Thyrfing - Thyrfing

So, let's play a little game again. Band comes from Sweden. Logo is hardly decipherable, even when you know what it means (even though it looks pretty cool). On the cover we see a Viking, his sword in the air and in the background dragonships. What does this tell us? So, all of you, who yell Viking Metal get a bonus-point.
THYRFING allegedly is a mythic sword and these young Swedish folks have fully taken on the Vikings in their lyrics. My way to this debut has been pretty weird. I had been talking to a label-boss, who would some time later completely vanish from everywhere (Invasion Records), and he mentioned THYRFING as interesting band before the line crashed and my phone fell into a day-long coma. Well, after many calls and shop-visits I finally held it in my hands...

The music is very melodic and epic, mostly mid-paced, yet with a few speed-breaks, quite extensive keyboards/piano, which still fits, and Thomas Väänänen's croaky, Death Metall-lic voice. Even though dozens of other bands read the same, so THYRFING still have their own touch, the interaction between guitar and keyboards and also the melodies differ from the rest, although you still hear that it is the debut of a young band.

Still, tracks like "Hednaland" or "Going Berserk" clearly show the potential of a band that would develop into one of the leading bands of Viking Metal. Oh, yes, the cover is from Kris Verwimp, which means quality, thought I could mention that…

Genre-fans and all of those that might have discovered THYRFING with "Urkraft" and would like to explore the beginnings of the Swedes, it's worth it!

Hail Viking !!