Ensiferum (Latin: ensiferum, n adj., meaning "sword bearing") is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "melodic folk metal".[1]
Ensiferum was founded in 1995 by Markus Toivonen (guitar), Sauli Savolainen (bass) and Kimmo Miettinen (drums). 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.
The highly stylized logo of Ensiferum has appeared on all of their releases.Guitarist Markus Toivonen at Rockharz 2016Ex-accordionist Netta Skog at Rockharz 2016
In 1998, Savolainen and Miettinen left the band and were replaced by Jukka-Pekka Miettinen (Kimmo Miettinen'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, and was successful in obtaining a record deal with Spinefarm Records. The logo that appears on all the band's 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 July 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 early 2004, after the work was completed on the second album, Iron, Mäenpää was fired from the band due to conflicts between scheduled studio work on his side project Wintersun and touring with Ensiferum.[3] For the tour with Finntroll starting in April, Petri Lindroos from Norther replaced Mäenpää on guitar and as singer, and became a member of the band after the tour. In December 2004, Jukka-Pekka Miettinen left the band and was replaced by Sami Hinkka (Rapture). Fokin 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.
The recording of the third studio album, called Victory Songs, took place between November 2006 and early 2007, and was released on 20 April 2007. A single titled "One More Magic Potion" (after the track of the same name) was released on 7 February. Following the album's 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 10 September 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 used Emmi Silvennoinen of Exsecratus as a touring fill-in. Silvennoinen later became a permanent member of the band during the recording of the From Afar album.[4][5]
Shortly before their Russian tour in 2008, Lindroos fell "seriously ill" and was unable to participate. The band hired ex-bassist Jukka-Pekka Miettinen to assume Lindroos' guitar duties, while bassist Sami Hinkka took over his lead vocal duties for the tour.
Ensiferum released their fourth studio album, From Afar, on 9 September 2009 with Spinefarm Records. The album was produced by Nightwish producer Tero Kinnunen and Victory Songs producer Janne Joutsenniemi, and it was mixed by producer Hiili Hiilesmaa.[7] The limited edition of the album includes a cover of Swedishfolk rock group Nordman with guest vocalist Heri Joensen of Faroese band Týr.[8][9] Following the release, the group embarked on a European tour with Estonianfolk metal band Metsatöll and Finnishmelodic death metal band Tracedawn.[5][7][8] In October they performed at Hellflame Festival – The South Side of Hell and Devil's Revenge festival in Germany, and Tattoo the Mind in France.[5] Ensiferum performed on the second day of the inaugural Screamfest Festival in Sydney, Australia, on New Years Day 2010. In November/December they toured North America with Ex Deo (on selected dates), and Blackguard.
Ensiferum were also confirmed to play Bloodstock Open Air at Catton Hall, United Kingdom in 2010. In October 2010, Ensiferum embarked on their first ever South African tour. This tour consisted of four shows in two cities, and they were accompanied by numerous local metal bands including Riddare av Koden, Empery and All Forlorn. The final show, at The Black Dahlia in Johannesburg, was filmed to potentially appear on their next live DVD. In early 2011 Ensiferum embarked on The Ugly World Tour 2011 with labelmates Children of Bodom, Amon Amarth, Machinae Supremacy[citation needed] supporting them for segments of their tour in the US and Canada. The tour took place within a 4-month period of time and spanned 23 countries.
The band's fifth studio album, Unsung Heroes, was released on 24 August 2012. It's also their final album for Spinefarm Records. The next year, Ensiferum signed with Metal Blade Records after thirteen years with their previous label.[10] After release of the album, Ensiferum embarked on a tour of Europe and South America.
New label, One Man Army, and Two Paths (2013−2019)
Ensiferum's sixth album, One Man Army, was released on 20 February 2015. The album was recorded at Astia Studio with producer Anssi Kippo. A music video for the title track "One Man Army" was released prior to the album's release. In March of that year, Ensiferum announced on their Facebook page that keyboardist Emmi Silvennoinen would not be able to make the European and North American "One Man Army Tour" due to personal commitments at home. Former Turisas accordion player Netta Skog filled her role for the tour. Skog had performed clean vocals on the One Man Army songs "Cry for the Earth Bounds" and "Neito Pohjolan". Heri Joensen of Týr makes an appearance on the track "Heathen Horde", quoting stanza 16 of Hávamál in Old Icelandic.
