Turisas

[Sean]

Finnish folk/viking metal band Turisas is one of my favorite bands. Finland seems to be producing the best music these days, and gives you some great songs to listen to instead of that same rap/hip hop you hear coming out of everyones cars these days.

Turisas has a concept album out called the Varangian Way.

From Wikipedia:

The following is taken straight from the official Turisas website, see sources below.

"The album is based on a concept story which is fictional, but strongly tied to real historical persons and events. It's a journey of a group of Northmen, who travel down the East-European river route through the lands of modern day East Europe. This was an important trade route in the 9th-11th centuries and the Northmen going in this direction were called Varangians who took this route to Kiev and finally Constantinople. The album follows this journey and the songs are events that take place on the road. As much as it is a journey of these men, it is also a journey in a search for self and identity - something which the protagonist is going through throughout the story. The varying surroundings can clearly be heard on the album as it features a lot of influences from the different cultures and people our travellers would have encountered on their journey.

The opening song, entitled "To Holmgard and Beyond" can only be described as epic. Turisas doesn't make a lot of use of growling metal vocals, so if you're not use to folk/viking style metal (if you only know Slipknot

) than this may surprise you.

To Holmgard and Beyond