Turisas

Turisas2013 is the fourth album by folk metal band Turisas. It was published on August 21 in Finland, and August 26 in Europe, while the UK followed on September 2 and North America on September 3.

The album was produced by vocalist Mathias Nygård and the majority of the album recorded by Nygård and guitarist Jussi Wickström in a remote house outside of Helsinki that served as the Turisas2013 command centre and headquarters. Additional recordings were conducted in two other studios: the drums at Atomic Spa Studio and orchestral recordings at 5 by 5 Studio, both in Helsinki. Many of the vocals and numerous additional elements were tracked at Sound Supreme Studio in Hämeenlinna where Turisas also recorded The Varangian Way and Stand Up and Fight.

Stand Up and Fight is the third album by the Finnish folk metal band Turisas, released worldwide on February 23, 2011 through Century Media as a single disc jewelcase and two disc digibook.

According to Nygård, the lyrics, (dealing in part with the 11th century Byzantine Empire) have a universal appeal and are applicable to the modern world. Musically, the band incorporated more progressive elements, as well as influences from such genres as the 1980s stadium rock. For the first time, real string and horn sections were used to record the album, adding to the dynamic sound.

A&R – Melanie Schmidt (2)
Accordion – Netta Skog
Backing Vocals – Janne Saksa
Bass, Backing Vocals – Hannes Horma
Cello – Christian Fagerström (2), Jaakko Pulakka
Choir [Classical] – Karoliina Laurila, Mia Heikkinen, Petteri Lehikoinen, Reetta Haavisto, Tapani Plathan, Vladimir Lumi
Choir [The Varangian Choral Ensemble] – Ami Koivistoinen, Antti Paranko, Hannes Horma, Jaakko Kunnas, Joonas Horma, Jussi Wickström, Lauri Malin, Make Kivistö, Mathias Nygård, Olli Vänskä, Olli Wickström, Saku Teräväinen, Tude Lehtonen
Copyist – Risto Kupiainen
Design – Titanik Helsinki
Drums – Tude Lehtonen
French Horn – Kalle Kataja, Ville Hiilivirta
Guitar [Guitars] – Jussi Wickström
Illustration [Cover] – Pasi Juhola
Lead Guitar [Additional Lead Guitars] – Matias Kupiainen
Management – Halbe Miete Management
Mastered By – Svante Forsbäck
Mixed By – Jens Bogren
Mixed By [Mixing Assistant] – Johan Örnborg
Music By, Lyrics By – Mathias Nygård
Orchestrated By [Additional] – Tomi Malm
Orchestrated By [Orchestration Assistance] – Firat Aktav, Kalle Kataja, Hyssälän Pasi*
Orchestrated By, Arranged By [Classical Choir Arrangements] – Perttu Vänskä
Other [Costumes] – Emmi Vainio, Sanni Pakarinen
Photography By [Band Photo] – Jarmo Katila
Producer – Mathias Nygård
Producer [Assistant] – Janne Saksa, Perttu Vänskä
Programmed By – Mathias Nygård, Mikko P. Mustonen
Programmed By [Additional] – Hannes Horma, Perttu Vänskä, Risto Kupiainen
Recorded By – Janne Saksa
Recorded By [Additional Recordings] – Matias Kupiainen
Recorded By [Orchestral Recordings] – Heikki Savolainen, Jyri Riikonen
Supervised By [Orchestral Arrangements And Classical Choir Arrangements Under The Iron Fist Of] –Nygård
Trumpet – Miikka Saarinen, Tomas Gricius
Viola – Juha Ahvenainen, Katariina Ruokonen, Tina Brännkärr
Violin – Anna Vähälä, Anniina Ahlström, Klaara Pyrhönen, Ville “D.D.” Koponen
Violin, Backing Vocals – Olli Vänskä
Vocals – Mathias Nygård
Notes
‘The Bosphorus Freezes Over’ poem written appr. 1043

Recorded at Studio Sound Supreme, Hämeenlinna, Finland between /March-October 2010
Mixed at Fascination Street Studio, Örebro, Sweden /October 2010
Mastered at Chartmakers, Helsinki, Finland

Grand piano on 1-8 recorded at Verkatehdas, Hämeenlinna /June 2010
Orchestral recordings at E-Studio, Helsinki /August 2010
Additional recordings at 5 by 5 -studio, Helsinki /July 2010

The Varangian Way is the second full-length album by the Finnish folk metal band Turisas, released on May 27, 2007 through Century Media. It is a concept album that tells the story of a group of Scandinavians traveling the river routes of medieval Kievan Rus’ (territory of modern Belarus, Ukraine and Russia), through Ladoga, Novgorod and Kiev, down to the Eastern Roman Empire.

A Special “Directors Cut” edition was released with the Rasputin single.
A Limited Edition “Pagan Fest Tour Edition” version comes with the bonus tracks, Rasputin and To Holmgard and Beyond (single edit), and a DVD containing the video for Rasputin and several live performances.

Accordion, Choir [Varangian] – Lisko
Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar [Additional], Choir [Mixed Classical] – Janne Saksa
Bass, Backing Vocals, Choir [Varangian] – Hannes Horma
Choir [Mixed Classical] – Anna-Maija Kujanpää, Anu Hostikka, Ari Tuunanen, Eeva-Maija Setälä, Elina Laitinen, Elina Tanner, Heikki Sainio, Irene Kuusirati-Mäkipää, Jari Mattila, Jenna Saksa, Johanna Laukkanen, Juha Hostikka, Juha-Pekka Niemelä, Miia Ehrukainen, Mikko Kankainen, Outi Kaleva, Salla Liusvaara, Tytti Vänskä, Veera Heino
Choir [Varangian] – Ami Koivistoinen, Antti Ventola, Jaakko Kunnas, Perttu Vänskä
Double Bass – Aleski Aromaa
Drums, Percussion, Choir [Varangian] – Tude Lehtonen
Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Choir [Varangian] – Jussi Wickström
Narrator – Jonathan Hutchings
Violin [Acoustic], Violin [Electric], Choir [Varangian] – Olli Vänskä
Vocals [Guest Vocals], Choir [Varangian] – Antti Paranko
Vocals, Programmed By, Keyboards, Choir [Varangian], Choir [Mixed Classical] – Warlord Nygård

Battle Metal is the debut full-length album by the Finnish folk metal band Turisas. It was released on July 26, 2004 by Century Media.

