Tyr - By the Light of the Northern Star

July 2, 2009

Reviewer: Peter

Since the beginning of this decade, Týr has been at the forefront of Viking metal.  They first gained considerable recognition with “Hail to the Hammer” off of the How Far to Asgard.  Since then, the band has released some of the best albums of the genre in Eric the Red and Ragnarok.  It wasn’t until last year that Týr started to get noticed by the more mainstream types, as evidenced by their inclusion on the inaugural Pagan Fest tour.

Now having a more visible name within the Viking metal scene, complete with the re-release of How Far to Asgard, as well as a headliner spot on the Pagan Knights tour this past spring, Týr is ready to release another album titled By the Light of the Northern Star.  If you’re expecting a carbon copy of Eric the Red, you will be disappointed.  However, much of what made Týr is still intact, which should be more than enough.

The opening track “Hold the Heathen Hammer High” immediately points in a direction that the band had rarely taken in that the song is faster.  This is a sign of things to come, as Týr has decided to try and apply this way of thinking to the rest of the songs on the album.  Even with that, the band still has a clear sense of what they want to do, paying homage to their land’s history dating back to 999 A.D.  Throughout the album, the band pulls off the newfound speed with very good proficiency while maintaining everything that they were known for and seemingly, the vocals of Heri Joensen have found a sense of purpose, as they are actually more powerful on the album.  The epic part of the equation isn’t quite there, but that is something which has to be sacrificed in order to make the speed part work.  The result is that it will likely take more effort to get into, but at the end of the album, the listener will want to play the entire album over again.  The highlights on the album include “Hold the Heathen Hammer High,” “Into the Storm,” and “By the Sword in My Hand.”

By the Light of the Northern Star is an anomaly in the Týr discography in many ways, with the album clocking in around 44 minutes being one of them.  However, the core elements that the band is known for are intact and in some cases, thrive even better.  While this is a step down for the band, the album would be considered the best in the entire discography if it was released by 75 percent of the bands today.  By the Light of the Northern Star is an album that will require expectations to be thrown out the window, but once the listener gets a handle on what is going on, the end results are rewarding.

TRACK LISTING

1.  Hold the Heathen
     Hammer High
2.  Tróndur I Gøtu
3.  Into the Storm
4.  Northern Gate
5.  Turid Torkilsdóttir
6.  By the Sword in My Hand
7.  Ride
8.  Hear the Heathen Call
9.  By the Light of the
     Northern Star

Total playing time: 43:17

Release Date: May 27th, 2009
Label: Napalm Records

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