On 31 March 2016 it was announced that Emmi Silvennoinen would take a leave of absence from the band because of personal issues. Netta Skog was confirmed as her permanent replacement. With Skog in the line-up, the band entered the studio to record their seventh studio album, Two Paths. Anssi Kippo, who had produced One Man Army, was again chosen to produce the album. The band focused on a more "organic" sound for Two Paths, using analog recording and neglecting to use a click track for certain songs.[11]Two Paths was released on 15 September 2017.
On January 7, 2020, the band announced that they had begun recording a follow-up record to Two Paths, at Studio Petrax in Hollola, Finland. This release coincides with the band's 25th anniversary. On February 27, the band confirmed Pekka Montin as their new keyboard player and clean vocalist.[13]
The single "Rum, Women, Victory" was released on May 6,[14] followed by a music video of the second single "Andromeda" on June 17.[15] The band's eighth album, Thalassic, was released on 10 July 2020.
On 14 June 2024, it was announced the band would release their ninth studio album, Winter Storm, on 18 October.[16]
Ensiferum Acoustic Live @ On The Rocks, Helsinki, Finland 28.10.2016 (DVD included in the Two Paths Limited Edition) (2017)
Videos
"Ahti" (2007)
"From Afar" (2009)
"Twilight Tavern" (2009)
"One More Magic Potion" (2010)
"In My Sword I Trust" (2012)
"One Man Army" (2015)
"Way of the Warrior" (2017)
"For Those About to Fight for Metal" (2019)
"Rum, Women, Victory" (2020)
"Andromeda" (2020)
"Run from the Crushing Tide" (2021)
Singles
"Tale of Revenge" (2004)
"One More Magic Potion" (2007)
"From Afar" (2009)
"Stone Cold Metal" (2010)
"Burning Leaves" (2012)
"In My Sword I Trust" (2012)
"One Man Army" (2015)
"Way of The Warrior" (2017)
"For Those About to Fight for Metal" (2019)
"Rum, Women, Victory" (2020)
"Andromeda" (2020)
Demos
Demo (1997)
"Frost"
"Old Man (Väinämöinen)"
"Knighthood"
Demo II (1998)
"Dreamer's Prelude"
"Little Dreamer (Väinämöinen part II)"
"Warrior's Quest"
"White Storm"
Demo III: Hero in a Dream (1999)
"Intro"
"Hero in a Dream"
"Eternal Wait"
"Battle Song"
"Guardians of Fate"
Cover songs
Recorded 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
"Lady in Black" (by Uriah Heep from 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. Song was covered again in 2010 and released as a bonus track of "Stone Cold Metal" digital single.
Turisas is a Finnish metal band from Hämeenlinna who, since 2022, have been on an indefinite hiatus. They were founded in 1997 by Mathias Nygård and Jussi Wickström, and named after an ancient Finnish god of war.
Wintersun is a Finnish heavy metal band from Helsinki originally formed as the side project of Jari Mäenpää, then-vocalist and guitarist of folk metal band Ensiferum.
Petri Lindroos is a melodic death/folk metal guitarist and vocalist. He is currently the lead vocalist and guitarist in Ensiferum and vocalist for Warmen. Previously, he was a founding member and lead vocalist and guitarist for Norther.
Wintersun is the 2004 debut studio album by Finnish heavy metal band Wintersun, then the solo project of Jari Mäenpää. The Japanese edition of the album was released with the original three demo tracks used to obtain a contract with Nuclear Blast.
Arthemesia was a Finnish black metal band active between 1994 and 2010. The band derives their name from Artemisia absinthium, Latin for wormwood, thought to have many spiritual qualities. Their music mainly concerns a projection of the band's philosophy, namely glorification of the occult and Satanism, but also nature and Shamanism.
Dragonheads is the debut EP by Finnish folk metal band Ensiferum. It was released on 15 February 2006 by Spinefarm Records. It is the first Ensiferum release featuring the then recently hired members Petri Lindroos, Sami Hinkka and Janne Parviainen. Mastered at Finnvox Studios. Warrior's Quest and White Storm are the re-recordings of songs from the band's second demo. Finnish Medley is a medley of the Finnish traditional pieces Karjalan kunnailla, Myrskyluodon Maija, and Metsämiehen laulu.
