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Ensiferum > One Man Army > Reviews > hells_unicorn
Ensiferum - One Man Army

A one man army charging from afar. - 86%

hells_unicorn, February 25th, 2015
Written based on this version: 2015, CD, Metal Blade Records

Whenever a band starts to go through the inevitable "coming of age" process after becoming establish, youthful exuberance is usually replaced with experimentation. The alternative is to continue repeating oneself and cleaving to the expectations of one's audience, which is the safer road, whereas the experimental route is a bit adventurous, though also a double-edged sword. Ensiferum found itself in the odd predicament of scoring an impressive deathblow to all the naysayers with From Afar, which brought in some external ideas while still keeping the energy factor at the forefront, followed by a self-inflicted wound of moderation in Unsung Heroes. Suffice to say, as with any other honorable sword-bearing warrior, the only road after an obvious misfire is the one of atonement and redemption, which usually comes by sticking closer to what one knows, though in the case of One Man Army, not completely so.

It wouldn't be much of a stretch to give this album a sub-title of "From Afar 2" given its heavy similarities to their impressive 2009 opus, which is sure to please most of the band's core audience that simultaneously accepted Petri Lindroos as a worthy, albeit obviously inferior replacement to the one man choir Jari Mäenpää. It differs a little in that the emphasis is further placed on keyboards and choruses, resulting in a metal album with guitars that are busy and also thrashing at times, yet are not the principle focus. In a sense, this approach could be likened to the character of Equilibrium, though with a slightly less power metal oriented approach and a humbler arrangement that focuses a bit more on folksy instrumentation and not quite as much on bombastic orchestral elements. The only area where this album trips up a bit in terms of arrangement is the drum production, which is just a tad over-processed and steals some of the remaining thunder from the guitars and bass, though thankfully falls short of hijacking the entire arrangement.

The variety factor that Ensiferum has touted for a while is in full swing here, resulting in an album that is epic in all senses, but also not a one-dimensional speed fest or a slowed down, plodding affair like the first couple of Tyr albums. On the thrashing side of the equation, obviously recalling elements of Iron is the riveting, riff-happy title song "One Man Army" and the speedy yet a bit more mixed affair of "Axe Of Judgment". The use of theatrically tinged interludes such as the opening "March Of War" and the serene and nostalgic prelude to "Warrior Without A War" ditty in "Burden Of The Fallen" turns the clock back a bit further to the formative years when Jari was still leading the charge, definitely a welcome addition to the fold. Nothing on here quite reaches the same caliber of "Lai Lai Hei" or "Old Man", but the closing epic "Descendants, Defiance, Domination" (itself a part of the continuing series "Heathen Throne") gets pretty close, and also showcases more of a catchy, fanfare-like approach to constructing a varied epic composition.

There are few things to complain about with an album like this if the goal is recapturing an existing formula, though this album does want for a bit more power at times. Apart from a comical disco break at the center of a Celtic-infused drinking song of sorts in "Two Of Spades", this is about as predictable as they come, but in a good way, if that makes any sense. There is something to be said for sticking with what works, and although One Man Army is just a tad too safe at times for its own name, it definitely shows a band that is hungrier and ready for battle, in stark contrast to the haggard, just barely cutting it character of Unsung Heroes. For all this albums wanting for a few more twists, maybe a few more technical additives and guitar solos, it claims the battlefield, and definitely makes its ancestors proud.