{"id":28734,"date":"2024-02-27T11:27:09","date_gmt":"2024-02-27T11:27:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/?p=28734"},"modified":"2024-02-27T11:27:10","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T11:27:10","slug":"review-tyr-battle-ballads-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/en\/review-tyr-battle-ballads-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"T\u00fdr: Battle Ballads (2024, Metal Blade Records)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the controversies that have surrounded an established band like <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tyrband\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">T\u00fdr<\/a><\/strong>, many of them related to whaling by one of its members, there are many followers who have continued to support the folk and progressive metal band formed in Denmark in 1998 who to date had eight studio albums since his studio debut with <strong><em>How Far To Asgaard<\/em><\/strong> (2002, Tutl Records). <strong>T\u00fdr <\/strong>has maintained itself over the years releasing albums regularly between 2002 and 2013, perhaps during this last decade when the releases of new albums such as <strong><em>Hel <\/em><\/strong>(2019, Metal Blade Records) have stretched the longest, which took about six years to be published since their previous studio effort <strong><em>Valkyrja <\/em><\/strong>(2013, Metal Blade Records) saw the light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Five years had to pass for <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/en\/brutal-assault-2024-lineup-80-announced\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"28697\">T\u00fdr<\/a> <\/strong>to release their ninth album, <strong><em>Battle Ballads<\/em><\/strong>, with only one change in their lineup since the release of Hel in 2019: <strong>Tadeusz Rieckmann<\/strong> on drums, <strong>Gunnar Thomsen<\/strong> on bass and <strong>Heri Joensen <\/strong>on guitar and vocals, being this the first album in which guitarist <strong>Hans Hammer<\/strong> (Asyllex) participates since he joined the band in 2021. The artist and designer <strong>Gyula Havancs\u00e1k<\/strong> repeats as cover artist, who has also been collaborating with the band since the release of <strong><em>By The Light Of The Northern Star <\/em><\/strong>(2009, Napalm Records).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Ty\u0301r - Axes (Official Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IuirrWbZDM8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Battle Ballads<\/em><\/strong>, broadly speaking, is a purely <strong>T\u00fdr <\/strong>album. The band has been able to find its sound over the years and moves like a fish in water within its folk proposal with progressive overtones, using melody as its great ally. The powerful <strong><em>Hammered<\/em><\/strong>, a song that anyone could relate to <strong>T\u00fdr<\/strong>, is responsible for opening the album with the band&#8217;s own energy that, thanks to its catchy vocal lines, invites listeners to sing along to their songs with the unmistakable seal of the band. band. The same goes for songs like <strong><em>Hangman <\/em><\/strong>or <strong><em>Dragons Never Die<\/em><\/strong>, whose melodic component by guitarists <strong>Heri Joensen<\/strong> and <strong>Hans Hammer<\/strong> presents a tandem of memorable riffs where the choruses are also the main protagonists of the whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the other hand, we can find less energetic songs with a much more accentuated folk component like <strong><em>Torkils D\u00f8tur<\/em><\/strong> or <strong><em>V\u00e6lkomnir F\u00f8royingar<\/em><\/strong> that also manage to convey that feeling of festivity that works so well live. If, on the other hand, we are looking for something more epic and energetic, we can opt for songs like <strong><em>Axes <\/em><\/strong>or the catchy <strong><em>Unwandered Ways<\/em><\/strong>, or we can simply let ourselves be carried away by the medium tempo with which Row manages to elevate a more than remarkable album. <strong><em>Battle Ballads<\/em><\/strong> itself takes us back to the mythical sound of <strong>T\u00fdr<\/strong>, being responsible for giving its name to the album itself, a very accurate choice that once again gives us an epic song that honors the band. I also found it interesting to highlight the certain similarity that <strong><em>Causa Latronum Normannorum<\/em><\/strong> has with my favorite of the band to date, <strong><em>Hold The Heathen Hammer High<\/em><\/strong>, a song that has certain reminiscences of albums like <strong><em>By The Light Of The Northern Star<\/em><\/strong> (2009) and <strong><em>The Lay Of Thrym<\/em><\/strong> (2011), these last two being the ones I have heard the most from the band to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Tyr-Band-2024-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28735\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Tyr-Band-2024-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Tyr-Band-2024-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Tyr-Band-2024-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Tyr-Band-2024-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Tyr-Band-2024-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In short, <strong><em>Battle Ballads<\/em><\/strong> is not the best album that <strong>T\u00fdr <\/strong>has released but it manages to maintain interest during its forty minutes. <strong>Heri Joensen<\/strong>&#8216;s voice continues to surprise with each new album and <strong><em>Battle Ballads<\/em><\/strong> is no exception, highlighting at the same time the new guitar that Hans Hammer has brought to T\u00fdr with this new album. The work of <strong>Gunnar Thomsen<\/strong> and <strong>Tadeusz Rieckmann<\/strong> as usual is impeccable, together they form a formidable team in the rhythm section that, like in their previous albums, manages to capture you from the first moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As <strong>Joensen <\/strong>himself