Turisas was formed in 1997, but didn’t have a recording contract until November 2003, having been signed by Century Media. Thus, Battle Metal is a collection of songs written over a period of six years. The band began pre-production and recorded a demo in early 2003, after Mathias Nygård, the band’s singer and songwriter had completed his one-year military service. Turisas had originally planned to enter a studio later that year, but decided to postpone upon learning that only three and a half weeks of recording time would be available to them. By autumn, Nygård was offered up to five weeks of recording time at the Sound Suite Studio in Marseille, France with Terje Refsnes, a notable producer. Actual recording began in November at the Steeltrack Studio in Parola, Finland, with the violin parts by Olli Vänskä, followed by accordion by Riku Ylitalo. After Tude Lehtonen had completed the drum parts, the band left for France to continue recording through December.

The band had remained at the Sound Suite Studio for thirty days, but was unable to finish the recording, still missing the vocals, choirs, as well as some acoustic instruments and percussions and returned to Finland. Most of these was recorded at the Steeltrack Studio in January – February 2004, while Nygård went back to Marseille to complete the vocals; Battle Metal was finally finished on March 31.

“Victoriae & triumphi dominus” (“Lord of Victiory and Triumph”) is an instrumental intro, leading to the opening track, “As Torches Rise”, meant to capture a battlefield’s atmosphere of darkness and despair. “Battle Metal” is a remake of “The Heart of Turisas” from the eponymous 2001 demo with subdued growling. “The Land of Hope and Glory” delves into the themes of nostalgia and homecoming, combining folky sounds with a bombastic chorus. “The Messenger”, one of the band’s oldest songs, explores the topics of fate and religion. “One More” is based around a violin theme, which was first featured in the song “Terra Tavestorum”, appearing on the 1999 demo of the same name. Set in a tavern, the song’s mood is reminiscent of the absent friends. Its folky tunes are reminiscent of the Romani music and are complemented by a big, orchestrated chorus. “Midnight Sunrise”, an older song as well, contrasts the myths of various evil creatures living in dark places, unable to handle sunlight, and coming out at night to prey with the phenomenon of the midnight sun. “Among Ancestors” is a choir-driven song, describing a battlefield on which the warring soldiers are missed by their loved ones. “Sahti-waari”, which can be roughly translated as “Old Man Ale”, is a homage to the traditional homebrewed beer from the Häme region of Finland. Vaari, the Finnish word for grandfather, is not about any particular character. Rather, it is a celebration of the old traditions and their recent reemergence in the form of neopaganism. The lyrics in “Prologue for R.R.R.” are taken from the opening for the historical novel The Surgeon’s Stories: Times of Gustaf Adolf by Zacharias Topelius, a Fennoswede author. “Rex regi rebellis” (“The King is Rebellious Towards the King” in Latin) is dedicated to the Thirty Years’ War and the Finnish cavalry Hakkapeliitta, the topics that have fascinated Mathias Nygård since childhood. The title again comes from The Surgeon’s Stories; the lyrics in Swedish are by Topelius as well, taken from “Finska rytteriets marsch i trettioåriga kriget”. “Katuman kaiku” (“The Echoe of Lake Katuma”) is an instrumental outro. Katumajärvi is a lake in the Häme region, which was targeted by the Second Swedish Crusade to subjugate and Christianise the local Pagan tribes. According to a legend, when the invaders left, the locals jumped into the lake to wash away their baptism and continued to practice the old beliefs and traditions for many years to come, with some surviving into the 19th century.

Companies, etc.
Recorded At – Sound Suite Studio
Recorded At – Steeltrack Studios
Mastered At – DMS, Marl
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Magic Arts Publishing
Copyright (c) – Century Media Records Ltd.
Pressed By – Sonopress Arvato – 51133604

Accordion – Riku Ylitalo
Acoustic Guitar, Guitar [Electric], Choir – Georg Laakso
Choir – Saku Teräväinen, Sami Aarnio, Teemu Lehtonen, Winsef Boncamper
Cover – Niklas Sundin
Drums, Djembe, Udu, Percussion [Electric], Congas, Bongos, Choir – Tude Lehtonen
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Double Bass, Choir – Jussi Wickström
Lyrics By – Mathias Nygård
Mastered By – Ulf Horbelt
Music By – Antti Ventola (tracks: 5, 8, 9), Jussi Wickström (tracks: 11), Mathias Nygård
Orchestrated By – Antti Ventola
Photography By – Ossi Laakso
Producer, Recorded By, Mixed By – Terje Refsnes
Synthesizer, Piano, Vibraphone, Organ [Hammond], Choir, Orchestra – Antti Ventola
Violin – Olli Vänskä
Vocals [Female] – Emmanuelle Zoldan
Vocals, Recorded By [Alto Vocals, Soprano Vocals, Sopranino], Programmed By, Percussion [Additional, Shaman Drum, Shakers], Tambourine, Choir, Orchestra, Producer, Arranged By [All Arrangements], Orchestrated By – Mathias Nygård