Tyr - Battle Ballads (2024)

Our favorite Folk/Power Metallers from Faroe Islands are back five years after their previous attack, Hel. I was never the most loyal of their fans, but they always had a soft spot in my heart, mainly due to the immediately recognisable voice of Heri Joensen and their epic melodies. By that I mean that they occupy my time just occasionally, but when they do, I always have a great time.

There was no way I would omit this album as all signs pointed out to a positive outcome, from the wonderful artwork, to the three released singles (Hammered, Axes, Dragons Never Die). Northern gods be my witness, the good things did not end there as the band’s Battle Ballads lived up to their name.

Tyr manage to hit a specific chord, that is playing epic and majestic music while sounding serious and avoiding the trap of ending up cheesy or silly. In a way I was reminded of Ensiferum’s Thalassic, minus the Brutal Vocals, that accomplished the same thing. Now that I touched the topic of aggressive vocals, this is something I also admire on Tyr. Usually groups of the Viking/Northern aesthetic use brutals, which is of course very fitting, but it is great having an alternative that utilizes just clean performances.

Another thing they nail is how vocals change dynamically within seconds, with the verses of Hammered or the chorus of the title track being perfect examples. Some lines are also stealing the show, such as the chorus of Row that is so colorful, that I swear it could compete for a place in the next Dominum record. Don’t know how they do it, but even when the music slaps resembling the coming of Ragnarok, singing is always warm and melodic, creating a fire and ice combination (Hangman, Axes or segments of Vaelkomnir Foroyingar)

I really admire bands like Tyr that are active for almost 25 years and have 9 albums at their quiver, while at the same time are battle ready, full of energy and excitement for what they do. Hats-off to the seriousness that radiates from the album even on a song that speaks about dragons, a characteristic that is met more on Epic/Doom bands, and less on Power representatives. Battle Ballads is a work that tells tales worthy of the noblest halls and even though they are not strictly Power Metal, it is great seeing the genre still producing interesting ideas.