▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███
░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓
███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░
███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████
███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███
███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███
███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███
▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███
███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███
██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███
░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███
░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀
██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██
░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░
▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓
░ ██ ██ Artist: Tears of Styrbj°rn ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: The Fallen Einheri █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-09-26 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Murderous Music Production ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ When you think of the Czech Republic and folk █
█ metal you should immediately think of the mighty █
█ Welicoruss and Cruadalach amongst a few others. █
█ Tears of Styrbj°rn are also hoping to enter the █
█ conversation as well and with their debut album █
█ ôThe Fallen Einheriö, they certainly should. █
█ Originally formed in 2008 and with one self-titled █
█ EP under their belt from 2011, they were certainly █
█ overdue for a full length. The album consists of 8 █
█ tracks totaling just over an hour in length and █
█ features 3 of the 4 tracks from the initial EP █
█ (ôPrologueö, ôThe Rise of the Norsemanö and █
█ ôLabyrinth of the WarriorÆs Frozen Heartö) plus 5 █
█ presumably newer tracks. █
█ There is a story here but I donÆt want to scare █
█ you away with ôconcept albumö as it doesnÆt have █
█ that ôrequired to listen in a certain orderö feel █
█ to ità..letÆs call it a common thread album then. █
█ I am not sure who I would say they remind me of █
█ has been easyà..I want to say maybe some █
█ Fatherland (but less keyboard driven) mixed with █
█ some Mithotyn (but less riffy) and of course a █
█ little Amon Amarth (but less death metal), even a █
█ less folky Varang Nord works for me. There are a █
█ few more straightforward metal tracks and is not █
█ so overtly Viking as the song titles may suggest █
█ with nice interlude and spoken word parts mixed █
█ in. █
█ They certainly are not afraid to tackle some █
█ longer material here either, ôThe Fallen Einheri █
█ Part I: Dark Prophecyö and ôThe Fallen Einheri █
█ Part II: Journey to the World Beyondö both top the █
█ 10-minute mark and even at those lengths, they are █
█ still interesting listens and not tracks that you █
█ canÆt wait to end. While there is keys throughout █
█ (both synth and piano style) they are reserved in █
█ most cases but take charge in ôThe Fallen Einheri █
█ Part I: Dark Prophecyö as an example with a proggy █
█ solo of sorts which really was a nice touch. The █
█ backing/choral vocals are also prevalent █
█ throughout and add to the mystique of the entire █
█ listening experience. Guitar, bass and drums are █
█ solidà.really no over the top speed stuff or blast █
█ beats but more mid paced which I feel is better █
█ suited for getting the songs and concepts across. █
█ I feel the songwriting is extremely mature and █
█ shows restraint, where others would have opted for █
█ speed above content, Tears of Styrbj°rn lets the █
█ power of the overall experience shine and not get █
█ lost in 300BPM shredfests. The production and mix █
█ are tight and not overly heavy, could be a little █
█ heavier here or there and sometimes vocals seem to █
█ be a little too upfront. Nice soloing/harmonizing █
█ in every track too, a superb blend of everything. █
█ While maybe not as heavy as a lot of other Viking █
█ metal, Tears of Styrbj°rn make up for it with █
█ solid songs, superior musicianship and a █
█ thoroughly enjoyable debut album, I will be █
█ listening this to a lot more than a lot of █
█ ôheavierö stuff for sure. Solid debut. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Prologue 3:18 ░
░ 2. Rise of the Norseman 9:25 ░
░ 3. Years of Victory 7:43 ░
░ 4. The Fallen Einheri p. I: Dark Prophecy 10:32 ░
░ 5. Interludium: Dusk over the Woods of 2:52 ░
░ Hordaland ░
░ 6. Labyrinth of the Warrior's Frozen Heart 9:38 ░
░ 7. The Fallen Einheri p. II: Journey to the 10:29 ░
░ World Beyond ░
░ 8. Epilogue: The Lost Pleasure of My Days 6:51 ░
░ 60:48 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
■ █▄ ░ ██
▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░
▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓
▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■
░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░
▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░
█▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓
█▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█
▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒
░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░
▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓
█▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓
░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒
█░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█
███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░
▓██ ░ ██▓
██░ ░██
█▒ ░ ░█
▀█ █▀
▓ ░
░