Ensiferum - From Afar - review
Ensiferum - From Afar - review
Tracklist
01. By The Dividing Stream02. From Afar
03. Twilight Tavern
04. Heathen Throne
05. Elusive Reaches
06. Stone Cold Metal
07. Smoking Ruins
08. Tumman Virran Taa
09. The Longest Journey (Heathen Throne Part II)
10. Vandraren [Nordman cover] [feat. Heri Joensen] [limited edition bonus]
A review by
Baz Anderson September 08, 2009
Victory Songs was an outstanding album two years ago, but in the meantime the folk metal scene especially has changed with the rise of more and more copycat bands. From Afar once again establishes Ensiferum as the top dog in this category as the band have had time to mature and take a step back. From Afar is not as catchy as its predecessor, but this means it is also not as blatantly and shamelessly an album for the popular times. Although From Afar might not be as initially memorable on first hearing, it does come out on top in the long-run displaying much more depth in the music.
Of course the album has its catchy songs. The title track "From Afar" and slightly off-the-wall "Stone Cold Metal" are the best examples of these. "Twilight Tavern" seems as though it was written entirely for the purposes of playing live, but the most uncharacteristically-Ensiferum appearances are two eleven-minute plus songs "Heathen Throne" and "The Longest Journey (Heathen Throne Part II)". These songs show the band are not a one-trick-pony song-wise, but do also show that Ensiferum, like any other band, are just as capable of writing songs that hamper and slow the pace of an album.
Keyboards don't play such a large role, and to compensate for this, more attention and effort has gone into the guitars of the album to back up the monster melodies the band can't help themselves from creating. The production is also slightly different to compensate for all this; the keyboards aren't blaring out so high and we find this makes From Afar sound thicker with a much more full and balanced sound.
Where Victory Songs is a straight forward album showcasing Ensiferum's mix of black, folk, and power metal elements; From Afar takes the song-writing to a different level and is therefore much more diverse in song structures and general pacing of the album. Although a few of the songs from the album do slip below the radar and the long songs are simply not as good as "Victory Song", Ensiferum are once again showing the light for other bands to follow within this style. Ensiferum are a band that cannot disappoint.
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Folk metal
Spinefarm Records
Finland
Length: 56:34
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 9 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written on 08.09.2009 by
Written on 08.09.2009 by
Member of Staff since 2006 Comments
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Comments:
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Posts: 598
Great review good score
---- YOUR ARGUMENT IS INVALID, SUCK A DICK
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---- ... For years I have traveled in coldness, But my heart is warm as the darkened sun above me... Nothing can never take away What I've seen with these tired eyes
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In my opinion, it is equally to Iron, not enought good as Ensiferum (the ablum) but far better than Victory Songs.
---- Life has given me much, maybe taken more...
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Posts: 9726
Nice. Judging from the new video I watched, paragraph #2 seems very true. Will probably pick this up in a few days.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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Posts: 119
Lol, why doesn't anybody like victory songs? Anyways, good review. Mine will come in the mail today or tomorrow, and after reading this review, I look forward to hearing it
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Posts: 5102
Hmm seems like an album I should give a try and maybe even pick up
----  Dreams are made so we don't get bored when we sleep
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Posts: 8703
Wow...i really didnt expected such a high "official" rating after first comments in band thread by listeners 
---- My rest seems now calm and deep Finally I got my dead man sleep 
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Posts: 4774
Agree with Ellrohir... guess I really have to check them out
---- loves 小巫
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Posts: 3724
Well, I have only listened to ''From Afar'' song till now (and it sounds pretty good), so I guess that the rest of album is also somewhere in the same way. I'll probably get this one quite soon.
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Posts: 43  |
Posts: 43
I like Victory Songs, but I also think they lost a lot when Jari left. If this review is accurate it sounds like they've taken a step forward. Can't wait to hear it.
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Posts: 109  |
Posts: 109
Step forward, better than Victory Songs, still not as good as Iron or Ensiferum. At least the guitar riffs are better than VS, which were at best mediocre. A lot of symphonic touches added, guess they wanted to sound more epic. I dont know if it's cos I kept my expectations too low after VS but this one surprised me in a good way Still, 9 is too high, I'd give it a 7,5 or something.
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Posts: 511  |
Posts: 511
Well written review, though I'd give it an 8-8.5 Definitely stronger than Victory Songs but not as strong as Iron (my favourite from them so far) or Ensiferum. For my money, "Heathen Throne" is the best track on the album, but I do agree with your comments about the production this time out.
---- You can't fight evil with a macaroni duck!
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Posts: 260
Currect scoring is the best way to show the rating of albums check it (iron and from afar get 9 points)check it 
---- Life has given me much, maybe taken more...
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Posts: 410
It's a great album. But I feel like they took the song 'The New Dawn' and stretched it out for a whole album.
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Posts: 62
Ensiferum, they did it again. They prove that they still can make a good album even they changed the member many times.
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Posts: 4331
Sounds promising. I like Victory Songs on the first few listens, but found it very boring after that as there was no real stand out song and the vocals (while pretty good), were too bland and repetitive by the time you listen to a few songs. I thought Ensiferum was their best album by far, Iron was decent too. Im eager to hear this new one as i see them live at the end of the year.
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Posts: 4331
Ive almost finished listening, and i like it, lets hope it doesnt get boring fast.
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| bluemobiusx
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 Posts: 847 |
Posts: 847
Bring back Jari and this album would be Ensiferum's masterpiece. The music is deep and epic, more symphonic than ever, and the long songs are the best ones on the album. Stone Cold Metal is my favourite, with the country part in the middle, it's very original and catchy, I love the weird banjo on it ^^ . That song reminds me of Iron, which also had a cowboy-like part in it. Even though some songs sound generic, the album as a whole is great, I agree with the 9.0 Baz gave.
---- Notre destinée n'est pas encore tracée....
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Posts: 949
I've finished listening, this is a hell of an album, it's so good they are keeping their root sound, adding some new elements like symphony and giving a darker sound but as epic as always, This album deserves a spot on those "best of" lists
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Posts: 426
Why the hell is Victory Songs rated higher than this? This is their first good album without Jari, almost their best album. >_>
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Posts: 13290 Written by Wes on 15.09.2009 at 23:07 Read the review. The world doesn't revolve around ratings. Bear in mind that "Vicrory Songs" review was written when it came out two years ago.
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Posts: 426
yes its fine, I agree with your rating actually. I think Heathen Throne 1 and 2 are better than Victory song. Victory song sounds like some silly cartoon to me, i need something more serious. I think the lyrics "We will meet again, across the wilderness" in heathen throne 2 is just as epic and powerful as it gets it music. Anyway, my bad, just wanted to express how much I think this album kicks Victory Songs ass.
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Posts: 28
I agree with the rating too, Ensiferum are really a band that cannot disappoint. And I think too this album is better than album "Victory Songs", but (the track) "Victory Song" is my opinion the best song of Ensiferum ever.
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Posts: 370
This is by far the best Petri Lindroos era album. Victory Songs was OK, but From Afar destroys it...I've been spinning this album so much recently. They added more symphonic touches, which I like, and the vocals and choirs sound better as well. I disagree with Baz when he says From Afar isn't as catchy as Victory Songs, I think it's the opposite...some great melodies on this one. And the middle section of Stone Cold Metal sounds like an Ennio Morricone spaghetti western, which makes sense considering they thanked Ennio in the booklet. Long live Ensiferum!
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