Ensiferum
(Latin ensiferum (neuter adjective) meaning "sword bearing") are a Finnish heavy metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "heroic folk metal." [1] Since their formation, Ensiferum has released three full-length albums, one EP, one compilation, two singles, and three demo albums.
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ENSIFERUM TICKETS
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Musical characteristics
- Harsh vocals often mixed with clean vocals for choruses and bridges.
- Metal and folk melodies played on lead guitar or keyboard overlaying heavier traditional heavy metal backing rhythms such as the classic gallop rhythm. Frequent use of acoustic guitars, usually at the beginning of songs.
- Lyrical themes relating to fantastical, archaic, or historic stories usually with heroic sentiment. Lyrics are inspired by literature, films, and poetry, such as the great Finnish epic "Kalevala" and the Norse sagas.
Band history
Formation, demos and Ensiferum
(1995-2002)
Ensiferum
was founded in 1995 by
Markus Toivonen (
guitar),
Sauli Savolainen (
bass) and
Kimmo Miettinen (
drums). For the band's name, they took the
Latin neuter gender adjective
ensiferum
, which means "sword-bearing". In the next year,
Jari Mäenpää was taken into the band as singer and second guitar-player. In 1997, the first demo was released, containing three songs.
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In 1998, Sauli and Kimmo left the band and were replaced by Jukka-Pekka Miettinen (Kimmo's little brother, then 14 years old) and Oliver Fokin. In January 1999, a second demo was recorded, which although it did not produce a recording deal, boosted the band's confidence. In November 1999 a third demo, "Hero in a Dream", was recorded, which was successful in obtaining a record deal with
Spinefarm Records. The logo that appears on all the bands releases was designed for the third demo by Tuomas Tahvanainen, who also designed the logos for the earlier demos.
[2] In 2000, the band went into the studio to work on their first album,
Ensiferum
, which was released in August 2001. In the same year, Meiju Enho joined them as a
keyboard-player.
Iron
, Line-up changes, Dragonheads
and 10th Anniversary Live
(2003-2006)
In 2003, after the work was completed on the second album,
Iron
, Jari left the band to concentrate more on his project
Wintersun. For the tour with
Finntroll, Petri Lindroos from
Norther replaced Jari on guitar and as singer, and became a member of the band after the tour. In December 2004, Jukka-Pekka left the band and was replaced by Sami Hinkka (
Rapture). Oliver also left in 2005 to be replaced by Janne Parviainen.
The new Ensiferum line-up entered the studio later that year to record an
EP to be called
Dragonheads
, which was released in February 2006. As well as the title track, it also contained two reworked demo songs; an
Amorphis cover and a short rendition of the
Kalevala melody, as well as a medley of three traditional
Finnish songs.
In June 2006, Ensiferum released their live
DVD,
10th Anniversary Live
, which was recorded in
Nosturi,
Helsinki, on
December 31,
2005.
Victory Songs
and Meiju's departure (2006-2009)
The recording of the third studio album, called
Victory Songs
, took place between November 2006 and early 2007, and was released on
April 20,
2007. A single titled "
One More Magic Potion" (after the track of the same name) was released on
February 7. Following the album release, the band released through the producer's
MySpace page, a music video for the song "Ahti," which included all band members featured as extras. The video was released after the album release due to video filming problems.
On
September 10,
2007, it was announced that keyboardist
Meiju Enho would leave the band. This was posted in a bulletin on their MySpace page and later confirmed on their website . The band use
Emmi Silvennoinen of
Exsecratus as a touring fill-in. She later became a permanent member of the band during the recording of the From Afar album
[3].
Ensiferum headlined the Paganfest tour in Europe and North America in 2008.
[4] Others playing the tour included
Týr and
Eluveitie, with
Moonsorrow and
Korpiklaani also joining them on the European part of the tour, and
Turisas in North America.
They are also booked to support
Megadeth on the opening night of their
United Abominations – Tour of Duty European tour.
Ensiferum also supported
Amon Amarth on their North American
Twilight of the Thunder God
tour.
In the first half of 2009, Ensiferum performed at a string of
festivals including Frostrock in
Belgium,
Finnish Metal Expo and
Tuska Open Air in
Finland, Winterfire, Rocktower, Legacy and Rock am Härtsfeldsee in
Germany, Summer Nights in
Austria, and Z7 Metal Dayz in
Switzerland.
