Týr: Heathen Hammer Still Held High
Mention the word ‘ballad’ to most people, and chances are they’ll think of a sentimental song. Whether it’s pop or rock doesn’t really matter, the melodies will be sweet, the lyrics will revolve around romance or a desperate yearning for home, and nine times out of ten, it’ll be performed by artists with preposterously oversized hair. When done well, ballads are deeply emotive and rewarding, but all too often they’re cynical attempts to garner mainstream radio attention. Hey look everyone, you know those bad boy rockers with the ripped jeans and studded jackets? They’re sensitive too, you should give them money.
However, ‘ballad’ has more than one definition. The traditional ballad is a song that has a narrative. They’re closely associated with folk tales and have a deep cultural resonance throughout the world. Ballads were how stories were passed down from generation to generation before the advent of writing and played a crucial role in forming the myths that society is built on.
TÝR frontman Heri Joensen is fascinated by ballads and used these old story songs as the main inspiration behind their latest record. In fact, he got so absorbed in the realm of old-world storytelling that he overlooked the more modern definition.
“I was so deep into a medieval European balladry that that I didn’t even think about to the second meaning of the word,” he tells Distorted Sound. “I’ve gotten so far into medieval ballads that that it simply escaped my mind, and I didn’t think about the possible misunderstanding of the title until someone brought it to my attention.”
If anyone picks up Battle Ballads expecting something like BON JOVI crooning about how even the sweetest blackberries are surrounded by thorns or some other pseudo-romantic bollocks, they’ll be sorely disappointed. Battle Ballads is galloping, high-energy folk metal inspired by the heroism and horror of the Viking age. The Faroese veterans’ ninth album is essentially a metallicised version of the music that would have been played around campfires and in Long Halls in days of olde.
This isn’t the first time that folk metal has looked to the past for inspiration, but it’s especially suitable for TÝR. Multi-layered vocals are arguably their biggest trademark, and as Heri explains, they place a great deal of importance on them.
“I enjoy choir music, classical music, and putting it together in in a classical way. It makes the choruses sound like power metal almost automatically. We’ve put a cappella parts here and there. I cared very much about the details of how the vocals and the harmonies are put together,” he says. With the vocals at the forefront, this record is perfect for storytelling. Close your eyes while listening to it and you’ll be swept away to the front rank of a shield wall or find yourself running up a holy mountain trying to escape a hangman.
Long-time fans might also notice that it’s a lot more tightly edited than its predecessor, 2019’s Hel. TÝR have written a more streamlined album this time around and this was very much intentional.
“On the last album we went overboard, possibly because we felt we had to accommodate the listeners having to wait five years. I maybe put a bit too much on there,” says Heri. “I made the very conscious decision to edit the other way this time, and not let things grow out of proportion for their own sake, so as not to test the patience of the listener.”
Hel was a good album, but it was over an hour long and felt bloated. Listening to it in a single session could be exhausting, whereas Battle Ballads is more accessible. It’s still very much a TÝR album, but it’s a sleek and fast-moving Longship, rather than a transport barge overladen with warriors, weapons and oxen. Heri isn’t afraid of them being labelled as sell-outs, they’ve made the album the way they wanted, but have focused on making it concise and reining in some of their more extravagant impulses.
Consequently, tracks like the blood thirsty Axes, the thundering Dragons Never Die, and the formidable opener Hammered, seem destined to become favourites. Battle Ballads is rich in detail and Heri’s love of Norse mythology is carved into every note, but it’s also catchy as hell and easy to enjoy. You’ll have a great time even if you don’t know your Sleipnir from your Dökkálfar.
This does beg the question of whether TÝR would consider writing a record that wasn’t inspired by the Viking age? Their frontman isn’t convinced they would but isn’t going to rule it out. He also makes the point that using the trials and tribulations of the time gives the music a wider appeal:
“The subjects we sing about are timeless and often inspired by contemporary events and opinions, but I’m not sure we’d ever remove the layer of mythology on the top. It would probably be counterproductive, so it might be better to do it as a new project. I can’t imagine we’d do that but never say never.”
He does have a point. There’s less chance of the current generation being decapitated by a berserker, but religious intolerance, greed, violence and uncertainty are still very much a problem. Putting a Dragon on the top not only makes it easier to process, it’s more fun too.
And no, there isn’t a track about how every Viking sings a sad, sad song.
Battle Ballads is out now via Metal Blade Records.
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