Faroese folk metal band Tyr will be playing several shows in Europe this month. Tomorrow (5th April 2019) marks the start of their ‘The Tour From Hel’. They will be accompanied by Heidevolk and Dalriada.
Here are the dates:
5.04 NL Rotterdam – Baroeg
6.04 DE Weinheim – Cafe Central
7.04 FR Paris – La Machine
8.04 FR Toulouse – Rex
9.04 SP Barcelona – Salamandra
10.04 FR Marseille – Jas Rod
11.04 CH Lausanne – Les Docks
12.04 DE Hannover – Musiczentrum
13.04 BE Bomal – Durbuy Rock Festival
14.04 CH Pratteln – Z7
15.04 FR Lyon – CCO
16.04 FR Colmar – Grillen
17.04 DE Essen – Turock
18.04 DE Bischofswerda – East Club
19.04 SK Banska Bystica – Tartaros
20.04 CZ Zlin – Masters Of Rock Cafe
21.04 HU Budapest – Barba Negra
22.04 AT Wien – Viper Room
23.04 DE München – Backstage
24.04 NL Nijmegen – Doornrosje
25.04 DE Hamburg – Kaiserkeller
26.04 DE Leipzig – Hellraiser
27.04 DE Lichtenfels – Ragnarök Festival
It’s been six years since their previous effort ‘Valkyrja’… Now the Faroese progressive folk metal band TYR have announced that their new album will be called ‘Hel’ and it is scheduled to be released on 8th March 2019 via Metal Blade Records.
You can see the cover-art and tracklisting below:
1. Gates of Hel
2. All Heroes Fall
3. Ragnars Kvæði
4. Garmr
5. Sunset Shore
6. Downhill Drunk
7. Empire of the North
8. Far from the Worries of the World
9. King of Time
10. Fire and Flame
11. Against the Gods
12. Songs of War
13. Alvur Kongur
In the meantime here is a preview of one of the new tracks:
Last month, Sabaton‘s seventh studio album “Heroes” hit the stores. Now the Swedes themselves will hit the stages to introduce it to you live, bringing along Korpiklaani and Týr. UK will have a full leg on this European tour, happening on the following dates (click links for tickets):
Pär Sundström, bass player and founding member, commented: “Finally we can reveal our plans for UK this year! We love to play a lot of shows and we love to see a sweaty sold out club everywhere! Sabaton always brings a good party wherever we go and when we take Korpiklaani and Týr with us for this run its certain that we will leave no city untouched”.
Faroese Jarls of Viking metal Týr have unveiled the video for The Lay Of Our Love, which features Liv Kristine of Leaves’ Eyes. The song is taken from Týr’s latest musical edda Valkyrja, which was released via Metal Blade Records and is the band’s follow-up to their 2011 release The Lay Of Thrym. The clip was produced by Stanimir Lukic, directed by Ivan Colic, and can be seen below.
Shuffling over to the other side of the greenroom, Jon tiptoed in amidst laptops, assorted wires and beer cans to sit next to Þráinn Árni Baldvinsson (pronounced ‘throw-an’), lead guitarist for Skálmöld, and drummer/vocalist Jón Geir Jóhannsson. The majority of Skálmöld are vocalists themselves, and their sound is an atmospheric blend of death metal with traditional Icelandic melodies and time signatures, featuring epic lyrical sagas about the Norse gods and historical wars. For fans of Tyr, Skálmöld is a perfect opener, and throughout the tour this relatively unheard of band has impressed the European masses.
Jon: Have you been to England before? I swear I’ve seen you once before here.
Þráinn: Yes! We played here once before in 2011 on the… Heidenfest tour I think it was. In the HMV Forum. Absolutely awesome- probably one of my favourite shows ever.
Jon: How do you find fans in England, are we crazy?
Jón: Oh yes, they were crazy then!
Þráinn: At that concert they were absolutely amazing, yeah- and the Forum has a lot of history as well. All of the bands play there, so personally we were really excited to get to play there as well. Before the show we got together and just said ‘let’s do this just for us’. Our intro started, and the whole place erupted – we were like ‘What?’ Nobody knew who we were. The crowd was amazing. Probably one of my favourite gigs ever, and I mean that.
Jon: I know a lot of bands say places like Mexico or Japan are awesome, but no one ever says England.
