Ensiferum

This is aboot the fowk metal baund. For their debut album see Ensiferum (album).

Ensiferum (Frae the Latin ensĭfĕrum (neuter adjective) meanin "swuird beirin") is a Fowk metal baund frae Helsinki, Finland. The baund cry thaimsels Heroic Fowk Metal.

 Baund History 
Ensiferum wis foondit in 1995 bi Markus Toivonen (guitar), Sauli Savolainen (bass) an Kimmo Miettinen (drums). The neist year Jari Mäenpää jyned the baund as sangster an seicont guitarist. In 1997 the first demo conteenin three sangs wes released.
In 1998 Sauli an Kimmo quat the baund an wis replaced bi Jukka-Pekka Miettinen (Kimmo's wee brithir that wis than juist 14 year auld) an Oliver Fokin. In 1999 twa mair demos wis released. In 2000 thay contractit tae Spinefarm Records an gaed intae the studio for tae wark on thair first album Ensiferum that wis released in August 2001. Juist efter the album wis released, Meiju Enho jyned thaim as keybuirdist.
Efter the wark on the seicont album Iron wis duin in 2003, sangster Jari quat the baund for tae concentrate mair on his project Wintersun. This coud hae caused a wheen o problems for the baund sen he wis the main leeracist an scrieved a lot o the muisic an aw. The baund, nivertheless, decidit tae continue athoot him an pressed on wi promotin the album an scrievin new sangs. For the tour wi Finntroll for tae promote the album, Petri Lindroos frae Norther replaced Jari as guitarist an sangster, an offeecialy jyned the baund permanent efter the tour. Jukka-Pekka quat the baund in December 2004 an wis replaced bi Sami Hinkka, wha is the main leeracist the nou. Oliver quat in 2005 tae be replaced bi Janne Parviainen.
The new line-up o Ensiferm returned tae the studio later that year for tae record an EP cried Dragonheads. It wis released in Februar 2006. As weel as the title sang, it haed twa rewrocht sangs frae thair early days, an Amorphis kiver an a short rendeetion o the Kalevala melody an a medley o three tradeetional Finnish fowk sangs.
In Juin 2006 the baund released thair live DVD, 10th Anniversary Live that haed been recordit in Nosturi, Helsinki on Hogmanay 2005.
The recordin o the third studio album, cried Victory Songs, teuk place atween November 2006 an early 2007. It wis released in Apryle 2007. A single cried One More Magic Potion wis released in Februar for tae promote the album, as wis the video for the album track Ahti.

In September 2007, langtyme keybuirist Meiju Enho quat the baund. Tho she haed taen mair o a role in the baund on the Victory Songs album, helpin wi the screivin o the sangs Ad Victorium an Raised By The Sword, she haed an aw taen a temporary leave o absence fer tae complete her studies, an decidit she wisnae able tae keep up her commitments tae the baund.

 Muisical chairacteristics 
 Harsk vocals aften mixed wi clean vocals for owerwirds an brigs.
 Fowk melodies pleyed on lead guitar or keybuird owerlayin hivier tradeetional hivy metal backin rheethms sic as clessic gallop rheethm.
 Leerical themes realatin tae fantastic, archaic or heroic stories for ordinar wi heroic sentiment. Leerics is inspired bi leeterature, films an poesie, sic as the Finnish naitional epic Kalevala an the Norse Sagas

 Discography 
 Albums 
 Ensiferum (2001) 
 Iron (2004) 
 1997-1999 (Ltd. edition re-Release o first thrie demos, 2005) 
 Victory Songs (2007)
 From Afar (2009)
 Unsung Heroes (2012)
 One Man Army (2015)
 Two Paths (2017)
 Thalassic (2020)
 Winter Storm (2024)

 EPs 
 Dragonheads (2006)
 Suomi Warmetal  (2014)

 Singles 
 Tale of Revenge - frae an tae promote the Iron album (2004) 
 One More Magic Potion - frae an tae promote the Victory Songs album (2007)
 From Afar (2009)
 Stone Cold Metal (2010)
 Burning Leaves (2012)
 In My Sword I Trust (2012)
 One Man Army (2015)
 Way of The Warrior (2017)
 For Those About to Fight for Metal (2019)
 Rum, Women, Victory (2020)
 Andromeda (2020)

 Demos 
 Demo (1997) 
 Demo II (1999) 
 Hero in a Dream (1999)

 DVDs/ Promos 
 10th Anniversary Live (2006) 
 Ahti - frae an tae promote the Victory Songs album (2007)

 Line-up 
 Current members 
 Petri Lindroos - Harsk Vocals an Guitars
 Markus Toivonen - Guitars, Clean an Backin Vocals
 Pekka Montin - Keybuirds 
 Sami Hinkka - Bass, Clean an Backin Vocals 
 Janne Parviainen - Drums

 Umwhile members 
 Kimmo Miettinen - Drums 
 Jukka-Pekka Miettinen - Bass 
 Sauli Savolainen - Bass 
 Jari Mäenpää - Harsk/ Clean Vocals an Guitars 
 Oliver Fokin - Drums 
 Meiju Enho - Keybuirds
 Emmi Silvennoinen - Keybuirds 

 Session/ Guest Muisickers 
 Ensiferum 
 Henri "Trollhorn" Sorvali - Keybuirds 
 Marita Toivonen - 36 string Kantele 
 Johanna Vakkuri - Female Vocals 
 Teemu Saari - Vocals 
 Antti Mikkonen - Vocals

 Iron 
 Kaisa Saari - Female Vocals, Recorders an Whistles 
 Vesa Vigman - Bouzoukim, Mandolin, Saz, Dulcimer an Kantele 
 Eveliina Kontio - Kantele
 Ritual - Vocals
 Valtias Mustatuuli - Vocals
 Mikko Kaipainen - Vocals
 Markus Österlund - Vocals
 Henrik Kumlin - Vocals
 Miska Engström - Vocals
 Frostheim - Vocals

 Dragonheads EP 
 Kaisa Saari - Female Vocals, Recorders
 Vesa Vigman - Mandolin
 Frostheim - Kantele

 Victory Songs 
 Aleksi Parviainen - Lead an Backing Vocals
 Euge Valovirta - Acoustic Guitar
 Timo Väänänen - Kantele
 Lassi Logrén - Nyckelharpa
 Kaisa Saari - Thin whistle an Recorder
 Vesa Vigman - Mandolin, Buzuki an Saz
 Petri Prauda - Bagpipe
 Johanna Vakkuri - Flute
 D.P. – Harsk Vocals

 References 

 Fremmit Airtins 

 Ensiferum Offeecial Wabstaid
 Ensiferum Offeecial Myspace
 Offeecial Russian Wabstaid
 Ensiferum on Spinefarm Records 
 An interview 
 Unoffeecial Wabstaid

Category:Muisical groups established in 1995
Category:Finnish hivy metal muisical groups
Category:Finnish melodic daith metal muisical groups
Category:Finnish fowk metal muisical groups