A man singing into a microphone while playing a guitar
A man playing a guitar next to another man playing a double bass
A man is playing a red gibson guitar
A man singing into a microphone while another man plays a guitar
A man wearing sunglasses and a leather jacket is singing into a microphone.
A group of people are standing on a stage playing instruments.
A shirtless man is playing drums in front of a sign that says el camilly
A group of people posing for a picture with one woman holding a red cup
A man in a black shirt is playing a double bass
A man is playing a guitar in a dark room

TYR Battle Ballads CD Review

March 2, 2025
The cover of a game called the renfields

I’ve never been one to shy away from anything Metal Blade Records releases – I try to check out at least a track from every band the label releases, they’ve long been a favorite of mine. For a time, I worked in tandem with them when they had their own PR reps who would send out CDs for review. The same can be said of Napalm Records which is how I first found out about the Viking/Folk/Power Metal band, TYR. I believe the album we first covered by the band was Ragnarok. It was a long time ago, no doubt. Since then, I’ve lost track of the band, this genre of music isn’t a go to for me. However, after listening to the band’s latest effort “Battle Ballads” I feel like a classic fool.
 
I won’t speculate on the band’s previous efforts because I haven’t listened to anything since Raganarok which I still have lying around here somewhere. But this much I can tell you, “Battle Ballads” is loaded with everything that’s special about the Viking/Folk genre. The songwriting/arrangements are incredibly crafted, and the music/vocals are spellbinding. At the heart of it, it’s Heavy Metal, but it certainly doesn’t come across in that manner, it’s epic without being so dense and heavy that it rattles your inner core. If you’re looking for Amon Amarth type Viking Metal, look elsewhere, this isn’t a band of berserkers looking to raid, rape and maim the local villages. TYR comes across very much like Ensiferum, Korpiklaani with subtle nods of bands like Sonata Artica and Blind Guardian.


One listen to this album and you know there was a lot of thought, time and effort put into making it, the orchestral aspect alone seems like it could’ve taken months to get right. Vocally, this album really stands out among the genre’s peers, there’s few artists in the genre with this kind of tone and swagger. I’m smitten and taken aback by the sheer talent represented throughout “Battle Ballads”. I suggest taking a detour from your daily dose of Satan worshiping and checking this out today!
 
Stand out tracks – “Row”, “Unwandered Ways”, “Torkils Doetur” and “Vaelkomnir Foeroyingar”.

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