Jón: Well, we’ve never played Mexico or Japan before! We have a fanclub in Mexico, though. But, uh, we can actually tell you that in Italy, Hungary and Romania, the fans are pretty awesome – the bassist from Týr is coming into our interview!
Gunnar: Hi!
Jon: You’ve already said your piece about the new album and now Týr don’t have a singer because of it!
Þráinn: Did you talk about our new album?
Gunnar: Of course we did! You’re so rude!
Þráinn: So as we said, yes in Italy, Hungary and Romania, fans are really crazy – Italy have the greatest fans ever, man. But that particular show back at the Forum was great.
Jon: Now you use Icelandic poetic structure in your songs. Is this hard to stick to or do you prefer to structure your lyrics like that?
Jón: We prefer to use it. Our bass player who writes all the lyrics is a bit of a poetic nerd in a way. In some ways it’s more like mathematical problems, because you have to put certain letters at certain places and have rhymes at certain places, so it’s kinda like a linguistic Rubik cube that you have to solve. So it’s a challenge. And because of those rules, it’s more rhythmical. You say sounds at similar intervals, it’s easier to sing, and for people who don’t speak Icelandic, it’s like listening to an instrument. When we signed to Napalm Records, some people asked ‘are you going to sing in English?’ And we said ‘no way!’ Of course we were going to stick to our native language. In our songs we have an English story which you can follow as you listen to the lyrics.
Jon: Your latest album Börn Loka…
Þráinn: Yes, Children of Loki!
Jon: Why did you choose to write about this concept?
Þráinn: Basically we had an idea
Jon: Because he’s cool? [Editor’s note: Loki is not cool – Vidar is though]
Þráinn: Yes but don’t connect this with the Marvel thing! Basically we had three ideas, all the ideas were about two children travelling, and in the end our bass player had the idea of naming them after two of our kids…
Jón: We think the Children of Loki are really cool characters, and they are part of our Icelandic heritage, part of the old Nordic religion – mainly they’re just really cool characters. Especially the three famous ones: Hel, Fenrir and Miðgarðsormur. So, it’s a fictional story but we take parts of the old mythology and sagas and squeeze them in, but with different main characters.
Þráinn: We grew up with this; this is normal stuff when you’re growing up.
Jón: You learn about it in school, in kindergarten. It’s something children are taught as a part of their cultural history – you learn about where you’re from and as part of what your ancestors believed – not, like, ‘you have to believe in Odin’, but as cool stories.
Þráinn: But we didn’t have to make this cool, because ninety percent of everyone back home respects their history and thinks it’s quite cool anyway. We actually have kids wearing our t-shirts with our logos on, singing our songs in kindergartens.
Jon: That’s amazing!
Þráinn: Yeah, but I would have thought that kids in the UK would listen to Iron Maiden songs in kindergarten…
Jon: If only!
Þráinn: I thought you would be singing about Alexander the Great or Invaders or something!
Jon: If only we did! I think that should definitely be on the curriculum. I know you started off as Týr did, using folk music blended in with metal – do you still use that concept now?
Jón: When we started the band, the original idea was to have it a bit more folky than it turned out. In the first rehearsals, Baldur our guitar played flutes and mandolins and stuff, and then it kinda didn’t sound right, so he began to play the electric guitar as well. Today, we’re just playing heavy metal.
Þráinn: We don’t really think that we have to be ‘this type’ of metal, like folk metal. It just happens. For me, we’re just another Iron Maiden cover band!
Jon: I’m really interested in Norse mythology, but I’m really lazy and I don’t read at all. Could you recommend any reading that fans of Nordic metal can pick up to learn more about the history?
Þráinn: You have to read from the Völuspá and the Eddas, the beginning of the universe according to Nordic mythology. And then I think you should go into the old Icelandic sagas and the stories of the settlers. That’s awesome and brutal.
Jón: A bunch of people killing each other all the time.
Þráinn: Everyone who is alive today in the Western world is a pussy compared to the guys who were originally Icelandic settlers.
Jon: One day I promise you I’ll read the Eddas.
Jón: Do it! That’s basically where it all comes from.
Jon: Obviously I was interviewingTýr over there, and I asked them to teach me something in Faroese. Could you teach me something nice in Icelandic? Because Terji taught me some words that I couldn’t really say to anyone.
Þráinn: If you wanted to say something nice, to a beautiful girl or something, then you can say ‘falleg’, which means beautiful. You can also say ‘þú ert falleg’- you are beautiful.
