Ensiferum

You can’t talk about the true greats of folk metal without reverent mention of Ensiferum, and with Two Paths they once more affirm their place in the pantheons of the genre. Further building upon the thrilling metallic hybrid honed across six full-lengths, Two Paths is simultaneously the Finnish quintet’s most epic and far-reaching collection and their most organic, which definitely sets it apart from the pack. “When we made One Man Army (2015) we wanted it to sound more like a live album than a traditional studio album. With Two Paths we took that to the next level with analog recording, cutting down tracks and even recording songs without a click, and because of that there is a totally different kind of groove compared to most modern metal albums,” states bassist/vocalist Sami Hinkka. While their ideas are huge and they consistently prove they have the talent to back them up, the band maintain the grounded MO that has served them so well over the years, with the results speaking for themselves. “It all comes down to writing music that sounds good to us and is fun to play live, and I would say with Two Paths we’ve done everything better than we ever have before.”