely won’t regret it.

Originally written for Black Wind Metal

Going back in time once again, just to go a bit further to Týrs international breakthrough album "Eric the Red", the second album released just a year after "How Far to Asgaard". Pól Arni Holm left, and Heri took over vocal duties while Terji Skibenæs joined as second guitarist. So what is this album? Besides being good, of course. Let me tell you.

While "How Far to Asgaard" was more doom-like, this album is much more progressive, and has a very fine clean sound to it, while HFTA was thicker and blurry. Terji Skibenæs has brought a lot of new blood for this album, and it sounds like Týr has created their own sound.
The album starts off with "The Edge" which is a pretty long song nearing eight minutes. The starts midtempo, and I do not really recall what I thought first listening to this, I only remember that I had to get used to Heris vocals, which I have now. And they are brilliant. His vocals are more melodic and aggressive compared to Póls, which were more cheesy and soft, but there are not much difference again. You can still hear it is Týr without a doubt.
There are no harsh vocals on this record, which may be surprising for people who previously have listened to viking metal. The vocals are only clean, and epic. There are some choirs also, which are very present in a song like "Regin Smiður", which is really just THE viking experience in music. The song is in Faroese and it just has this great thick atmosphere of being in a ship on its way home to celebrate whatever the passengers might have been out conquering, the song is really catchy with the epic choir taking care of the chorus.

There are a few songs written in Faroese on the album, and it adds a lot of personality to the music, plus the Faroese language is along Icelandic the language left on the planet that is closest to what the vikings used to speak. It's very well used in the song "The Edge" even, where the chorus starts out in English but suddenly switches from an English word into Faroese language, here's the example;

"Led by Son of the Wolf they're just four blood brothers going over the edge
Eggin tykist mær bert ein gátt, sorgin skipar lagnutáttin"

And it just switches right from when "edge" ends. It's brilliant and very creative.
"The Wild Rover" is - for those who do not know - a popular folk song and which is made into a nice metal song with again, nice choir choruses, where you can sing along if you feel like it. Probably a good song for drinking as well.

But Týr is a socalled "progressive viking metal" band as well, and a song like "Dreams" is also a nice progressive, it has different tempos and moods with great guitar and drum work along the way. "Ólavur Riddararós" is another example of the progressive sound this album has to it, plus the lyrics again are Faroese. I think it's a bit hard to put words on these songs, they should rather be experienced.

The album moslty circles around the brilliant guitar work by Heri and Terje, and then Heris strong vocals and the sing-a-long choir. Again, Terji has put some new blood into the band and is really a good addition, making this second release almost perfect. The production of the album is clean and good, as mentioned earlier, the sound is a bit thinner, but cleaner sound to it compared to the debut album. Calling the sound thin should not be understand as a negative thing or making the sound weak or anything the music is just "cleaner" and really awesome. The drumming is pretty good and varied, and the bass can be heard at times such as in "Alive" and "Eric the Red" where it is very present, even slap bass can be heard in "Eric the Red".

All in all, this is definitely the best release from Týr so far in my opinion. Everything on the album is just awesome, from the drumming and creative basslines poppin' in here and there to the great guitar work and the strong epic vocals and the nice choirs. There are great catchy songs, songs that will make you feel like a real viking conquering the sea and songs that's just an awesome progressive experience. The only minus may be "Stýrisvølurin" which unfortunately did not caught my attention fully, ever. Anyway, check out this album if you like Týr or if you want to try something different. This is really something for itself and should not be missed by any metal fan. Espeically not a folk/viking metal fan. This is a masterpiece.

Tyr's second album is an impressive offering of powerful and catchy progressive metal that manages to capture all the viking fun of their contemporaries while stopping short of relying on it as a gimmick. This music stands on its own as beautiful, masterfully-constructed metal that incorporates a perfect mix of different styles to keep it interesting. Though some people will probably find this album too full of epic chants and other stereotypically "viking" themes to give it a chance, I recommend giving this album at least a few listens before dismissing it as "just another folk metal album".

Though much focus is placed on the gorgeous melodies and harmonies of "Eric the Red", there is no doubt this is quite a heavy album. The crunchy rhythm guitar on songs such as "The Edge" and "Dreams", combined with the huge drum sound on almost every track, will give plenty for headbangers to love. As mentioned before, Eric the Red emphasizes harmony and melody more than anything else, with the beautiful guitar work and Heri's outstanding vocals demanding the most attention from the listener. The lead guitar on this album is incredibly impressive, with a huge variation of style and complexity preventing the album from becoming a generic wank fest or a ballad-heavy bore. "Regin Smiðu" encapsulates in short what is so great about Eric the Red's variety, with the beautiful and hypnotic intro giving way to interesting rhythm patterns, and eventually a great "metal" solo that would please any hesher.

