The Real Battle Metallers
Saturday's lineup begins with battle metal peddlers Turisas, complete with body paint on both the band and the frantic crowd that await them. Their music encompasses a variety of traditional elements; meaty drum work combined with violins and accordions to add an edge. The band offer a perfect chance to witness folk music reworked with passion into a newer, far more rocking version.
Overblown and dramatic, Turisas provide entertainment for all those waiting at the main stage. Violin player Olli Vänskä baits the crowd into challenging the traditional guitar solo before breaking into more of their catchy folk-influenced music.
"There are 1000 bands who think they can play battle metal, but we, Turisas, are the only ones!" the band cry before the opening bars of 'Battle Metal' booms across the main stage to the joy of those bedecked in face paint. It's an overblown galloping song that swaggers under the weight of vocalist Mathias Nygård's epic lyrics. And unlike the many so-called battle metal bands Turisas have paved the way for, the true gods of battle metal are surprisingly easy to listen to- there's something infectious about the way their music sounds at times like a rollicking equivalent of a sea yarn spun with excitement and danger.