Jon: What’s next for the band? Börn Loka was released last October, so have you started any further work?
Þráinn: We have started to write… It will be the best album ever! Our next task after we finish his tour is to do a couple of gigs with the Icelandic symphonic orchestra- we’re doing both of our albums and three shows that are sold out in a huge auditorium – 1800 seats!
Jón: So that’s going to be a lot of work, and hopefully we’re going to release that as a DVD. Hopefully it will be released just before Christmas; we’re doing the gigs in November.
Þráinn: And then we have theatre work!
Jón: We basically have December, January and February off, and then we’re going to start rehearsing to make our first album into a live theatre production: there’ll be actors and re-enactments on the stage of the stories in between the songs, and hopefully we’ll record an album next summer!
Jon: I love everything you’re doing- so many bands get stuck in a rut of recording an album and then going out on tour, and it seems like you’re really creatively branching out. Thanks – I think that’s everything!
Jón: They better bloody well start teaching Iron Maiden songs in kindergarten!
Perhaps one of the greatest folkish/Nordic/younameit line-ups aside from the European spectacle of Heidenfest graced The Garage this past Saturday evening: behemoths Finntroll were joined by Metal Blade’s Týr, who are touring their latest album, and were supported by Iceland’s Skálmöld for an evening of sweltering debauchery and a raucous good time.
A long time fan of Týr himself, Jon caught up with Týr before the gig as the crowds started to swell up Holloway Road.
Absent for most of Týr’s interview was lyrical mastermind and mythology nerd Heri Joensen, who popped in his head for a few questions before ducking out, but Jon sat down with bassist (and comedian) Gunnar Thomsen, lead guitarist Terji Skibenaes, and new recruit drummer Amon Djurhuus.
Jon: Ok, introductory question: tell us something interesting about yourself!
Gunnar: I’m a plumber?
Jon: Everyone knows you’re a plumber!
Gunnar: And a diver!
Terji: Only perverted things come into my mind… I hate driving cars!
Amon: I can actually play the harmonica!
Jon: Is the harmonica going to be on any Týr records then?
Amon: No way! Never ever!
Jon: Gunnar, I saw you wearing a Trollfest t-shirt the other day; they’ve covered Toxic by Britney Spears. Aside from the new covers of Iron Maiden and Pantera on Valkyrja, out of any genre, what would you cover?
Gunnar: I would probably cover a Deep Purple song – I would never go so low as to do Britney Spears!
Terji: Pop song? I thought about it the other day! Chicago, It’s Hard to Say I’m Sorry – it will just be me in a one man show.
Jon: You went for a quite a power metal vibe in Valkyrja; Liv Kristine, singer from Leaves’ Eyes, joined you in ballad Lay of Our Love – have you thought about collaborating with any other musicians?
Terji: No, I don’t think we’re going to do that.
Jon: I know you don’t align yourself with the folk metal scene, but a lot of bands use unconventional instruments- maybe not harmonicas, but accordions, violins…
Gunnar: Yeah, that’s never gonna happen – an orchestra, maybe… that could be something!
Terji: No violins though…
Jon: I know Valkyrja has just been released, but have you started doing work on the new album?
Terji: Only demos so far.
Gunnar: They sound amazing, absolutely brilliant!
Jon: Do you have a concept that it might focus on?
Terji: No, we don’t know yet…
Gunnar: We’ll do a cover track by The Bee Gees maybe… we’ll put a nail in our balls and- (quiet, high-pitched wails)
Jon: That could be your stage performance next tour… Now – you cover modern issues; for example, your anti-racism song Shadow of the Swastika. Do you think any cultural values from Norse mythology are still relevant today?
Gunnar: That’s what Heri does with lyrics – he takes old situations and compares them to new situations because they’re quite similar. So it kinda draws a line between the two.
Jon: Do you like singing about modern issues or would you prefer to stick to singing only about mythology?
Gunnar: If it was up to me, we’d sing songs about cars and planes!
Terji: Sex, drugs and rock and roll!
Jon: I think Shadow of the Swastika was a good response to the criticism you faced from people under the misconception you were a right-wing band.
Gunnar: Yeah, that whole thing came totally behind our backs.
Jon: So from the new album, what’s your personal favourite – you know my favourite is Lady of the Slain, which I believe you wrote, Terji!
