METAL FROM FINLAND

Группа Turisas, названная в честь финского бога войны, была создана в Хаменлинне двумя друзьями – вокалистом Нюгордом /Warlord Nygard/ и гитаристом Юсси Викстремом /Jussi Wickstrom/ в 1997 году. Вскоре к ним присоединились клавишник Антти Вентола /Antti Ventola/, ударник Туде Лехтонен /Tude Lehtonen/ и второй гитарист Ари Карккайнен /Ari Karkkainen/. Первая демо-запись, "Taiston Tie" (Тропа Войны) или "Promo 1999", датируемая 1998-1999 гг, не была выпущена, так как ее посчитали "некондиционной". По друзьям разошлось около десятка копий, не более.

Через несколько лет Ари ушел из группы, и его место занял Георг Лааксо /Georg Laakso/. А с появлением в лайнапе басиста Тино Ахолы /Tino Ahola/ стала возможна запись первого "настоящего" демо - The Heart of Turisas. Хотя диск был записан в 2000 году, из-за разного рода задержек вышел он только в 2001 году, по слухам, в количестве 500 экземпляров (в настоящее время неплохо ищется в оплоте международного пиратства – eMule. – K.). После релиза группа отыграла несколько концертов и снискала определенную популярность среди андеграунда. В этом отношении ребята оказались достаточно изобретательными - живые народные инструменты, танщующие девушки на сцене, сессионные музыканты и оригинальные костюмы делали свое дело - подогревали интерес потенциальных фэнов и, что немаловажно, рекорд-лейблов.

После долгих переговоров в 2003 году Turisas приняли предложение немецкой Century Media, и сразу же пошел процесс подготовки к записи дебютного альбома. В декабре 2003 года группа во французской студии Sound Suite начала запись альбома Battle Metal под руководством продюсера Терье Рефснеса. Некоторые элементы альбома были записаны в Финляндии.

Долгожданному релизу предшествовало феноменальное выступление на культовом финском метал-фестивале Tuska. Группам без альбомов большие фестивальные сцены заказаны, но Turisas оказались выше общих правил. При скоплении многотысячной металлической публики они выступили ярко и эмоционально, показав себя не только первоклассными музыкантами, но и потрясающими шоумэнами. На сцене постоянно присутствовало около 15 человек, каждый из которых не только играл свою роль на сцене, но и участвовал в многоголосном полифоническом звучании. Turisas произвели впечатление и запомнились.

Первый за семь лет существования группы полноформатник Battle Metal вышел на Century Media 26 июля 2004 года. По словам участников группы, название альбома полностью соответствует его внутреннему содержанию, и Battle Metal – это 58 минут истинного наслаждения для поклонников языческого металла. Причем, среди всех финских викинг-групп и викинг-альбомов, этот самый язычник найдет у Turisas что-то оригинальное, что делает их непохожими на коллег по музыкальному цеху.

Правда, на съемку видеоклипа адептам творчества группы пока рассчитывать не приходится. Turisas скромно отмечают, что наверно не смогут сейчас снять подобающее видео – с сотнями статистов, батальными сценами и огромным бюджетом. Так что, нам остаются красочные живые выступления, европейский тур в проекте и Battle Metal в плейере на полную громкость.

TURISAS 2001	TURISAS 2003	TURISAS 2004
Georg Laakso - Guitar Tino Ahola - Bass Tuomas Lehtonen - Drums Mathias Nygard - Vocals Jussi Wickstrom - Guitar Antti Ventola - Keyboards	Tuomas Lehtonen - Drums Antti Ventola - Keyboards Mikko Tormikoski - Bass Mathias Nygard - Vocals Jussi Wickstrom - Guitar Georg Laakso - Guitar	Georg Laakso - Guitar Mathias Nygard - Vocals Tuomas Lehtonen - Drums Jussi Wickstrom - Guitar Antti Ventola - Keyboards

WARLORD NYGARD - Voc.

JUSSI WICKSTROM - Gtr.

TUDE LEHTONEN - Drums

HANNES HORMA - Bass

OLLI VANSKA - Violin

Netta Skog - Accordio

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Netta Skog - Аккордеон (2008-) - замена Janne «Lisko» Мдkinen, вследствии его странного поведения во время тура в Голландии и впоследствии вовсе пропажи

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Guitar:
Ari Karkkainen (1997-1999)
Georg Laakso (1999-2006) (Cadacross)

Bass:
Mikko Tormikoski (1997-2004)
Tino Ahola (Cadacross) (2000-2001)

Keyboards:
Antti Ventola (1997-2007) (Cadacross)

Accordion
Janne "Lisko" Makinen (2007-2008

CD 1:
01. The March Of The Varangian Guard (3:51)
02. Take The Day! (5:26)
03. Hunting Pirates (3:44)
04. Venetoi! - Prasinoi! (3:49)
05. Stand Up And Fight (5:28)
06. The Great Escape (4:52)
07. Fear The Fear (6:14)
08. End Of An Empire (7:17)
09. The Bosphorus Freezes Over (5:38)

