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Týr (band)
Encyclopedia
Týr, is a folk metal band from the Faroe Islands
. Their subject matter revolves almost entirely around old Nordic
lore, mythology
, and history, taking their name from a Norse god of war. They signed a worldwide deal with Austria's Napalm Records
in early 2006, while signed to the Faroese record label Tutl
. They performed at the Ragnarök Festival
in 2007 and 2009.
Týr formed in January 1998. Heri Joensen met his old bandmate, Kári Streymoy, at a party in Copenhagen, Denmark. Joensen suggested to Streymoy that they should meet up and jam. Streymoy initially declined, but later took him up on his offer. They were soon joined by another former bandmate, bassist Gunnar H. Thomsen, expanding the duo into a trio
. And in 2001 guitarist Terji Skibenæs joined the band.
They began making music which was heavily inspired by Norse mythology
, Faroese traditional music
, and heavy metal music
in general. According to the band's frontman Heri Joensen:
and the U.S.
in 2008, with Ensiferum
headlining. Other bands on the tour included Eluveitie
, Turisas
in the US, and Moonsorrow
and Korpiklaani
joined them on the European part of the tour.
In 2009, the band also took part in the "Black Sails over Europe" tour, supporting Alestorm
, who were promoting their album Black Sails at Midnight
.
Later, in 2010, the band would support Amon Amarth
and Holy Grail on Amon Amarth
's North American tour for select dates.
In January 2011, Týr played on the "70,000 Tons of Metal" cruise ship event with 40 other bands.
Terji Skibenæs joined after Jón Joensen had left the band. Allan Streymoy (Kári Streymoy's brother) took over singing duties for a brief time during which they released the single "Ólavur Riddararós". After Allan left Heri Joensen took over the vocals. It was this line up which recorded Eric the Red.
Skibenæs left the band for awhile after the release of Eric the Red. The band played as a trio for some time. In the summer of 2004 they were joined by Icelandic guitarist Ottó P. Arnarson for a very brief time. When Arnarson left, Skibenæs came back.
Kári Streymoy had a back injury in January 2008, which made him unable to tour until October the same year. Amon Djurhuus, a Faeroese drummer and student of Kári Streymoy, played the drums on the European part of the Paganfest, Merlin Sutter from Eluveitie filled for him on the US part and Daniel Ryan from Gigan on the Canadian part. After that for the festival tour in Europe Amon Djurhuus filled for Kári again. In October 2008 Kári Streymoy was ready to go again for the Ragnarök's Aaskereia Festival Tour.
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
. Their subject matter revolves almost entirely around old Nordic
Nordic
Nordic may refer to:* The Nordic countries, the northwestern European countries of Scandinavia , as well as Iceland and Finland; or a native of one of the Nordic countries...
lore, mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
, and history, taking their name from a Norse god of war. They signed a worldwide deal with Austria's Napalm Records
Napalm Records
Napalm Records is an Austrian independent record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock.Originally, Napalm Records focused mainly on black metal acts such as Abigor and Summoning and folk metal bands such as Falkenbach and Vintersorg....
in early 2006, while signed to the Faroese record label Tutl
Tutl
Tutl is a record label of the Faroe Islands, founded in 1977 by the Danish jazz musician and composer Kristian Blak. The "legendary label" is credited with giving many Faroese musicians their first break, and "has played a major role in giving musicians a chance to record and publish."Tutl is...
. They performed at the Ragnarök Festival
Ragnarök Festival
Ragnarök Festival is a pagan metal festival held annually in Germany since 2004 founded by Ivo Raab. It started out as a small one night festival with only regional bands in the town hall of Hollfeld. In 2005 it was decided to go for a festival featuring mostly Viking and pagan metal with the...
in 2007 and 2009.
History
Before Týr, Heri Joensen and Gunnar H. Thomsen formed their first band, Cruiser, at the age of seventeen. Streymoy also played with them for a short while. They later changed their name to Wolfgang. Although neither band released any albums, Wolfgang, who are still active, recorded an undisclosed amount of songs that, according to Joensen are "pretty much ready to release."Týr formed in January 1998. Heri Joensen met his old bandmate, Kári Streymoy, at a party in Copenhagen, Denmark. Joensen suggested to Streymoy that they should meet up and jam. Streymoy initially declined, but later took him up on his offer. They were soon joined by another former bandmate, bassist Gunnar H. Thomsen, expanding the duo into a trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
. And in 2001 guitarist Terji Skibenæs joined the band.
They began making music which was heavily inspired by Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
, Faroese traditional music
Kvæði
Kvæði are the old ballads of the Faroe Islands, accompanied by the Faroese dance....
, and heavy metal music
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
in general. According to the band's frontman Heri Joensen:
"Týr's musical mission is to break down the walls that are erected between all the kinds of metal that have arisen over the years. Power-, doom-, black-, progressive-, gothic-, Viking-, folk-, ethnic- and epic metal. Walls and labels do nothing but fill people with prejudice."
Tours
Týr was a part of the Paganfest tour in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2008, with Ensiferum
Ensiferum
Ensiferum is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "heroic folk metal." Since their formation, Ensiferum has released four full-length albums, one EP, one compilation, three singles, and three demo albums and one unreleased album.-Musical...
headlining. Other bands on the tour included Eluveitie
Eluveitie
Eluveitie is a folk metal band from Winterthur, Switzerland. The band formed in 2002 and their first EP, Vên came out in 2003. The band then released a full-length album, Spirit in June 2006. In November 2007, Eluveitie was signed by Nuclear Blast....