I cannot praise Heri's vocals enough on this album. He is pitch-perfect on every track, and gives each song an undeniable presence with his massive voice. The choruses provided by the rest of the band kick ass too, giving songs such as The Wild Rover the feeling they are being performed to a huge crowd in a drunken beer hall. Having said that, I could almost say this sounds a bit like an incredibly well-produced live album. Eric the Red feels like a group effort in every way, with each musician complimenting the other perfectly to give the album a feel of complete collaboration. Tyr radiate a synergy that sets this album apart from other bands of the scene today, and they have crafted a sound that is undeniably their own.

If I have one complaint, it is that the album drags a bit. Clocking in at around 60 minutes with just 10 songs, I feel like a few of the tracks could have done with a bit of stripping down. Maybe I just need more patience, but by the time I reach "Alive" I'm usually looking at my watch. Regardless, Eric the Red is a fantastic album that should be checked out by any metalhead looking for a well-produced, beautiful written album where every musician shines separately and as part of the larger group.

If you have heard that Tyr are a Viking metal band you may be misled into thinking they have black metal elements. This is not the case as there are no harsh vocals, however there is an atmosphere that this band conveys in their music that is unlike most black metal out there. If you heard that this band plays progressive folk metal you might know what to expect a little better. Not that I care too much about labelling bands, it’s just good to know what to expect before buying an album. Whatever you want to call this music, one thing is certain, it’s massive. There isn’t really anything I would change about the sound. The vocals may be my favourite part though. The way Joensen switches from Faroese to English to Danish (yes, this album is trilingual) is just fascinating to listen to.

The Edge opens up the album nicely with what seems to be an epic tale about a man condemned to death although I might be missing out key story points as the chorus is not sung in English. Anyhow, this is one of my personal favourites on Eric The Red. The vocals vary from soaring to chanting and the music goes from mellow folk-ish sounding to pounding and heavy. A great headbanger. Next up we have Regin Smiður which is a traditional folk cover with all lyrics in the Faroese language, which I might add is a beautiful sounding one. This song gives you a true feeling of what it probably was to be a Viking. I think that pretty much sums it up.

The album continues, generally, in the same vein as these songs. Everything on this album is melodic, yet each song has moments of hammering pagan wrath. In all seriousness, all ten tracks are of extreme quality and have near endless replay value.

To point out every stand-out track would be a waste of time because I would have to go into each song. That’s exactly what makes this album perfect. It is evident that Tyr have given it there all on each song and it shows tremendously. Eric The Red is a great example of an album that was worked hard on to the point in which it becomes a timeless classic.

As the level headed reviewer, I state that this is a great album, but not a flawless one, and yet at the same time it is absurd to believe it is the nadir of anything, despite the couple of shitburgers on here.

I've heard this hailed as a masterpiece for quite some time now, and I feel that that is incorrect. It is great, but songs like Alive and certain sections of Styrisvolurin are honestly boring ass garbage. The vocalist has a wonderful voice, the songs are, on the whole, masterfully crafted, but they sometimes drag into the overlong territory and are sometimes just.... well, as the first two minutes of the title track show us, completely unnecessary.

Styrisvolurin actually caused me to be sick before. I woke up in the middle of the night, kind of queasy, and my stereo was still playing from before I fell asleep. My grogginess slowly cleared, and I heard the chorus to Styrisvolurin, and that somehow triggered my "Holy Jeebus... wh- HYUUUURRK" reflex. So maybe I hold a grudge against this song for almost making me cover my cat in bile-coated leftovers, or maybe I dislike it because that chorus is boring as HELL. Seriously, it is one of my least favorite moments in metal, as is the chorus for Alive. And what sucks is that both of those songs start off really promisingly. Alive is, on the whole, an atrocity upon this record, the enormous zit on it's ass, if you will, and almost single handedly knocks the percentage down by 10 percent, it's terrible. The intro is one of the only honestly aggressive sounding segments on the whole album, but the whole thing falls apart so hideously after that....