Terji: Yes I did! Mine is Another Fallen Brother.
Gunnar: It’s difficult to say, Valkyrja is my favourite- maybe because I wrote that! No, it’s difficult to say. I like the whole album.
Terji: Mare of My Night!
Gunnar: Mare of My Night is my favourite, yeah!
Jon: That was so embarrassing to listen to… just listening to the lyrics…
Terji: Did you blush?
Jon: I did! Listening to it on my own I thought ‘you can’t say that, Heri!’
Gunnar: Good! I think that’s where we should go! Getting brutally honest!
Amon: I think Mare of My Night is my favourite, too. I love playing it live- it’s a pretty cool live song.
Jon: (Mathias from Finntroll is lounging on the sofa in the background behind Terji) What’s your favourite song, Mathias
Mathias: What favourite? No, I do know the songs! I listen to it every day! Uh, probably Mare of My Night, too.
Jon: Are there any songs you recorded but couldn’t use for Valkyrja?
Gunnar: This was what we had. We never actually record more songs than needed.
Jon: So Amon, have you ever been on tour before?
Amon: Yep, I’ve been on tour with Týr two times before – this is my third – and with Heljareyga (Heri Joensen’s side-project) also. It’s going good.
Gunnar: We bully him a bit – we’ve tried to break him in (whip crack sound)
Terji: Gunnar thinks we bully him, but we actually bully Gunnar!
Gunnar: I’m used to it!
Jon: I know a lot of fans were upset Kári (Streymoy, previous drummer) left, but the fans that have met you have said you’re cool, Amon – you’ve got our support! Can you teach us to say something in Faroese?
Terji: Spina. Spin-hora. Sperm whore.
Jon: Would that help me to pick up a guy at a bar?
Gunnar: That would probably work on me!
Jon: Wow – next question! I’ve been listening to you since I was fifteen – so five years now. And I have to Admit that when I first started listening to you, I hated you!
Terji: Usually people do!
Jon: And now I run the UK fanpage on Facebook- funny how things change. When did you first realise you were getting noticed? I know Valkyrja is having great success in the charts and with critics alike.
Terji: Probably since after By the Light of the Northern Star was released.
Jon: I know a lot of places in South America are crazy about anything Nordic-themed, do you find you have a good reception there as well?
Terji: Yeah, a lot! (Gunnar says ‘No’) Gunnar’s never on Facebook; he doesn’t know!
(Heri Joensen wanders over from the corner)
Jon: Do you want to tell us about any lyrics you’re working on?
Heri: Uh, well Terji and I have talked about some stuff, and that’s all that’s happened so far. I don’t think we should mention it yet…
Terji: No, not yet.
Heri: Turn the microphone off!
Terji: Our manager will kill us…
Gunnar: No, it’s about big elephants in Africa, and the situation with the pelican that flies off and mates with the flamingos. It’s very disturbing.
Jon: I think you’re going to have to write that now! (Heri tries to run away; Jon pull him back) Stay here – there’s another one! I know a lot of my friends are starting to form bands and write lyrics about their English heritage. Do you encourage that, and how can people who are interested in that best go about interacting with, or writing about, something personal to them
Heri: I think that in the Faroes at least we have a very direct connection with our heritage, so when I started to write lyrics I didn’t have to dig very deep to find anything, and there was no artificial angle to it. I can imagine if you grew up in England that
Jon: It would be more about learning what you know from history lessons
Heri: Yeah exactly. You have to be into that sort of thing to know anything about it, but still I would encourage anyone to do it. I like it when music sounds like where it comes from and also has mythological subjects related to a band’s heritage, if you’re into that kind of thing. So when everything isn’t so internationalised.
Jon: I must say though I love the new African animal direction you’re taking, and Terji was also telling me about wanting to cover musical theatre…
Heri: I’m now officially out of the band!
Amon: Elephants in Chicago!
Terji: That’s the new album title!
Jon: Recently, fanclubs have grown amazingly for Týr. After your gig in York, I started the UK fanpage from a computer in my hostel. Now I’ve seen the Italian fanclub, the Polish fanclub, and of course the US fanclub getting lots of likes on their pages… What can fans do to help you guys?
Terji: I think talk to the local promoters… When they see more people asking for us, then it will most likely happen
Gunnar: And spread the word!
