Turisas - Battle Metal (2004)

I have to thank Rate Your Music here, I think, because I came across this band quite recently just surfing around the site, and was intrigued by what people were writing about them.
So I sought out the debut from this Finnish act, and it is terrific!
First, the vocals, provided here by the gentleman who goes by the name of Warlord Nygård .  Let's see if I've got this right - they are "harsh vocals"? That's something between the low of death metal and the high of black? By rights, I still should be repelled by them, and I don't like them all that much, but I don't find them off-putting either, and they almost seem to fit the music.
And what wonderful music we have here! Yes, this is battle metal, full of rousing orchestrative melodies and, along with the roaring voice, there are choral touches and violin solos that take the place of the guitars, with moments of folk throughout. And there's enough speed to put this in the power metal catagory, even though it still transcends it.
Such songs as "Battle Metal", "One More", "Midnight Sunrise" (which sounds like Fairyland at times) and the semi-epic "Rexi Regi Rebellis" are inspirising and just plain fun, almost having one want to pick up a sword and charge against the enemy, without really caring who the enemy is.
The worst part of this is that I now have another band whose catalogue I have to track down if I want to sleep at nights.
Between battles, of course.

****1/2