Bonus CD:
01. Broadsword (5:01)
02. Supernaut (3:57)

Tracklist

1. "To Holmgard and Beyond"
2. "A Portage to the Unknown"
3. "Cursed Be Iron"
4. "Fields of Gold"
5. "In the Court of Jarisleif"
6. "Five Hundred And One"
7. "The Dnieper Rapids"
8. "Miklagard Overture"

FORMATS: CD: 77580-2 LP+CD: 77580-1
Note: Released in CD and Vinyl (Includes LP and a listening copy CD which is delivered in a paper pocket)

Recorded at: Sound Supreme Studio / Hameenlinna, Finland by Janne Saksa
Classical choir recorded at: Vanha Kirjastotalo Music Hall, Tampere, Finland.
Mixed by: Teropekka Virtanen at Finnvox Studios, Helsinki, Finland
Additional engineering by: Matias Kupiainen, Jukka Vierimaa and Teemu Lehtonen
Produced by: Mathias Nygard
Mastered by: Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios, Helsinki, Finland

Illustration and design by: John Coulthart. www.johncoulthart.com
Band photo by: Steve Brown. www.stevebrownphoto.co.uk

Music by: Nygard, except track 3 (Nygard/Wickstrom), 5 (Nygard/Lisko/Vanska) and 6 (Nygard/Vanska)
Lyrics by: Mathias Nygard, except track 3 (trad./ Elias Lonnrot), taken from the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, translated into English by John Martin Crawford
Orchestral arrangements and programming by: Mathias Nygard
Choir arrangements by: Mathias Nygard and Johanna Laukkanen

Orchestral samples included in this recording from the Vienna Symphonic Library

All solos on this recording performed on electric violin

Turisas Line-up

Warlord Nygard - Vocals, orchestral programming and keyboards
Jussi Wickstrom - Guitar, acoustic guitar
Tude Lehtonen -Drums and percussion
Olli Vanska -Acoustic and electric violin
Hannes Horma - Bass, backing vocals
Lisko - Accordion

Tracklist

1. "To Holmgard and Beyond" (single edit)
2. "A Portage to the Unknown"
3. "Rex Regi Rebellis" (Finnish version)
4. "Battle Metal" (live video clip enhancement from Partysan Festival '06

To Holmgard And Beyond (single edit)
Music and lyrics by Mathias Nygard

Note: Released in Finland only

A Portage To The Unknown
Music and lyrics by Mathias Nygard

Produced by Mathias Nygard
Recorded and co-produced by Janne Saksa at Sound Supreme Studio, Hameenlinna, Finland
Additional engineering by Matias Kupiainen, Jukka Vierimaa and Teemu Lehtonen
Mixed by Teropekka Virtanen at Finnvox Studios, Helsinki, Finland
Mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios, Helsinki, Finland

Orchestral arrangements and programming by Mathias Nygard
Choir arrangements by Mathias Nygard

Lineup:

Warlord Nygard - vocals, orchestral programming and keyboards
Jussi Wickstrom - guitar, acoustic guitar
Tude Lehtonen – drums and percussion
Olli Vanska – acoustic and electric violin
Hannes Horma – bass, backing vocals
Lisko - accordion

Rex Regi Rebellis (Finnish version)
Music by Mathias Nygard & Jussi Wickstrom
Lyrics by Mathias Nygard
Finnish quotes from "Suomalaisen ratsuvaen marssi kolmikymmenvuotisessa sodassa" (The March of The Finnish Cavalry in the Thirty Years War) by Zacharias Topelius, translated into Finnish from the Swedish original by O. Manninen

Produced by Mathias Nygard and Terje Refsnes
Recorded by Terje Refsnes at Sound Suite Studio / France
Additional recordings made at Steeltrack Studio / Finland by Georg Laakso and Mathias Nygard
Mixed by Terje Refsnes
Mastered by Ulf Horbelt at Digital Mastering Studios, Marl / Germany
Arrangements & programming by Mathias Nygard

Lineup:

Warlord Nygard – vocals, recorders, programming, additional percussion
Jussi Wickstrom – electric and acoustic guitar, bass guitar, double bass
Tude Lehtonen – drums/percussion
Antti Ventola – synthesizers, piano, vibraphone, Hammond organ
Georg Laakso – electric and acoustic guitar

Battle Metal - Live at Party San 06
Music and lyrics by Mathias Nygard

Live at Party San Open Air 2006
Camera and cut: Party.San Media - Film Crew
Directors: Diedrich Beck / Ingo Arnold / Matthias Staaf
Sound: Masterpapst Halle

War-Anthem Records Germany · www.war-anthem.de
www.party-san.de

Lineup:

Warlord Nygard – vocals
Jussi Wickstrom – guitar, backing vocals
Tude Lehtonen – drums
Olli Vanska – violin, backing vocals
Hannes Horma – bass, backing vocals
Lisko – accordion, backing vocals
Antti Ventola – keyboards, backing vocals

Additional mastering by Ulf Horbelt at DMS, Marl, Germany

Band photo by Vilja Tamminen
Illustration by John Coulthart
Layout by Stefan Wibbeke for www.medialogistics.com