In June and July they toured North America as part of the
Summer Slaughter Tour with
Necrophagist,
Darkest Hour,
Suffocation, Blackguard,
Dying Fetus,
Beneath the Massacre,
Origin, and
Winds of Plague.
[5] In August they will perform at the Global East festival in
Ukraine,
Ankkarock and Jurassic Rock in
Finland, and Let's Open Air in
Turkey.
From Afar
(2009 onwards)
Ensiferum will release their fourth
studio album,
From Afar
, on September 16, 2009 on
Spinefarm Records. The album was produced by
Nightwish producer
Tero Kinnunen and
Victory Songs
producer
Janne Joutsenniemi, and it was mixed by
HIM producer
Hiili Hiilesmaa.
[6] The limited edition of the album includes a cover of
Swedish folk rock group
Nordman.
[7] Following the release, the group will embark on a European tour with
Estonian
folk metal band
Metsatöll and
Finnish melodic death metal band
Tracedawn.
In October they will also perform at
Hellflame Festival – The South Side of Hell and Devil's Revenge festival in
Germany, and Tatto the Mind in
France.
Ensiferum will perform on the second day of the Screamfest Festival in Sydney, Australia, on New Years Day 2010. In November/December 2009 they will go on tour in North America with Hypocrisy, Ex Deo, and Blackguard.
Band members
Current line-up
- Petri Lindroos – harsh vocals, guitars (2004–present)
- Markus Toivonen – guitars, clean & backing vocals (1995–present)
- Sami Hinkka – bass, clean & backing vocals (2004–present), lead vocals (Russia tour 2008)
- Janne Parviainen – drums (2005–present)
- Emmi Silvennoinen – keyboards, backing vocals (2007–present) (Exsecratus)
Former members
- Kimmo Miettinen – drums (ex-Arthemesia, Cadacross) (1995–1998)
- Jukka-Pekka Miettinen – bass (Arthemesia, ex-Cadacross) (1998–2004), guitar (Russia tour 2008)
- Sauli Savolainen – bass (1995–1998)
- Jari Mäenpää – vocals, guitars (ex-Arthemesia, Wintersun) (1996–2004)
- Oliver Fokin – drums (ex-Arthemesia) (1998–2005)
- Meiju Enho – keyboards (2001–2007)
Session members
- Henri "Trollhorn" Sorvali – session keyboards on Ensiferum
(Finntroll, Moonsorrow, ex-Korpiklaani)
Discography
Albums
- Ensiferum
(2001)
- Iron
(2004)
- 1997–1999
(Ltd. edition re-release of first three demos, 2005)
- Victory Songs
(2007)
- From Afar
(2009)
EPs
Live DVD
- 10th Anniversary Live
(2006)
Videos
- Ahti
(2007)
- From Afar
(2009)
Singles
- "Tale of Revenge" (2004)
- "One More Magic Potion" (2007)
- "From Afar" (2009)
Demos
- Demo (1997)
- #"Frost"
- #"Old Man (Väinämöinen)"
- #"Knighthood"
- Demo II (1999)
- #"Dreamer's Prelude"
- #"Little Dreamer (Väinämöinen part II)"
- #"Warrior's Quest"
- #"White Storm"
- Hero in a Dream
(1999)
- #"Intro"
- #"Hero in a Dream"
- #"Eternal Wait"
- #"Battle Song"
- #"Guardians of Fate"
Cover songs
- "Into Hiding" (by Amorphis from Tales from the Thousand Lakes
) - Found on Dragonheads
, 10th Anniversary Live
as a live version and Victory Songs
Special Edition
- "Battery" (by Metallica from Master of Puppets
) - Found on "Tale of Revenge" single and Iron
digipak
- "Lady in Black" (by Uriah Heep from the album Salisbury
) - Found on "One More Magic Potion" single and Victory Songs
digipak and Japanese version
- "Breaking the Law" (by Judas Priest from British Steel
) - Found on the digipak version of their eponymous album.
- "Vandraren" (by Nordman found on limted edition of new album From Afar)
References
- MetalStorm interview
- Story of Ensiferum
- Ensiferum — Latest News
- Ensiferum — Concert history
- Ensiferum — Future concerts
- Ensiferum — News
- Ensiferum: new album title, track listing revealed