Originally issued in 2003, "Eric The Red" has been reissued by Napalm Records, sporting a new album cover and gaining an additional two cuts, "God Of War" and "Hail To The Hammer", both of which were originally issued on this Faeroe Islands-based outfit's 2002 album, "How Far To Asgaard."
Although Tyr can certainly be placed in the metal subgenre, the emphasis on this album is on melody, a trait which you will find in abundance here on outstanding tracks such as "Regin Smidur" and the Irish standard "The Wild Rover." It's this attention to melody that makes the music of Tyr so enjoyable. With themes steeped in Norse mythology, on might expect Tyr to be in the vein of black metal, yet their style, although containing distorted guitar — is certainly nothing of the sort. Instead, Tyr is deeply focused in providing a rock-based sound which often branches out into the realms of progressive metal, yet always retains a classic element about it that remains true to the roots of Scandinavian music.
"Dreams" finds the band reaching out into technical yet soothing harmonies, while the band pulls off an epic tale of heroism on the traditional Danish tune "Ramund Hin Unge." Most importantly, the band is extremely eloquent from the standpoint of musicianship, with exceptional lead guitar performances by frontman Heri Joensen being rivaled only by his proficient, conventional vocal performances on the record. Lush dynamics prevail during cuts such as "Alive" and the stupendously dramatic title track. Relaying a keen sense of light and shade, the latter track whisks listeners away on a musical journey that properly illustrates the legendary historical figure, and does so in superior fashion. A prominent bass line, swirling, piercing guitar licks and stratosphere reaching vocals seal the deal on this superlative track.
Most definitely recommended by the progressive-minded, it's a pre-requisite the listener must be open to a wide variety of sounds, primarily that of traditional folk music. It's fascinating to see a band that can pull off these types of musical feats without relying on sheer aggression as a musical backbone. Ultimately, Tyr deserves high commendation for "Eric The Red", leaving room for much anticipation of the band's forthcoming follow-up.
- ErinFox
(See reviewer's scoring method)
