Album Review: ENSIFERUM Thalassic (7/10)

Ensiferum (Latin meaning "sword bearing") is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The band was founded in 1995 by Markus Toivonen (guitar), but the self -titled debut full-length only came out in 2001. From the beginning the band has been doing a very proficient mix of Folk metal, melodic death metal and power metal. The members of the band label themselves as "melodic folk metal." I only came in contact with the band with the release of 2015's One Man Army which I considered a good album, the follow-up 2017's Two Paths not so much. So I am curious to see if they will bring me back with their eighth studio album Thalassic. The line-up has been stable since 2007's Victory Songs. The only exception for Thalassic being the addition of the keyboard player/lead clean vocalist Pekka Montin.

"Seafarer's Dream" is a 3-min intro featuring a beautiful acoustic guitar and melody over some water sound samples. It alludes to the album's whole theme: "of or relating to seas" which in the title translating from ancient Greek. The intro quickly gets very symphonic as in a film score which is a nice touch. Other than the intro, the album features 8 songs in 41 minutes. This is a big plus for the album as it uses the efficient 80's format and most songs are short and engaging.

Musically, Pekka Montin brought a whole new dynamic to the band. If previously the power metal influence was rather on the background, Thalassic is folk power metal. It's still Ensiferum but it sounds a lot like their country mates Amorphis (e.g. "For Sirens") or Children of Bodom but also Stratovarius. This dynamic is clear from the first song "Rum, Women, Victory". The second verse is pure power metal. They are even using vocal harmonies and falsettos that would be suitable for Timo Kotipelto (e.g. "Run from the crushing tide"). Twin guitars licks and riffs are all over the album, usually using the high end of the fretboard. Those are sometimes being played continuously including during verses and choruses. But in some songs which are more keyboard oriented, Petri Lindroos and Markus Toivonen use chugging guitars and the licks are left for the keys. All of those different tools give the album a great dynamic. There are two songs that go a bit longer but thankfully without overstaying their welcome. "One with the Sea" is a power metal epic and anthemic semi-ballad that sounds really big and great. It's one of my favorites of the album. But there's also the epic 9-min closer, "Cold Northland (Väinämöinen, Pt. 3)"  featuring over 2 minutes of instrumental intro and serves as a call back to their debut album.

Thalassic was recorded and produced by Janne Joutsenniemi, who was involved on their albums Victory Songs (2007) and From Afar (2009) which are usually considered their best ones. Production is typical power metal, super modern with a pristine sound. The mix is good and you can hear everything on it. Mikko P. Mustonen once again presided over the orchestrations, and violin virtuoso Lassi Logren recorded folk instruments on a few tracks. The good thing is that the album is a bit more stripped down and not too symphonic. Certainly not bombastic. However, the orchestrations are used smartly and make an impact. For example, "The Defence of the Sampo" has some cool arrangements highly influenced by classical composers. It's very anthemic but while promising it never really gets to a fulfilling climax. Folk instruments also used effectively and not overdone (e.g. "Midsummer Magic"). Finally, I must say I love all of their album covers and artwork. It's not different with Thalassic. It features it all: warriors, eagles and the sea. All very well drawn and with vibrant colors.

This is an exciting new direction and a step-up in quality versus the Ensiferum's previous album. Their ideas were good and the album well thought and executed, but it still feels a bit disjointed. It is not a big surprise for a transitional album. It's hard to know if the power metal focus will bring new fans without alienating old schoolers. As a power metal fan, it is a welcomed change, and I am excited to see how they will take this new direction in the next album. For now Thalassic is a good album, but almost like an appetizer for what's hopefully to come.

SCORE: 81/100
Genre: Folk Metal
Released by Metal Blade Records on July 10th, 2020

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Rating System*
99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad

* slightly adapted on May 24th, 2020 due to statistical review
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