Ensiferum - what name would suit a band playing battle metal better, than a
name that in Latin means "the Swordbearer"?

After finding the band in 1995, Ensiferum's mastermind, guitarist/ main
songwriter/ vocalist Markus Toivonen has taken the band safely through
turmoils of line-up changes and busy schedules ever since. The band's career
fully took flight in 2000 after Spinefarm Records released their self titled
debut album "Ensiferum", and their busy touring made them a household
favourite all over Finland. Their second album "Iron" took Ensiferum one
step further, all the way to Copenhagen's Sweet Silence Studios. There in
Denmark, during the Fall of 2003, their second album was recorded within the
capable hands of producer Flemming Rasmussen, who in the past had recorded
such masterpieces as Metallica's "Master of Puppets" and "Ride the
Lightning".

"Iron" was a great success and grew the band's popularity to whole new
heights. The album also got the band some extensive touring abroad, but
these metallic recordings and gigs finally took such a toll on the band that
the year 2004 saw three band members depart: drummer Oliver Fokin, bassist
Jukka-Pekka Miettinen and vocalist Jari Mäenpää (later known for his work on
Wintersun). This was not the end of the world for the kind of warriors that
Ensiferum and its mastermind Markus are, they just took along new, excellent
members to replace these sudden gaps in their lineup. Aboard stepped bassist
/ vocalist Sami Hinkka, drummer Janne Parviainen (also known for his work on
Waltari and Barathrum), and vocalist / guitarist Petri Lindroos.

The new lineup was tried and tested on the road touring all through 2005,
and from the tour the members headed straight for the studio to make a new
mini-album. This mini-CD, later titled "Dragonheads", saw the band test
their new growler Petri's vocals and their new bassist and drummer's antics
in a recorded form. Such fun was the recording that the band did not stop
with the mini-album, but also made a live DVD to honour their 10-year
career. The "10th Anniversary Live" showed the new line-up playing hits from
all Ensiferum-albums, from some of the earliest songs to the latest
offerings from "Dragonheads". Selling thousands and thousands worldwide, the
DVD was the definitive proof that Ensiferum was as strong as ever with its
new members in its ranks.

This year, Ensiferum took their gear to Helsinki's Sonic Pump Studios to
record their third full-length album with producer Janne Joutsenniemi. And what an album they made! With metallic
guitars combined to the traditional sounds of such instruments as the
Finnish kantele, a bagpipe, nyckelharpa and bodhrans, the sound of "Victory
songs" is a full, balanced mixture of folk, heavy and battle anthem-like
power, complete with the gentle balance between Petri's growling vocals and
Markus's and Sami's harmonised choruses.

So hearken to the call of THE metal album of 2007, with the Victory Songs
now rising in the night, telling all of their undying strength and might!