Terji: And hello to Týr Fans in the UK! Thank you for everything!
Týr, Skálmöld and Finntroll The Garage, London 6th October 2013
I first started listening to Finntroll when I was 15. My mum took me to a Heidenfest show for my 16th birthday, and I guess you can say that was my slow descent into the underworld of folk metal.
The line-up tonight is one I’ve been excited about for a long time, and one that personally I think fits very nicely together: Skálmöld from Iceland with their melodic, relentless chug you can bounce around to singing in ancient Icelandic poetic metre; Týr showcasing their new venture Valkyrja, an album-worth of fast, genre defying metal; and the legendary Finntroll, revered in folk metal circles from Mexico to Australia. Their new album Blodsvept was released in March this year, and it follows on from the dark-carnival Danny Elfman-cum-black metal Nifelvind. Blodsvept is no less eclectic: surprise kazoos and banjos mix in with brutal guitars and lead troll Vreth’s rich vocals. Always ready for a party when these guys are involved, I prepared myself for mayhem.
From seeing them again on this tour, Skálmöld, who open for us, receives a warm welcome from the audience. Despite only having 30 minutes, the band makes a distinct and explosive impression. Featuring mostly songs from their new album Börn Loka (Children of Loki), Skálmöld open with the grinding and dark Fenrisúlfur, before keyboard anthem Gleipnir thunders out to a rapturous reception. The much more synthetically folky song, Kvaðning, and the only song from 2011 debut album “Baldur”, ends their stay on stage- and the crowd are left gasping and chanting for more. [4/5]
“Are you ready for Týr?”Skálmöld lead singer Björgvin screams. ‘Ready’ is a brilliant understatement;Týr is arguably my favourite band of the evening, and since seeing them in York, I’ve waited for them to tour again anxiously. The lights dim after a few moments, and their set begins slowly, the red haze overhead throbbing until the clash of the mighty crowd-pleaser Hold the Heathen Hammer High leads to the band striding on stage. The setlist has changed very little over the tour; however, Heathen Hammer and scream-along Valkyrja single Blood of Heroeshave remained constant, one after the other whipping up the crowd. I may have nudged lead singer Heri Joensen into performing my favourite track off the new album live, and being the gentleman he is, he doesn’t disappoint- and even manages to make Lady of the Slain better than it is on the album, galloping along with neck-breaking speed, and providing my favourite track that evening- even with the prog-metal magic of Sinklars Vísa. An acquired taste for some, Týr have been consistently good every time I’ve seen them, and with this performance at The Garage they cement themselves as a must-see. [5/5]
After a half-hour wait at the bar, pressed arse-to-chest with strangers like sardines in a net, I break free and run to the front as the Blodsvept starts, the crowd surging forward as the all-too familiar forms of Finntroll– steampunk-clad and pointy-eared- take the stage and bear down over us in glee. After a punchy start, dressed to impress and lapping up the energy, they begin Nifelvind opener Solsagan, evil to the core. The combination of songs from all of Finntroll’s manifestations smash the misconception that Finntroll is just a ‘fun’ gimmick band. They switch alternatively between crunching black metal dug up from the darkest depths of the earth and jumpy dance favourites like En Mäktig Här, famous for steel-pan snyths, and the jig-inducing Under Bergets Rot. Finntroll leave no room to catch a break, and a few songs in the room is stifling, with smiles plastered on drenched faces. Catching sight of flashes of bare chest, Vreth refers to those in the middle fondly as ‘those naked guys’, before calling for an even bigger moshpit. At their last UK gig, Finntroll made sure some oldies were on the list- and they seemed surprised at how much their back catalogue was appreciated. Knowing that we like them, Svartberg makes a comeback with much arm waving and swaying, and Jaktens Tid itself with its added joking is forever a firm favourite, starting snakes of conga lines around the venue.
Lest I die an early death from heat exhaustion, I leave before what I’m sure is Trollhammaren evidently shutting the place down. I consider myself now a Finntroll veteran, but this is a gig I will fondly remember as being one of their best. The crowd was ecstatic for all bands, and funnily enough for an easily-annoyed bastard, the pit was a fun, sweaty, elating experience. [4/5]
If you’re looking for a good time when this assortment of mythological creatures and long-departed warriors trample through the UK, you’d better go and see them. And if you’re staunchly ‘too cool’ for dress-ups, heroics or swords and sorcery, you’re missing out on an awesome time.