10th Anniversary Live is the first video album by Finnish folk metal band Ensiferum. It was filmed on New Year's Eve, 2005 at the music hall Nosturi in Helsinki, Finland.
Iron is the second studio album by Finnish folk metal band Ensiferum. Released in 2004, it is the band's first album to feature keyboardist Meiju Enho and the last to feature vocalist and guitarist Jari Mäenpää before he formed Wintersun in the same year. It's also their final album to feature bassist Jukka-Pekka Miettinen and drummer Oliver Fokin.
Ensiferum is the debut studio album by Finnish folk metal band Ensiferum. It was released on 9 July 2001 on Spinefarm Records.
Markus Toivonen is the founding member of the Finnish folk metal band Ensiferum. Markus founded the band in 1995 and is the sole original member to have lasted the distance to Ensiferum's present incarnation. His role in the band is guitarist and primary songwriter. He has always contributed backing vocals and since the departure of Jari Mäenpää in 2004 has taken up a greater role behind the microphone, sharing the clean vocal parts with new bass player Sami Hinkka, with Mäenpää's replacement Petri Lindroos handling the harsh vocals.
Sami Hinkka is a heavy metal bass player, presently with Ensiferum. He joined his current band in 2004 as a replacement for Jukka-Pekka Miettinen after playing for some years in the melodic death/doom metal band Rapture. He left his role with Rapture in 2006 and now plays only in Ensiferum.
Victory Songs is the third studio album by Finnish folk metal band Ensiferum. It was released through Spinefarm on 23 March 2007 domestically, and on 20 April 2007 in the rest of the world. It is the band's first full-length album to feature new members Petri Lindroos, Sami Hinkka and Janne Parviainen, and the last to feature Meiju Enho.
Emmi Silvennoinen is a Finnish keyboardist who is the former keyboardist for the folk metal band Ensiferum. She filled the role following the departure of Meiju Enho from Ensiferum in September 2007 before joining it as a member during the recording of the album From Afar (2009). Emmi was also the keyboard player for the melodic death/gothic metal band Exsecratus.
Children of Bodom was a Finnish melodic death metal band from Espoo. Formed in 1993 as Inearthed, the final line-up of the group upon their split in 2019 consisted of frontman Alexi Laiho, drummer Jaska Raatikainen, bassist Henkka Seppälä, keyboardist Janne Wirman and rhythm guitarist Daniel Freyberg. The band released ten studio albums, three live albums, two EPs, two compilation albums and one DVD.
From Afar is the fourth studio album by Finnish folk metal band Ensiferum, released on 9 September 2009 on Spinefarm Records. It is the band's first album to feature keyboardist Emmi Silvennoinen. The album was produced by Nightwish producer Tero Kinnunen and Victory Songs producer Janne Joutsenniemi. It was mixed by HIM producer Hiili Hiilesmaa. The limited edition of the album includes a cover of Swedish folk rock group Nordman.
Unsung Heroes is the fifth studio album by Finnish folk metal band Ensiferum. It was released on 27 August 2012 through Spinefarm Records.
One Man Army is the sixth studio album by Finnish folk metal band Ensiferum. It was released on 20 February 2015 through Metal Blade. It is the band's last album to feature keyboardist Emmi Silvennoinen.
The Forest Seasons is the third studio album by Finnish melodic death metal band Wintersun. It was released on July 21, 2017 via Nuclear Blast. The band cited Antonio Vivaldi's violin concerto The Four Seasons as an inspiration for the album title.
Two Paths is the seventh studio album by Finnish folk metal band Ensiferum. It was released on 15 September 2017 through Metal Blade. It is the only Ensiferum album to feature accordionist Netta Skog, who replaced keyboardist Emmi Silvennoinen in 2016 and departed from the band in December 2017.
Thalassic is the eighth studio album by Finnish folk metal band Ensiferum. It was released on 10 July 2020 through Metal Blade Records. It is the first Ensiferum album to feature new keyboardist and clean vocalist Pekka Montin, who joined the band in February 2020.
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