ENSIFERUM Completes Recording New Album

Finnish folk metallers ENSIFERUM have completed recording their new album. According to bassist/vocalist Sami Hinkka, the mixing sessions for the follow-up to 2017's "Two Paths" will begin this coming Monday, February 17.

Hinkka says: "Just the raw tracks sound incredible and I personally think it's the best album ENSIFERUM has ever made. The way I see it, we managed to combine the best elements of the old school and the more recent elements of ENSIFERUM's music. I can't wait to hear the final mixes, and, most of all, to play these songs live!"

"Two Paths" was released in September 2017 via Metal Blade Records. Produced by Anssi Kippo, the disc was recorded on tape, for a true analog experience.

A year ago, Hinkka spoke to Australia's Double Kick about how ENSIFERUM goes about integrating folk music into metal. He said: "There are bands who literally have folk instruments onstage and they draw a lot of inspiration from the actual folklore and so on, but for ENSIFERUM, well, of course, the foundation is there when Markus Toivonen [guitar] started the band, when he founded it back in '95. He was very much inspired by Finnish and Scandinavian, Irish folk music, especially the melodies, because they had a really sad, longing vibe in it which fits metal music very well. I guess it's ENSIFERUM, it's more about that and of course, certain folk instruments are really pleasing to our ears. We get labeled as 'folk metal,' 'Viking metal,' whatever. [Laughs] 'Battle metal.' In the very essence, it's a melodic metal band with a little bit of roots in folk music. Of course, if you think about, the themes ENSIFERUM sings about — we always had these very strong, heroic, also fantasy-like world where we tell the stories."

ENSIFERUM has been active since 1995 and has released seven albums, including "Two Paths".