After July’s lull, it’s important to remember that there are some big releases that hit in August (though, it seems like the big hit is coming in September: Haken, Týr, Carcass, Ulcerate, etc.). This wasn’t the worst month ever, that’s for sure. There was some really amazing stuff going on here, actually. Still, there really was no serious competition for the top spot this month. Nej, indeed, it was pretty obvious all along that Swanö was going for the win with his new project Witherscape.
We all knew Turisas2013 was going to be a controversial record when the title was released. Turisas2013 doesn’t read like a particularly inspiring name for this Finnish ‘folk metal’ band’s latest record. One commenter quipped that it sounds like what they called the folder where you store the .wav files, not the title of the record itself. On top of that was the remarkably short turnaround time. Turisas isn’t a band known for its quick work, and they were coming off a remarkable and fascinating record from 2011 that I flat out loved. Recent history teaches us that ‘fucking with the formula‘ is generally a bad thing; if a band needs 5 years, give it to them! But just as Orphaned Land faced label pressure, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if Turisas2013 was produced under pressure from a label that doesn’t want the world to forget that Turisas exists[1. Note: this is entirely speculation. No one told me shit.]. Whatever the reason for looking at a Turisas record in 2013 with the half-baked name of Turisas2013, it’s here… Is it everything you feared?
You’re probably aware that I don’t “do” news over here at AMG. News is a never-ending cycle of press releases and free advertising for labels that don’t give me nearly enough shit to justify it. But, as I am a big fan of Turisas, I thought this was of some interest. As you’re all probably aware, Turisas will be releasing their next record in 2013 with the absolutely shitty title of Turisas2013. This is not only the stupidest name for a record ever, but it’s also probably the most uncreative thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life. “How fucking lazy are these guys?” I wondered angrily, “do they take us for fools?” When they released the name on their official Facebook page, some manly and charming fellow even wrote “Please tell me that “Turisas2013” is not the name of this record,” which has since garnered 117 likes and is the top comment on that post. Still, I’m a big fan, and I’ve yet to dislike a Turisas record, so I figure it deserves a chance.
