The Varangian Way
Encyclopedia
The Varangian Way is the second full-length album from Finnish folk metal
band, Turisas
and was released in 2007
. It is a concept album that tells the story of a group of Scandinavians traveling the river routes of medieval Russia
, through Ladoga
, Novgorod
and Kiev
, down to the Byzantine 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 (with Rasputin and To Holmgard and Beyond swapping places in the track listing) and a DVD containing the video for Rasputin and several live performances.
Enhanced edition bonus tracks
Normal listing +
Folk metal
Folk metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal with traditional folk music...
band, Turisas
Turisas
Turisas is a Finnish folk metal band from Hämeenlinna. It was founded in 1997 by Mathias Nygård and Jussi Wickström and named after an ancient Finnish God of war....
and was released in 2007
2007 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2007.-January:*January 1 - George Shearing is knighted for services to music in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Evelyn Glennie becomes a Dame...
. It is a concept album that tells the story of a group of Scandinavians traveling the river routes of medieval Russia
Trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks
The trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks was a trade route that connected Scandinavia, Kievan Rus' and the Byzantine Empire. The route allowed traders along the route to establish a direct prosperous trade with Byzantium, and prompted some of them to settle in the territories of...
, through Ladoga
Staraya Ladoga
Staraya Ladoga , or the Aldeigjuborg of Norse sagas, is a village in the Volkhovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Volkhov River near Lake Ladoga, 8 km north of the town of Volkhov. The village used to be a prosperous trading outpost in the 8th and 9th centuries...
, Novgorod
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic was a large medieval Russian state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th centuries, centred on the city of Novgorod...
and Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, down to the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
.
A Special "Directors Cut" edition was released with the Rasputin single.
Track listing
- "To Holmgard and BeyondTo Holmgard and Beyond"To Holmgard and Beyond" is the first single of the Finnish Viking metal band Turisas. It was released on May 16, 2007 by Century Media in Finland exclusively.-Track listing:# "To Holmgard and Beyond" # "A Portage to the Unknown"...
" – 5:17 - "A Portage to the Unknown" – 4:50
- "Cursed Be Iron" – 5:03
- "Fields of Gold" – 4:34
- "In the Court of Jarisleif" – 3:17
- "Five Hundred and One" – 6:18
- "The Dnieper Rapids" – 5:20
- "Miklagard Overture" – 8:18
Director's cut track listing
- "To Holmgard and Beyond" – 5:17
- "A Portage to the Unknown" – 4:50
- "Cursed Be Iron" – 5:03
- "Fields of Gold" – 4:34
- "In the Court of Jarisleif" – 3:17
- "Five Hundred and One" – 6:18
- "The Dnieper Rapids" – 5:20
- "Miklagard Overture" – 8:18
- "Rasputin" (Boney M cover) - 3:53
- "To Holmgard and Beyond" [Single Edit] - 3:29
A Limited Edition "Pagan Fest Tour Edition" version comes with the bonus tracks (with Rasputin and To Holmgard and Beyond swapping places in the track listing) and a DVD containing the video for Rasputin and several live performances.
Enhanced edition bonus tracks
Normal listing +
- "To Holmgard and Beyond" [Single Edit]
- "Rex Regi Rebellis" [Finnish Version]
- "Battle Metal" Live at Party San '06 (video clip)
Credits
- Mathias "Warlord" NygårdMathias NygårdMathias Nygård, also known as his stage name Warlord Nygård, is one of the founders of Finnish Viking metal/folk metal band Turisas, along with Jussi Wickström, in 1997. He is the main vocalist of the band, but also deals with programming and playing keyboards/orchestral elements when performing in...
– vocals, orchestral programming, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Jussi WickströmJussi WickströmJussi Wickström , is a heavy metal guitarist. He formed the Finnish Viking/Folk metal band Turisas, along with 'Warlord' Mathias Nygård, in 1997. He is the band's only guitarist, and has performed bass guitar, acoustic guitar and double bass on their albums.-Discography:-External links:**]...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Tuomas "Tude" LehtonenTude LehtonenTuomas "Tude" Lehtonen , is the drummer of the Folk metal band Turisas. He lives in Hämeenlinna, Finland.-Discography:-External links:*] profile]*...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Olli VänskäOlli VänskäOlli Vänskä is the violinist of Folk metal band Turisas. He lives in Helsinki. Vänskä first appeared on the debut album Battle Metal as a session musician and played as a touring band member until 2007, when he was officially added to the line-up...
– violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello.... - Hannes "Hanu" HormaHannes HormaHannes "Hanu" Horma was the bass guitarist of the folk metal band Turisas. He lives in Hämeenlinna, Finland. Hanu appeared on Turisas' debut album Battle Metal as a backing vocalist - he was known to them as his own band used the same practice studio...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Janne "Lisko" MäkinenJanne MäkinenJanne "Lisko" Mäkinen is a former accordion player in the Finnish Viking metal band Turisas.While on tour in The Netherlands in January 2008, during the last day of their stay, a few of the band members decided to quickly tour Amsterdam. All of the band members returned safely and on time to the...
– accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
- Music by Mathias Nygård, except track 3 (Nygård/Wickström), 5 (Nygård/Lisko/Vänskä) and 6 (Nygård/Vänskä).
- Lyrics by Mathias Nygård, except track 3 (traditional/Elias LönnrotElias LönnrotElias Lönnrot was a Finnish philologist and collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry. He is best known for compiling the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic compiled from national folklore.-Education and early life:...
), taken from the Finnish national epic, the KalevalaKalevalaThe Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...
. - Classical choir recorded at Vanha Kirjastotalo Music Hall, Tampere, Finland.
- Orchestral samples included in this recording from the Vienna Symphonic LibraryVienna Symphonic LibraryThe Vienna Symphonic Library is a producer of samples of orchestral instruments recorded by members of the Vienna Philharmonic. For recording the samples, VSL uses the Silent Stage, a recording studio specially constructed for this purpose. The number of recorded samples currently is about 1.3...
.
Sources
See also
- Trade route from the Varangians to the GreeksTrade route from the Varangians to the GreeksThe trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks was a trade route that connected Scandinavia, Kievan Rus' and the Byzantine Empire. The route allowed traders along the route to establish a direct prosperous trade with Byzantium, and prompted some of them to settle in the territories of...
- The Long ShipsThe Long ShipsThe Long Ships or Red Orm is a best-selling Swedish novel written by Frans Gunnar Bengtsson . The novel is divided into two parts, published in 1941 and 1945, with two books each....
(historical novel dealing with the same subject) - KalevalaKalevalaThe Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...
(the lyrics of "Cursed Be Iron" contain a section of the poem "The Origin of Iron")