Now for the good parts, most of the rest of the album. Don't get me wrong, this is a magnificent album, but contrary to popular belief, very few of the songs are perfect. The opening four tracks are great, and some of the best viking metal I've ever heard (this is, by the way, one of the few bands I have an extremely hard time classifying, it's almost purely viking metal... although I sometimes actually question the "metal" aspect of it). The Edge is a great song, if a little bit on the long side for an opener. That's not a big deal though, it's one of the catchiest songs on the records, and the change from English to Faroese is so flawless it's mind boggling. Regin Smidor pretty much defines "epic", The Wild Rover puts a great, shred-tastic spin on the classic drinking song, Dreams has one of the best vocal performances on the record, pretty much name a song that isn't Styrisvolurin or Alive and you've got yourself a great song. Rainbow Warrior has a pretty shitty chorus, but it's not as bad as the two I keep mentioning. Olavur Riddararos has the poppiest and most accessible sound, and the Faroese lyrics are fun to interpret in English (the first line sounds like he says "I crap-spackled Louie's and it's all over mine!"). Wild Rover, Olavur Riddararos, and especially Eric the Red has extremely great solos. It's a shame they don't let loose more often on the record, because those may very well be the high point, besides maybe the stellar, crystal clear vocals.

Is this a masterpiece? Not quite. Styrisvolurin and Alive are piss boring tracks (apart from their intros, those fucking rule), so that kind of disqualifies it from masterpiece status right off the bat. And frankly, Rainbow Warrior is far from perfect, as is Eric the Red due to the completely worthless two minutes of wind blowing noise garbage. I think people are too quick to consider this flawless, as the objective mind can clearly see parts where the album just DRAGS on and on and on with the most boring part they could think of. The instrumentalists are all great, barring maybe the drummer, and the singer has one of the better voices in metal. The riffs and melodies in general are memorable and melodic, and the song structures are actually unique and (usually) work wonderfully. Pile this on top of the excellent lyrics sung in both English and Faroese, and you have potential for a near perfect album. In case you haven't picked up on it yet, I absolutely abhor Alive and everything after the first chorus of Styrisvolurin. Try out any other song though, you might like it.

Overall, this isn't for everybody. I can easily see people who don't even like metal loving this record, but the general lack of aggressiveness might turn some off. If you let yourself listen to the chorus and solo of the title track though, you'll see that this band is indeed worthy of the metal tag, otherwise I believe it may actually be debatable as viking rock. A B- for some consistency issues and a FUCKING TERRIBLE track, otherwise top notch.

Both the haters and the fanboys are wrong here.

Forget pretty much any other band out there going on about their viking roots. The simple fact of the matter is that, in historical terms, the Faroe Islands are roughly as "viking" as you can get in this day and age. Where are the Faroes, you ask? Well, they're roughly in between Scotland and Norway and officially part of Denmark (although they have a considerable degree of autonomy). There must be something about the windswept North Sea that surrounds them, since Týr are hands-down one of the finest bands of any description currently doing the rounds. This album clearly demonstrates what they're capable of.

Right from the start of the first track, it's clear that these young men mean business. The song is about a group of vikings who have been disloyal to their king, but loyal to each other, and now have to pay the ultimate price. Of course, being vikings they're not overly worried because they're off to Valhalla. The song sets the tone for what's going to come over the rest of the album - longish songs (generally around the 5-7 minute mark) with lots of heavy guitars, clean vocals throughout and more than just a little bit of folk influence in there for good measure. It's a winning combination, I might add at this point.

The folk influences are particularly nice, actually. Several songs have passages in Faroese, which is related to Old Norse, Icelandic and the Celtic languages. It's not a language that normally gets heard outside the Faroes themselves, so if you're interested in that kind of thing this is also well worth a listen. Indeed, there are four songs written entirely in Faroese and dealing directly with viking legends. Of these, the call-and-response vocals on "Regin Smiður" are probably the pick of the bunch.

If Faroese folksongs aren't your thing, the other highlight (and my favourite song of the album) is "The Wild Rover", the old drinking song. This one is performed in English and just screams out to be accompanied by a raucous chorus in an alehouse somewhere in Scandinavia.

In fact, the atmosphere of the album is really what seals the deal. So many viking metal bands earn their stripes by singing about Thor and sailing longboats but tend to be lacking just a bit in the atmosphere department. Týr, on the other hand, have the atmosphere absolutely down to a fine art. Think of this album not so much as the soundtrack for getting ready to go on a viking raid, but as the soundtrack for the party afterwards.

I can't bring myself to rate this at 100%, though. Some of the tracks do seem to meander a little bit in their instrumental parts. That's hardly a massive criticism, though, since most of the instrumentation is of the same high standard as the lyrics and the atmosphere. All in all, this is an album I'll be returning to again and again and recommending to anyone who wants to hear good music. That's right - this isn't just good metal, it's good music by anyone's standards.

Wow...from the Faroes, of all places, comes some damned excellent and high quality trad metal. After only a few listens, I am impressed with how Tyr have taken the trad metal template and altered it to their own highly personal vision of how it ought to sound. Viking metal you can call this if you like; I just call it excellent.