Týr
Valkyrja
Released 17th September
Viking Metal
Released via Metal Blade
Hailing from the Faroes come Týr, one of the the biggest and most influential Viking metal bands of today. Following their jump from Napalm Records to Metal Blade, the four piece soon would finish Valkyrja, the band’s seventh full-length studio album. The album’s main concept is the story of an unnamed warrior who leaves his wife in order to impress a Valkyrie so that he can gain entry to either Folkvang or Valhalla.
Blood Of Heroes opens up the album in a truly powerful manner. The opening passage signals a change of sound in Týr‘s music whereas the chorus is typically catchy, something that has become a trait in Tyr‘s music over the last couple of releases. Mare Of My Night follows, which Heri describes as being the song that he has ever written the most sexually explicit lyrics for. The song focuses on a strong driving sound with an equal measure of melody to accompany the propulsive riffs. Hel Hath No Fury, which is a brilliant play on words regarding the supposed Nordic goddess of death Hel, has a cold and furious streak woven into the guitars and a hook in the chorus.
The Lay Of Our Love begins with the typical elements of a ballad, something which is enforced by both Heri‘s and Liv Kristine‘s vocals. The guitars paint a near-romantic image with different shades of emotion contrasting with the vocals where as Nation is the complete opposite, charging in for a frontal assault of melodious passages and aggressive vocals with reinforcements from a heavy bombardment of drums. Another Fallen Brother focuses on a more thrash-like use of guitars, with near-power metalesque vocals and a cumbersome use of bass and drums.
Grindavísan starts with a folk-like choir before the majestic riffs domineer the song. As the song becomes heavier, so do Heri‘s vocals while the folk choir make an appearance for the chorus, adding a new spin on the song and keeping it traditionally Týr sounding. Into The Sky makes for a somber metallic dirge before leading into the highly melodic and medieval sounding Fánar Burtur Brandaljóð, which is sung in a Nordic language, presumably Faroese. Lady Of The Slain, which is one of the names given to the deity Freya, comes racing in like a horde of warriors drunk on blood and glory. The guitars cut through the track like a knife through butter, allowing for the bass and drums to leave their own path of devastation.
The title track, Valkyrja, has one of the most solemn introductions on the whole album, allowing varying levels of emotion to ring out through each note. Where the faster paced aspects of the track bring a vast amount of power with them, allowing the snarling use of riffs to roar fiercely throughout the song. The album ends with two covers: Where Eagles Dare (Iron Maiden) and Cemetery Gates (Pantera) – Both of which are performed superbly with Týr‘s own unique twist on them.
Valkyrja is a change in direction for Týr, stepping forward with their sound but allowing for some room for certain sound sand elements from previous albums, making for a fusion of old Týr and new Týr. Valkyrja is probably the best album they’ve released thus far and definitely shows how much their sound has evolved since How Far To Asgaard.
Týr hail from the ancient Faroe Islands, which are steeped in Viking mythology and history – The kind of stuff that makes up the lyrical basis for Týr‘s music. With the release of the band’s seventh studio album, Valkyrja just around the corner, Nico has a chat with Týr bassist Gunnar Thomsen.
Nico:Valkyrja is Týr‘s seventh studio album. How will it differ from previous releases?
Gunnar: It’s not that different from the others. Just much better, and more up beat tempo and dedicated to women.
Nico: The concept of Valkyrja is loosely based around an unnamed warrior attempting to impress a Valkyrie so he gain entry to either Folkvang (Freya‘s hall) or Valhalla (Odin‘s hall). What inspired you to write the story around this?
Gunnar: Usually whatever is on Heri‘s mind at the time, so in this case, life and women. He has had this concept for sometime now.
Nico: Obviously the Valkyries will be playing a role in the story concept that will be running through Valkyrja, will any other figures from Norse mythology be making an appearance in the lyrics/story line?
Gunnar: Heri always likes to put the Norse mythology into the lyrics, so there is other figures to in the story line. He also likes to use mythology with current themes today, as in the case of the previous album, The Lay of Thrym. This time it is about woman.
Nico: Aside from the aforementioned story concept, are there any other lyrical themes that will be appearing throughout the new album?
Gunnar: No themes as such but every song on the album has its own tale to present.
