Disco de Ensiferum: “Ensiferum [Bonus Track]”

I am quite honestly at a loss of words to describe this CD. Ummm... very rooted in Scandinavian folk music... but also very loud and amplified. There's kind of a gloomy vibe that I get from this, but it's also satisfactory in some kind of perverse way. "Eternal Wait" is by far the best song on here; in fact, it's the reason why I listened to the whole CD in the first place. That said, it's totally possible to listen to the whole thing without skipping tracks if one can resist the urge to hear "Eternal Wait," which appears towards the end of the CD.

If you're looking for some kind of really "extreme" metal, look somewhere else. Same goes for those who are looking for a nice collection of folk songs from the north country. But if you want an exciting and invigorating synthesis of the two, look no further.

Good luck finding this in stores if you live in the States. If you actually DO, buy it. It's mighty rare.

This album just blew me away. From the first song to the upbeat and cheery last this album is pure unparalleled genuise. The musicianship of ensiferum is just perifectly crafted into beautiful melodies and amazing folkey breakdowns. The guitarits are two of the best iv ever heard and as far as mucial compatability, they are unmatched...the riffs sync up perifectly with the melodies to make for the perifect guitar sound. Then the drums and bass do the same and intensify the upbeat cherriness of the album and thicken the already pure sound. I have never heard such an original album. Eventhough some people may claim they are ripping off Hollenthon, this is pure blasphemy...Ensiferum is a new genre all in its own and has a totally different feel than Hollenthon. If I had my own country i would make "little dreamer" my national anthem and play the rest of the CD on repeat all day for all of the people to revel in. So basically BUY THIS ALBUM NOW OR YOU WILL REGRET IT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

A truly phenomanal debut album from a truly phenomanal band. It's too bad that the band is now minus vocalist/guitarist Jari Maaenpaa, but Petri Lindroos is an adequate replacement (though I wish he did the clean vocals, as well).

Anyways, on to the CD.

The CD opens with 'Intro', just a short folk introduction, before bursting into 'Hero In A Dream'. This track really sets the standard for the rest of the disc- it has EVERYTHING that is essentially Ensiferum- viking breakdowns, shredding vocals, killer solos and riffing, and a brutal pace. I'm not talking a death metal pace, but it is definately a metal pace.

Next up is 'Token of Time' which starts out with an acoustic intro. This track has a pretty catchy chorus but isn't one of my favorites. 'Guardians of Fate' has an awesome intro and an even better chorus, plus just a killer guitar line. 'Old Man' is next, followed by the best track on the CD- 'Little Dreamer'. This song has THE BEST bridge I have ever heard in any song, a beautiful viking/folk breakdown, plus a very emotional guitar riff and some of Jari's best vocals yet. 'Abandoned' is next, which is a much more mellow song vocally, but probably one of the faster cuts on the album (aside from the verses).

The other killer track on this disc (while they're all good) is 'Eternal Wait'. Anyways, buy this CD. Now.

This may have to be the greatest music I've heard all year, if not the best Epic Viking Melodic Death metal ever conceived. They never seem to run out of beautiful guitar melodies. Such mastery... I wonder who they are, but I don't care. All that matters is that I found them. Thank you m-club!

The epic/folk/metal sound, skillfully woven guitar, and almost medieval lyrics make this a unique and powerful album. The only downside is the singers voice is hard to hear because he sings harshly. Despite this I thoroughly enjoyed the album, and I'm sure some would enjoy the "growling". A fan of guitar will definitely like this album.