All the other reviewers have made it a point to mention Heri Joenson's amazing vocals, and I do agree, he is fantastic. I also ought to point out that he rarely follows the riffs to the extent that most instrument-playing frontmen do, more often than not diverging from them enough to remind us that the voice is just as important an instrument as everything else with his memorable melodies. And the fact that about half this album is sung in their native Faroese only adds to the exotic appeal present on this album. The language has such a wonderful lilt to it, making the songs sound exuberant no matter how grim the subject matter. Makes you want to raise a sword and a mead horn high to drink and then kick lots of ass...or maybe vice versa. Anyway, the language barrier doesn't matter too much such is the uplifting effect the Faroese lyrics have.

But is the music any good? Oh yes, is it ever. A potent mix of melody and crunch with proggy moments aplenty. In fact, the album-ending title track features some downright funky moments on the chorus with bassist Gunnar H. Thomsen tastefully slapping and popping. Another example of their diversion from standard issue metal tradition is how often he digresses from the guitar parts to create melodic lines that really stand out in the mix, which incidentally is perfect and spotlights every instrument at just the right levels. The clearly defined low end is a major plus, really adding an extra dimension of power to the riffs and the solid drumming that sounds like an anvil chorus. In the classical-sounding beginning of "Rainbow Warrior" he stands out with a lovely little counterpoint melody that fits just right.

On the guitar front there are riffs aplenty of all kinds ranging from clean bits that have a sweet and pristine tone to classical counterpoint to harmonies to crunch chords and some very inspired soloing. Terje Skibenaes is a very proficient and inspired lead player who doesn't wank mindlessly and doesn't simply restate the song's melody unimaginatively; he strikes a perfect balance of emotion and technical ability in his leads, which are memorable and beautiful. Put all this together and you have one hell of a band that needs to be exposed to American audiences deprived of quality metal.

Standout tracks? Try out "The Edge", a perfect opener if ever I heard one with its tricky rhythmic syncopations--a common trait of their writing, I noticed in this album that makes me think of early to mid-period Rush--catchy vocal parts in both English and Faroese, and yet nothing seems affected or out of place. "Regin Smidur" (Regin Blacksmith) is the first all-Faroese song on the album and has such a joyous feeling you can't help but smile broadly throughout its duration, likewise for "Olavur Riddaros" with its bouncy drumming in the beginning. "The Wild Rover" is a jaunty sea chantey with an amusing vocal delivery that shows Heri not taking himself very seriously and obviously having all kinds of fun, as is evidenced by the wild and unbridled solo, probably the most energetic moment in the spotlight that Mr. Skibenaes has on the album second only to "Olavur Riddaros". On an album full of quality music it was hard to narrow down the standout tracks, believe me.

This is what Amon Amarth wishes they sounded like. Tyr are the more melodic, creative, and inspired (but just as heavy) band of the two by far. The Swedes are good at what they do, but these Faroese fellows are leaving them in the dust with chops and emotion to spare, as well as excitement. Check this out! These guys need to get a proper US tour going so they can win over more fans, so buy this album and help contribute to that happening, I suggest!

…it was from Faroe Islands that this masterpiece was unleashed. A place so insignificant, remote and boring you have never heard of it. It was supposedly established by Irish hermits in the 6th century by introducing sheep and oats to the island, or something similarly as bizarre. From all this strangeness arises a band that has shaped a rare and bizarre blend of progressive & folk metal fused with their island traditional music. It is a fascinating journey through a sound scape that could have only originated in the most random of places with Týr.

The opening track sets the mood for the entire album more perfectly than any opening track I’ve ever heard. It’s hard to put into words what you hear when this plays because it is so unique. The song develops into a part that makes you close your eyes and be amazed; it has something distinct you will understand once you listen to it. The album doesn’t disappoint with a lackluster follow up to the opening, rather the same quality is offered on Regin Smiður but on a totally different level. The track is sung in Faroesan and is mesmerizing and Viking sounding, accompanied by hypnotically oriented instrumentation, the track is no step below the first track.

The album seems to lose steam at times but it always redeems itself quickly by developing into something interesting and perfectly composed. Týr doesn’t just focus on alternating between good and mind-blowing parts, the song “The Wild Rover” is a regular drinking song of Irish and/or Danish decent mixed with some folk metal riffs and an interesting break from the constant bombardment of perfect musical composition. Just some down and dirty folkish bar singing.