Nico: You collaborated with Leaves’ Eyes vocalist Liv Kristine on the track The Lay Of Our Love. How did this collaboration come about and do you feel it will open up Týr‘s music to fans of Leaves’ Eyes who may have not listened to Týr yet?
Gunnar: Heri suggested the idea to present her on one of the songs, course she has a wonderful voice and originally we intended to have more guest appearance on the album, but we decided that one was enough. Of course we hope to get more listeners, for Týr, but this is not why we asked Liv Kristine. Mainly just admiration for music.
Nico: Describe the new album in five words or less.
Gunnar: Fucking awesome!
Nico: Kári left Týr before the recording process for Valkyrja began. How has this affected Týr‘s overall sound and the sound of the new album?
Gunnar: Of course this affected the drum sound a lot but it also created a new and interesting atmosphere in the music. We will always miss Kári, and best wishes for his health.
Nico: Speaking of the recording process for Valkyrja, you enlisted George Kollias as drummer for the recording process. What was it like to work with one of metal’s most accomplished drummers?
Gunnar: He was absolutely astonishing to work with and he has a exceptional ear for music, and a lot of great ideas for how to put it together. He has a great personality.
Nico: Týr are set to return to the UK in October as support to Finntroll. Will this run of UK dates be in support of the new album or will you be returning to the UK later to support the new album?
Gunnar: This will be to support the new album but we hope to get more tours in England and plans are already being discussed for 2014.
Nico: While we’re on the topic of touring, following Týr‘s sold-out headline show in York last year at the Jorvik Viking Festival, are looking forward to playing the UK again?
Gunnar: YES! We are always looking forward to play in UK. We don’t do it as often as we would like and we love you Brits.
Nico: If could you meet any figure from the Viking Age, who would it be and why?
Gunnar: Of course Týr, the god of war. “Who else”?
Nico: If you were trapped on an island and could only listen to only one album until you were rescued, which one would it be and why?
Gunnar: Peace of Mind by Iron Maiden. And why? its the best album in this world.
Nico: Do you have anything you’d like to say to our readers?
Gunnar: Looking forward to see you all on the UK dates. We are looking forward to present the new album. Thank you for your support. we hail you Brits. Hail to the hammer!
Faroese Viking metallers Týr have been working hard on their seventh studio album, Valkyrja, which is due for release in the UK on 16th September via Metal Blade. Fans can now get a small glimpse of the creative process that is driving Valkyrja towards completion while Týr have been recording at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark. You can watch the video below.
The opening track, Blood Of Heroes, is streaming at this location where the album is also available for pre-order. The limited edition pre-order bundles include Týr pendants, t-shirts, vinyl LP and the CD.
Týr are also pleased to announced that Amon Ellingsgaard will be drumming for Týr on their European tour with Finntroll later this month. Amon is the current drummer for Heri‘s side project: Heljareyga. Many fans will most likely be familiar with Amon, as he is also the nephew of former TýrKari.
Norwegian-German symphonic folk metallers Leaves’ Eyes announced recently on their Facebook page that Liv Kristine has finished recording her vocals for the upcoming album, Symphonies of the Night. The full announcement is as follows:
Dear Fans and Friends,
Good news from Mastersound Studio: The vocal recordings for all songs of our up-coming release Symphonies of the Night have just been completed. Moreover, Alex is already busy with the mix of the album.
We have taken a great inspirational step since the production of Meredead, both sound-wise and vocal-wise. It has been such a pleasure evolving in my singing techniques and knowledge and I thank my band members for ‘giving me an inspirational kick’ when I needed to gain momentum behind the microphone. Symphonies of the Night is hauntingly dream-like and heavy to the core!
In related news, Liv Kristine will be featured on the upcoming, currently untitled Tyr album, on the track The Lay of Our Love where she’ll be performing a duet with Tyr frontman Heri Joensen.
Hailing from the Faroe Islands, Týr are currently recording their new album with producer Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Aborted, Mercenary) at his studios in Denmark. For drum tracking on this album, Týr have enlisted the services of George Kollias, one of metal’s most accomplished drummers, primarily known for his work in Nile, as well as Nightfall. A video featuring drum tracking highlights, as well as a short message from Kollias, is streaming now on YouTube, which can be viewed here.
