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biography / portrait

"Profession of the Christian Faith or Decapitation." This was the choice given by Sigmundur to his Faroese Viking compatriot Tróndur í Gøtu. And so it was that in 999 A.D., the Christianization of the small, scenic, yet striking “Eilands Føroyaland” began, slowly but surely, casting a veil of oblivion over the ancient Scandinavian gods and only leaving the relics of forgotten hedinistic dogma buried deep within the Christian ritual. Or so it was believed... Exactly 999 years later, a small group fondly remembering the archaic gods and rites came together to form the only Faroese Folk Metal band, TÝR. "A thousand years ago, our people believed in gods such as Tórur, Óðin, and Loki," explains band mastermind Heri Joensen. "Another was named Týr." The one-armed God of War—the bravest of all—became the eponym of the nordic quartet. Yet Joensen is no war monger in disguise and points out that Týr (also known as the God of Justice) is also revered for first seeking the avenues of diplomacy—an attribute that does not take away from this god of war’s drive. The band’s musical direction followed an unrelenting campaign of tempestuous perseverance. After six years of innumerable gigs (Iceland, Denmark, Russia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Finland, Germany, and of course, the Faroe Islands) and several domestic television apperances, Eric the Red became the island’s best-selling album, coming to the attention of Napalm Records, the Austrian label that will finally make the album available worldwide. Eric the Red follows the style dictated by the old religion. Almost every song is based on Faroese or Norwegian lore, and is revetted in the garb of the Folk Metal genre. Its approach unmistakenly creates a very true Viking Metal. Tracks with such sonorous and powerful titles as "Regin Smiður" (Regin, the Blacksmith), "Stýrisvølurin" (The Tiller), or "Ólavur Riddararós" (Olaf, Knight of the Rose), all reminiscent of other disparate, yet genre specific, bands like Otyg, Glittertind, Ensiferum, Moonsorrow, old Vintersorg, and last but not least Solstice’s doom/folk cult album New Dark Age, are catchy reminders of the good ol’ days of the Viking era. All comparisons aside, the four musical Faroese undoubtedly belong to the scenes’ best. Their unique composing approach, their interesting way to make use of the guitar, their use of Viking choruses, and Heri Joensen’s memorable vocals work together to raise the Folk Metal stakes and pave the way for the small North Atlantic island located between Scotland, Iceland, and Norway and its 48,000 inhabitants to earn musical recognition thanks to the creative genius of their four native sons. (source: www.napalmrecords.com)