Review TýR ‘A Night at the Nordic House’

‘Hel’, that was the title of the latest studio release by Týr and with limited possibilities to play live, the band pit the album into spotlight at a show they played at Nordens Hu. The imprssive concert hall in Tórshavn has been the scenery for a special home game show of the quartet from the Faroe Islands.

It was on February 8^th, 2020 when Týr played an 18 songs show that was split into two sets. The band performed together with the Faroese Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Bernharōur Wilkinson. There have been some experiments with band and orchestra in the past. Some band failed in such a collaboration. Not Týr. The quartet and the orchestra harmonize very well and Týr’s metal is in focus. Blistering guitar solos and excellent melodies are the centerpiece of a setlist that features all albums of the band with ‘Ormurin Langi’ reminding of the early days of the debut album.

A special moment was when the ensemble integrated with ‘Gavotte from Suite in G Minor’ a Johan Sebastian Bach composition. In general, the sound of the orchestra adds a special touch to each of the songs, reflected in the latter very well. And it’s a lot of density as well which makes this live release to an exciting journey through progressive and folk-oriented metal. The same goes for the choir, adding a lot of vocal power to songs like the well-known ‘By the Sword in My Hand’.

Týr’s first live album was recorded sharply before a pandemic hit the scene and features a show that is special in various aspects- Fans of the band that couldn’t join at the time will most probably being very happy that this special moment in the Týr history will now be available as a live album.