George Kollias comments on the experience:
Hey Týr fans, this is George Kollias and I hope you are ALL ready for a crushing new album from Týr!!! I had the pleasure to record the drums on the new album, we had an absolutely great time in the studio and I gotta tell you, the material is super strong and catchy, I’m 100% sure you will all love this new album!! Big thanks to Heri, Terji and Gunnar for the opportunity and to Jacob Hansen for his incredible work with the recordings!
Týr comments:
It was a pleasure to have George in studio. He’s an amazing drummer and he certainly made an impact on this album. We’re very excited to release this album.
A recent announcement on the Týr Facebook page has confirmed that the band has parted ways with drummer Kári Streymoy. The band commented on the amicable split:
We regret to inform you that Kári Streymoy and the rest of the band have parted ways. Kári suffered a back injury in 2008, and since then he has had some issues with his drumming. That is the main reason that the co-operation has been problematic for some time now, and we finally decided to part ways. We want to thank Kári for his time in the band. It’s been great to have you with us, we wish you the best of luck in the future and we hope you recover fully some day.
This album will be the band’s seventh full length effort. One of the new tracks, The Lay of Our Love, will feature a duet with Týr vocalist Heri Joensen and Liv Kristine from Leaves Eyes. In an update on Leaves Eyes’ official Facebook page, Kristine announced:
Dear Viking-Metal Fans & Friends,
I am very happy to announce that I will be joining Týr for the duet The Lay Of Our Love on their up-coming album (title still to be revealed), which is set to be released this Fall. Heri already joined Leaves’ Eyes at our headliner show in Wacken Open Air 2012. This was an absolute highlight during our live performance, moreover, I really like his voice and I am grateful for the invitation. A superb track, with inspiring melodies and lyrics, proving the authenticity of Týr.
Love,
Liv
More details will be unveiled in the forthcoming months as music and art are completed. The band has been posting images from the studio throughout the recording process, so make sure to follow them on their official Facebook page for candid photos and personal updates from the band.
This February, the annual Jorvik Viking festival will be underway, and those of us who were there last year will be getting very excited indeed around this time. Why? Well, the lovely people at Asgard Promotions brought us a stunning show in the form of the mighty Tyr last year, and they plan to pull it off again; this year, they’ve managed to secure folk metal heavyweights Heidevolk for us, not to mention the devastatingly good Irish black metallers Celtachor and stunning Yorkshire symphonic-y folk-y metal outfit Cryptic Age. Aren’t they brilliant? Go and buy tickets and/or some of their excellent selection of Viking/Celtic jewellery HERE. Tickets are only 15 quid, and we can assure you, VM was there last year; this event is phenomenal.
Celtachor have just released their debut album, Nine Waves from the Shore, which you can purchase/listen to HERE, as did Cryptic Age with the recent Sounds of Infinity. Get it HERE.
Also, Heidevolk just released a new music video; Here is Als De Dood Weer Naar Ons Lacht!
It’s more than a month away until the Faroese titans of Viking metal known as “Tyr” hit the historic city of Jorvik (York for those who don’t speak Old Norse) for their first ever headline show in the UK. Joining their warband for the night of pillaging, drunkenness and face-melting metal will be none other than Hull-based epic Viking metal outfit Ravenage and the Scottish black metal lords “Maelstrom”.
The event is brought to you by Asgard Online (who sponsored Valkyrian Festival 2011) and will be held at Fibbers in York on 18th February. Tickets are available from Asgard Online’s official website: www.asgardonline.co.uk/asgard_events.html for only £16.00!
In celebration of the show, the team got together to bring you our favourite Tyr songs, in no precise order:
”The Wild Rover” – Picked by Hannah.
“Hold The Heather Hammer High” – Picked by Demolithia
The Vikings are invading York! Next February sees the Jorvik Viking Festival take place once again. And once the battle is over on Saturday 18th Feb, the mighty Faroese Viking Metal band Tyr will be performing their first ever U.K headline show. Could there be a more fitting culmination to this event? We think not!
The concert, in association with Asgard and the Jorvik Viking Festival will take place at Fibbers on Stonebow – a mere axe throw from the famous Viking Centre itself.
The line-up is confirmed as Tyr, with support from Yorkshire heathen metallers Ravenage and the Glasgowegian black metal band Maelstrom.
Tickets are priced at £16 and can be purchased from the venue, the usual outlets or direct from Asgard’s event page at: www.asgardonline.co.uk
Asgard Online are also sponsoring Valkyrian Festival 2011.
Valkyrian Music 