HELJAREYGA — Heljareyga (review)

Album · 2010 · Progressive Metal

4/5 · 2023-12-27
siLLy puPPy

Týr has been the greatest musical export of the tiny sparsely populated Faroe Islands, that little group of rocks that jet out of the the frigid waters where the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic meet. Formed in 1998 in Denmark and then back to the Faroes, lead singer Heri Joensen found time between the many albums and touring to initiate a side project called HELJAREYGA (means Helleyes in Faroese / Icelandic). This band formed in 2009 and released this one self-titled album the following year and although technically still active, currently remains on hold.

The lesser known project in the Týr multiverse, HELJAREYGA is very much considered the more progressive power metal cousin of its more famous parent group. This album features five lengthy tracks all close to the 9-minute mark or more and features the same Faroese folk musical elements as the underbelly while beefing up the technicalities. The instrumentation is turned up a few notches with heavier guitar riffs whizzing along at breakneck speed accompanied by equally adrenalized bass and drumming wizardry meanwhile Joensen’s recognizable vocal style offers a taste of Týr’s proggy folk metal style in a completely different setting.

While starting off more in the camp of Týr with the folk-laden “Regnið,” it’s apparent from the getgo that HELJAREYGA’s main agenda is to follow the Týr playbook and then take liberties that a successful well established band wouldn’t want to risk. The results are surprisingly good with extended progressive twists and turns and high octane instrumentation dialed up a few notches while retaining those traditional Faroese folk flavors that allow Nordic folk rhythms to sound so unique. Despite the focus on technicalities the attention on the atmospheres and production is also top notch. Likewise the five tracks all differ from each other substantially enough making this an above average progressive power metal album which can oft fall into a tedium.

As with Týr, all lyrics are performed in the Faroese language but forged in the same Viking folklore. While all the instrumentation is of top power metal caliber, the guitar runs are extra juicy with neoclassical sweeps as well as moments of simplicity to offer a respite from the overstimulation such power metal can induce. Of course power metal falls flat without compelling melodic developments and HELJAREYGA is no slouch in that department either with five strong tracks that showcase not only catchy folk-fueled melodic pleasantries but an impeccable use of dynamics that offer varying tempos and stylistic approaches however this is power metal so the lion’s share is indeed choppy frenetic guitar riffs, bombastic bass lines and technical percussive workouts.

Everything works quite well here. Joensen’s vocals work perfectly here and are allowed to expand into a wider range as Týr itself remains fairly even keel. This was obviously a work of passion and if it turns out it was simply a one-off then i’d rather experience just a single album that works well than 20 following that don’t. I’m late to the game with this one blissfully unaware of this side project until recently but happily and pleasantly surprised by how well executed the entire affair is. This is no Symphony X by any means. The one aspect of much progressive power metal relies on keyboard contributions therefore really stands on its own and the only other band to compare it to is Týr itself. For my liking, this works quite well. Perhaps just a bit more experimentalism could’ve been thrown in but as it stands i’m satisfied.