, Turisas
Turisas
Turisas is a Finnish folk metal band from Hämeenlinna. It was founded in 1997 by Mathias Nygård and Jussi Wickström and named after an ancient Finnish God of war....
in the US, and Moonsorrow
Moonsorrow
Moonsorrow is a pagan metal band formed in Helsinki, Finland, in 1995. Musically, the band incorporates elements of black metal and folk metal in their sound...
and Korpiklaani
Korpiklaani
Korpiklaani is a folk metal band from Finland who were formerly known as Shaman.-Biography:While other folk metal bands began with metal before adding folk music, Korpiklaani started with folk music before turning metal...
joined them on the European part of the tour.
In 2009, the band also took part in the "Black Sails over Europe" tour, supporting Alestorm
Alestorm
Alestorm is a folk metal band from Perth, Scotland. Their music is characterized by a pirate theme, and as a result have been dubbed a "Pirate metal" band at a popular heavy metal related website....
, who were promoting their album Black Sails at Midnight
Black Sails at Midnight
Black Sails at Midnight is the second studio album by the Scottish power/Pirate Metal band Alestorm. As with their first album, all the drums tracks were recorded by session drummer Migo Wagner but touring drummer Ian Wilson added additional percussion...
.
Later, in 2010, the band would support Amon Amarth
Amon Amarth
Amon Amarth is a Swedish viking metal band from Tumba, Sweden founded in 1992, and takes its name from the Sindarin translation of Mount Doom, a location in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The band comprises vocalist Johan Hegg, guitarists Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg, bassist Ted Lundström...
and Holy Grail on Amon Amarth
Amon Amarth
Amon Amarth is a Swedish viking metal band from Tumba, Sweden founded in 1992, and takes its name from the Sindarin translation of Mount Doom, a location in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The band comprises vocalist Johan Hegg, guitarists Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg, bassist Ted Lundström...
's North American tour for select dates.
In January 2011, Týr played on the "70,000 Tons of Metal" cruise ship event with 40 other bands.
Band members
Singer Pól Arni Holm and guitarist Jón Joensen (Heri Joensen's brother) were part of the band while they recorded How Far to Asgaard but left soon after its release.Skibenæs left the band for awhile after the release of Eric the Red. The band played as a trio for some time. In the summer of 2004 they were joined by Icelandic guitarist Ottó P. Arnarson for a very brief time. When Arnarson left, Skibenæs came back.
Kári Streymoy had a back injury in January 2008, which made him unable to tour until October the same year. Amon Djurhuus, a Faeroese drummer and student of Kári Streymoy, played the drums on the European part of the Paganfest, Merlin Sutter from Eluveitie filled for him on the US part and Daniel Ryan from Gigan on the Canadian part. After that for the festival tour in Europe Amon Djurhuus filled for Kári again. In October 2008 Kári Streymoy was ready to go again for the Ragnarök's Aaskereia Festival Tour.
Current members
- Heri Joensen – vocals, guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
- Terji Skibenæs – guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
- Gunnar H. Thomsen – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Kári Streymoy – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Former members
- Jón Joensen – vocals, guitar
- Pól Arni Holm – vocals
- Allan Streymoy – vocals
- Ottó P. Arnarson – guitar
Albums
- How Far to AsgaardHow Far to AsgaardHow Far to Asgaard is the first full-length album by the Faroese folk / Viking metal band Týr. It was released in January 2002 by Tutl."Ormurin Langi" is a metal version of the traditional Faroese song. A video for the song was also recorded in Iceland....
(January 2002) - Eric the RedEric the Red (album)Eric the Red is the second full-length album by the Faroese Viking folk metal band Týr. It was released on June 27, 2003 by Tutl.The album is trilingual with Faroese and English as the predominant languages...
(June 27, 2003) - RagnarokRagnarok (Týr album)Ragnarok is the third full-length album by the Faroese Viking folk metal band Týr. It was released on September 22, 2006 by Napalm Records.The album is bilingual with Faroese and English lyrics...
(September 22, 2006) - Land (May 30, 2008)
- By the Light of the Northern StarBy the Light of the Northern Star-Reception:* About.com * Allmusic...
(May 29, 2009) - The Lay of ThrymThe Lay Of ThrymThe Lay of Thrym is the sixth full-length album by the Faroese Viking/folk metal band Týr. The name of the album comes from one of the best known poems from the Poetic Edda, called "Þrymskviða", "The Lay of Thrym". The band revealed the name of the album along with its release date on their MySpace...
(May 27, 2011)
Compilations
- Tutl 25 ár – Live 2002 (contributed "Sand in the Wind") (2002) (Live)
- The Realm of Napalm Records (CD/DVD) (On DVD, track #17 "Regin Smiður" and #18 "Hail to the Hammer") (On CD, track #13 "Regin Smiður") (2006)
- Black Sails Over Europe (2009) (Split album with Alestorm and Heidevolk)
Videos
- "Hail to the Hammer" (2002)
- "Ormurin Langi" (2002)
- "Regin Smiður" (2003)
- "Sinklars Vísa" (2008)
- "Hold the Heathen Hammer High" (2009)
External links
- Official website
- Týr at Napalm RecordsNapalm RecordsNapalm Records is an Austrian independent record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock.Originally, Napalm Records focused mainly on black metal acts such as Abigor and Summoning and folk metal bands such as Falkenbach and Vintersorg....
- Týr at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Týr at Last.fmLast.fmLast.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m ....