TÝR publishes the video clip for “Axes” and details of its new album “Battle Ballads” – Digital Mediaverse

The Viking metal collective from the Faroe Islands, TÝRreturns with his ninth studio album, «Battle Ballads«, which will go on sale on April 12 through Metal Blade Records.

When TÝR joined the Faroe Islands Symphony Orchestra on February 8, 2020 to record the double disc/DVD «A Night At The Nordic House«, the founding leader Heri Joensen He was delighted to unite two of the musical forms he loves most – folk and classical – into his band’s unorthodox brand of music. But at the time, he couldn’t imagine the profound impact the collaboration would have on his musical vision, and how much it would influence and inform the album he would write a few years later.

“There’s a reason classical music is called classical,” he says. joensen. «It is the classic way of doing it. And it creates those epic sounds that fit perfectly with the type of metal we make at TÝR. So there’s full orchestration on all the new songs.”

The follow-up to the band’s powerful 2019 progressive folk metal album, “Hel“, the new “Battle Ballads» is aptly named: a crushing, soaring batch of embellished classical songs that conjure up images of galloping steeds, clashing swords, and hard-fought victories. And, as if it needed to be said, the title «Battle Ballads» has nothing in common with the lighter uprising songs so prevalent in the 1980s.

“There are definitely two versions of a ballad,” he clarifies. joensen. «Many people think of hair metal when they think of ballads. Here we talk about ballads in the medieval sense. Aside from a couple of softer parts on the album, this is straight-up heavy metal with some folk and classical influences. I don’t know exactly what to call it: power metal, viking metal, folk metal. “It still fits a lot with what we do, it just feels bigger and more like these big soundscapes.”

As much as TÝR would have liked to compose, rehearse and record with a symphony, scheduling conflicts made it impossible for the band and classical musicians to be in the same place at the same time. So the band did the next best thing. With Joensen at the helm, they wrote ten thunderous songs for “Battle Ballads«, and then the band leader sent the compositions to a Danish colleague, Lars Winter, who lives in England, who added the orchestral samples, paying close attention to the pitch and tempo of the songs so that the violins, violas, cellos, woodwinds, and horns fit perfectly with the traditional rock instruments. Once all the samples were laid out, the album sounded impressive, but the tones weren’t perfectly matched. So TÝR sent the album to veteran Danish producer Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, The Black Dahlia Murder, Amaranthe) to make the final mix.

There is no escape from the masterful blend of melody and savagery of «Battle Ballads«. The opening theme «Hammered» channels infectious riffs and searing licks through a variety of rhythm and tempo changes, «Unwandered Ways» is a triumphant and optimistic mix of vocal harmonies, cheerful folk hooks and dense, forceful guitars, and features a solo break that demonstrates the guitarist’s acrobatic ability Hans Hammer to destroy AND “Battle Ballad» is an outrage into the abyss, fueled by hammering rhythms, fast-fingered guitars, orchestral waves and guitar breaks.

Before the release of «Battle Ballads«, TÝR today presents the first single from the album, «axes«, and the accompanying video.

joensen comments:

«’axes‘ begins with a battle horn followed by a fast melodic and symphonic guitar riff that introduces the progression and main theme of the song. The lyrics resemble those of Game of Thrones, with glorified, bloody hand-to-hand battles from the Viking Age, told from a first-person perspective. The verse is slow and heavy, with a gritty voice, but theatrical and melodic. The chorus is fast with a sing-song chorus, vocally alternating between intricate and brutally simple phrasing. “It’s a short, face-melting metal song based on a single melodic idea.”

«Battle Ballads» features stunning illustrations by Gyula Havancsak and will be released on CD and digital formats, as well as on vinyl in the following color variants:

• Smoked Navy (USA)
• Marbled Garnet (EU – Ltd. 800)
• 180g Black (EU – Ltd. 500)
• Sky blue mottled (EU – Ltd. 300)
• Molten Teal Green with Red Splash (EU – Ltd. 200)
• Splattered with flames (EU – Ltd. 200)

Place your order here.

Look the following video.

TÝR will return to the North American stage this spring. The tour Battle Ballads begins on March 28 in Baltimore, Maryland, tours more than two dozen cities, and ends on April 26 in Greensboro, North Carolina. They will have the support of Trollfest, Aether Realm and The Dread Crew Of Oddwood. The tour marks the first North American tour of TÝR since 2019.

Tour dates:

March
28 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
29 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theater
30 – Boston, MA – Middle East Downstairs
31 – Quebec City, QC – La Source De La Martinière

April
1 – Montreal, QC – Studio TD
2 – Ottawa, ON – Brass Monkey
3 – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern
4 – Detroit, MI – The Sanctuary
5 – Chicago, IL – Reggies
6 – Minneapolis, MN – Skyway Theater
7 – Winnipeg, MB – Park Theater
8 – Regina, SK – The Exchange
9 – Edmonton, AB – Starlite Room
10 – Calgary, AB – Dickens
12 – Vancouver, BC – The Rickshaw
13 – Seattle, WA – The Heart
14 – Portland, OR – Bossanova Ballroom
15 – Berkeley, CA – Cornerstone
16 – Los Angeles, CA – 1720
17 – San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick
18 – Mesa, AZ – Nile Theater
20 – Austin, TX – Come And Take It Live
21 – Dallas, TX – The Granada
22 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
24 – Orlando, FL – Conduit
25 – Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade (Hell)
26 – Greensboro, NC – Hangar 181

TÝR are:
Heri Joensen – vocals, guitar
Hans Hammer – guitar
Gunnar Helmer “Gunz” Thomsen – bass
Tadeusz “Tad” Rieckmann – drums

(Photo – Gaui H.)