commented about the release of the album, <strong>Battle Ballads<\/strong> is a very varied album that includes some of the most direct songs that the band has composed to date, thus trying to win over a broader audience than with their previous works: \u00ab<em>We consciously decided to make this a more direct album with songs that are easier for listeners to get right away than some of the stuff on our last album, or maybe even on our 2006 album Ragnarok, which was very progressive. With Battle Ballads, there are progressive elements here and there, but we tried to keep the songs based on one or two musical ideas each, and work on everything from there. So, in a way, it\u2019s more concise than our last album, but it\u2019s more epic because of the symphonic elements<\/em>\u00ab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Tyr-Battle-Ballads-2024-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28737\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tracklist:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hammered<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unwandered Ways<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dragons Never Die<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Row<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Torkils D\u00f8tur<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>V\u00e6lkomnir F\u00f8royingar<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hangman<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Axes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Battle Ballad<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Causa Latronum Normannorum<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">T\u00fdr American tour dates in 2024:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>T\u00fdr <\/strong>will embark on a tour with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/trollfestofficial\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trollfest<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AetherRealm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00c6ther Realm<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thedreadcrewofoddwood\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Dread Crew Of Oddwood<\/a><\/strong> to perform <strong><em>Battle Ballads<\/em><\/strong> throughout the United States during March and April 2024. Tour dates below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"771\" src=\"https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Tyr-Tour-USA-2024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28739\" style=\"width:674px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Tyr-Tour-USA-2024.jpg 550w, https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Tyr-Tour-USA-2024-214x300.jpg 214w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>3\/28\/2024 Baltimore Soundstage \u2013 Baltimore, MD<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>3\/29\/2024 Gramercy Theater \u2013 New York, NY<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>3\/30\/2024 Middle East Downstairs \u2013 Boston, MA<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>3\/31\/2024 La Source De La Martini\u00e8re \u2013 Quebec City, QC<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/01\/2024 Studio TD \u2013 Montreal, QC<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/02\/2024 Brass Monkey \u2013 Ottawa, ON<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/03\/2024 Horseshoe Tavern \u2013 Toronto, ON<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/04\/2024 The Sanctuary \u2013 Detroit, MI<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/05\/2024 Reggies \u2013 Chicago, IL<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/06\/2024 Skyway Theater \u2013 Minneapolis, MN<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/07\/2024 Park Theater \u2013 Winnipeg. MB<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/08\/2024 The Exchange \u2013 Regina, SK<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/09\/2024 Starlite Room \u2013 Edmonton, AB<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>4\/10\/2024 Dickens \u2013 Calgary, AB<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/12\/2024 The Rickshaw \u2013 Vancouver, BC<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/13\/2024 El Corazon \u2013 Seattle, WA<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/14\/2024 Bossanova Ballroom \u2013 Portland, OR<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/15\/2024 Cornerstone \u2013 Berkeley, CA<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/16\/2024 1720 \u2013 Los Angeles, CA<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/17\/2024 Brick By Brick \u2013 San Diego, CA<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/18\/2024 Nile Theater \u2013 Mesa, AZ<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/19\/2024 TBC<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/20\/2024 Come And Take It Live \u2013 Austin, TX<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/21\/2024 The Granada \u2013 Dallas, TX<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/22\/2024 White Oak Music Hall \u2013 Houston, TX<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/24\/2024 Conduit \u2013 Orlando, FL<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/25\/2024 The Masquerade (Hell) \u2013 Atlanta, GA<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4\/26\/2024 Hangar 1819 \u2013 Greensboro, NC<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despite the controversies that have surrounded an established band like T\u00fdr, many of them related&#8230;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28737,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[774],"tags":[1318],"class_list":["post-28734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews","tag-tyr"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28734"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28734\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alliedforces.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}