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 (album)|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