The following songs, “Ólavur Riddararós” and “Ramund Hin Unge” are the remaining foreign sung songs and offer no less energy and surprises than the first one, with the latter being the best of the three. Each one takes on a different style with “Ramund Hin Unge” having the most distinct melody, rhythm, structure and beat. It’s a combination of excellent guitar solos and hypnotically intoxicating vocals. The album can’t be explained with mere words, it must be listened to. Please treat yourself and absorb this anyway you can.

I have never given a 100% to any album because I have never listened to a perfect album. But I dare say that this album is perfect. If perfection requires all tracks of the album to be perfect, then this album does not qualify. But I attribute this to personal taste and preference. But if perfection is the greatness of songs accompanied by an overall feeling of magnificence in musical composition then perfection exists. And I find this album to be as perfect as I have ever heard. Until I find an album that is better than “Eric the Red” this will be the only perfect score I can give. Usually an album with so many perfect scores must be some kind of scene fad or overrated classic, but my friend, this is just this good, and there is no other way to go about it. I challenge anyone to listen to this and truthfully dislike it.

All the classics of each genre and timeless compositions, although far exceeding excellence on most occasions, for some unknown reason, haven’t accomplished what a bunch of guys from Faroe Islands have attained, perfection. It’s quiet beautiful.

Think coming back to the village from a hard days battle for some brew, and upon entering the tavern, you hear the praise and unity in song among your fellow warriors. The vocals (and the chorus of each song I might add) are so damn addicting that you'll eventually jump in and sing along. "The Wild Rover" is the best example of this, although "Regin Smiður" works wonders too. In the former, Heri sings about a wild rover making a fool of himself by spending his money on booze, but the song is so well-crafted with its tune and unforgettable lyrics that when the chorus comes around, you have to join in. "Will I Play The Wild Rover! No Never! No More!"

After hearing any song on this album, you know that their music is genuine and fresh, sounding like nothing before it. One main influence is the folkness. A few of their songs are actually folk-tunes revamped by the band members, and they sound good to me! If I’m sure these include “Stýrisvølurin” and “Ólavur Riddararós”, but of which sound in-fucking-credible. The guitar work is magnificent, with Heri and sidekick Terji churning out riff after riff and back to back solos. In this case, the former is more of mid-paced, with two independent solos, both of which kick ass, while the latter being of much faster pace and more of a sing along, but not in that brew-in-hand sense. After hearing “Ólavur Riddararós”, there was no way I couldn’t take this band seriously, as I was hooked to songs before and soon those after.

The bass serves more of a backdrop for the music, creating a heavier sound as it should, but also makes appearances on its own. The drums are nothing to complain about in anyway, as there is nothing too complain about. In no way can I say anything wrong about Kari’s skill with filling beats, because he doesn’t do anything to harm the songs. “The Edge” displays his capabilities of keeping the band together while sounding their best, along with allowing Heri and Terji to combine fantastic solos and a memorable chorus which switches from English to traditional Faeroese if I’m correct. Heri’s vocals really shine on the track “Alive”, where the tune of the guitars and Heri’s voice are just too beautiful to comprehend just by hearing them.

I think reviewing those tracks are enough, as you can imagine how well composed the rest are. The production hear is top notch; nothing left out, with more pleasure for the ears. With over an hour of playtime, you’ll lose nothing after purchasing and hearing this gem. There isn’t anyone else I’d recommend as a favorite band. I’ll even go as far as recommending a Týr album over a TV; so from a professional I’m urging you to get your ears to hear this.

That is what first came to my mind when I found out about this band. Yes the Faeroe Islands are tiny islands that where once owned by Denmark, about ten years ago I think..... Any way.... Tyr play progressive viking/folk metal, they are not your usual viking band, they don't play black metal with viking themes and folk instruments, but sound like early Iron Maiden, but with Dream Theater complexities. They sound like no other band that I have heard.

With Eric The Red, they have vaslty improved the sound that they had on How Far To Asgaard. That album had some awesome songs, but some boring songs, this album only has awesome songs. My favourite track on this milestone of metal has to be Dreams, just listen to that epic chorus and you will know why it is a great song. I also have to comment on how well they covered the classic Irish folk song The Wild Rover, awesome riffs and leads.

Heri has a very distinct voice, it has a lot of emotion and a great vocal range, just listen to Dreams and see how high his voice climbs. Listen to The Wild Rover to hear his gruff vocals, listen to Ramund Hin Unge, Regin Smiður, Rainbow Warrior... Just listen to the whole album!

Also Heri's solos are great, they aren't so complex that you get bored, but boy can he shread! My favourite solo is probably on Ramund Hin Unge.

Listen to the drummer, listen to how he changes the time signatures, he does some great fills and beats.

All in all this is a very solid album, I can't wait for their next album.