With
Stand Up and Fight,
Turisas offer another rousing, invigorating bevy of epic symphonic metal ballads centered on ninth to 11th century Baltic Vikings. Think
Andrew Lloyd Webber mashed up with
GWAR and a Disney ride. Battle metal crooner/leader
Mathias "Warlord" Nygård's boom-and-doom voice commands his Norse warriors to "stand up and fight," "hoist the sails," and protect the front line like
Scott Walker or
Peter Murphy playing a William Wallace personality type on Broadway.
Nygård's rich voice centers and seems to conduct the chugging guitars, pounding drums, and all manner of symphonic accompaniment. Whether he's quietly addressing his clan, calling out for battle, or leading a rousing chant of backup Vikings (singers),
Nygård is always a compelling frontman. Where some of their symphonic metal peers linger in evil vibes,
Turisas always uplift. There's a
Queen-like motivational power throughout the album, and the Viking genre, with its old-world pub atmosphere, is loads of fun.
Stand Up and Fight is a delightful ride that gets better and better with each listen. ~ Tim DiGravina