RAGNAROK

Anyway....... Tyr went back to the very vibrant song traditions on Faroe Island and based this album around it. The German power metal influences was ditched. So was the Iron Maiden and the indie rock worshipping. Elements of Fruupp's and Thin Lizzy's more folky celtic pieces was dragged in and digested. The end product is therefore a lot better than the first two albums.

The hymn and songs here is still draped in metal. There are some guitar solos present too. But this effort is much more song based than melody based. The good vocalist works very hard for his inclusion in Tyr, you can say. The result is a good album...... with one minor flaw. The flaw is the lack of any outstanding tracks. The two previous albums had at least one excellent song each. This one has none. But then again, this album has no weaknesses and no particular highlights. This is sixty minutes of folk metal with some celtic influenses baked into this pie. This is the kind of pies I like.

3.25 stars

Divided in eight chapters, Ragnarok tells the story of the end of the world and it's resurface according to Norse mythology. This sets the mood for an intelligent viking metal album. As for the music itself, Týr reaches their peak as songwriters. Flawlessly seaming traditional folk song structure with progressive metal, they create a very melodic and innovative listen. Not every track is a song in it's own right though, a lot of songs are ambient and serve as an "introduction" to the main song. Highlights include Wings of Time, The Rage of The Skullgaffer and Lord of Lies. This is also the only Týr album of which the special edition features some very good bonus tracks. This edition is well worth the extra money On this record which has crystal clear production, Týr shows that they can really play their instruments. Again, the two guitar players really stick out, just listen to The Rage of The Skullgaffer, which only contains two guitars playing counterharmonics.

It's a shame that this is the creative highlight for this band. Then again, Ragnarok is an excellent addition to any music collection and a gem in an otherwise repetitive genre.

4,5/5*