Tracklist

1. "Victoriae & Triumphi Dominus"
2. "As Torches Rise"
3. "Battle Metal"
4. "The Land of Hope and Glory"
5. "The Messenger"
6. "One More"
7. "Midnight Sunrise"
8. "Among Ancestors"
9. "Sahti-Waari"
10. "Prologue for R.R.R."
11. "Rexi Regi Rebellis"
12. "Katuman Kaiku"

Recorded at: Sound Suite Studio / France by Terje Refsnes in separate sessions between December 03 and April 04
Additional recordings made at: Steeltrack Studio / Finland by Georg Laakso and Mathias Nygard between January 2003 and March 2004 | drums, percussion, choirs, violin, accordion, most recorders & some acoustic guitars and vocals
Mixed by: Terje Refsnes and Mathias Nygard
Produced by: Mathias Nygard and Terje Refsnes
Mastered by: Ulf Horbelt at Digital Mastering Studios, Marl / Germany

Cover artwork by: Niklas Sundin @ www.cabinfevermedia.com
Band photo by: Ossi Laakso

Music by: Nygard, except 5,8,9 (Nygard/Ventola) & 11 (Nygard/Wickstrom)
Lyrics by: Nygard, except: 11 by Zacharias Topelius, taken from the novel: "Surgeon's Stories - In Times of Gustav Adolf " & * which includes Swedish quotes taken from "The March of the Finnish Cavalry in the Thirty Years War" by Zacharias Topelius, Finnish translation by O. Manninen
Arrangements & programming by: Mathias Nygard
Orchestrations by: Mathias Nygard and Antti Ventola

Turisas Line-up

Warlord Nygard - vocals, alto-, soprano and sopranino recorders, programming, additional percussion (shaman drum, tambourine, shakers etc.)
Jussi Wickstrom - electric and acoustic guitar, bass guitar, double bass
Tude Lehtonen - drums/percussion (djembe, udu, congas, bongos, electric percussion)
Antti Ventola - synthesizers, piano, vibraphone, Hammond organ
Georg Laakso - electric and acoustic guitar

Tracklist

1. "The Heart of Turisas"
2. "Till The Last Man Falls"
3. "Those Were The Days"

Note: Self-financed digipack-demo that drew a lot of positive attention to the band from several record labels and the media.

Recorded at: Bayside Studios / Finland, June 2000
Mixed by: Ilkka Sorjonen
Produced by: Mathias Nygard
Mastered by: Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios, Helsinki, Finland

Music by: Nygard, except 3 by Raskin/Fomin, Courtesy of Essex AB
Lyrics by: Nygard, except 3 by Raskin/Fomin, Courtesy of Essex AB

Turisas Line-up

Warlord Nygard - Vocals
Jussi Wickstrom - Guitar
Tude Lehtonen - drums
Antti Ventola - Keyboards
Georg Laakso - guitar
Tino Ahola - Bass

- NO PHOTO -

Tracklist

1. "Terra Tavestorum"
2. "The Heart of Turisas"

Note: This two-song promo CD-R was recorded at our rehearsal room with a Yamaha 16-track MD recorder in December 1999. It was sent only to two or three places, the main purpose being to get gigs. We planned to record Terra Tavestorum on our HoT-release in 2000 as well, but changed it to the Those Were the Days cover just a few days before entering the studio, which turned out to be a success. Terra Tavestorum was a good song too, but somewhat badly arranged, so after taking Terra to pieces, we built up One More (Battle Metal, 2004) on the riffs originally from Terra Tavestorum.

Recorded at: Turisas rehearsal room
Mixed by: Turisas

Music by: Nygard
Lyrics by: Nygard

Turisas Line-up

Warlord Nygard - Vocals
Jussi Wickstrom - Guitar
Tude Lehtonen - drums
Antti Ventola - Keyboards
Georg Laakso - guitar
Tino Ahola - Bass

- NO PHOTO -

Tracklist

1. "Taiston Tie"
2. "Kohti Pohjoista"
3. "The Tale of the Blacksmith"
4. "Rae"

Note: Our first recording which was actually done under the early band name Koylio. Recorded live through a Roland 8-track mixer at our rehearsal room, hand copied to C-cassettes and was given out just to a few friends. At this stage we didn't have a bass player so there is no bass track at all on the recording. Taiston Tie deals with the same Thirty Years War -theme as Rex Regi Rebellis (Battle Metal, 2004) and was actually the first version of the idea, even if these two songs are musically completely different. Rae (hailstone) was named just before printing the covers, the earlier project-name "Jaa-kristalli-ihmemies-McGyver" sounded somewhat silly.

Recorded at: Turisas rehearsal room
Mixed by: Turisas

Music by: 1 & 4 by Nygard, 2 & 3 by Nygard/Karkkainen
Lyrics by: Nygard

Turisas Line-up

Warlord Nygard - Vocals
Jussi Wickstrom - Guitar
Tude Lehtonen - drums
Antti Ventola - Keyboards
Ari Karkkainen - guitar