Joining Turisas will be American avant-garde metal band Stolen Babies and Greek power-metal superstars Firewind, featuring Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Gus G.

2/2 – Jacksonville, FL @ Roc Bar
2/3 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade – Downstairs
2/5 – Richmond, VA @ Empire
2/6 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
2/7 – Worcester, MA @ Upstairs @ The Palladium
2/8 – Montreal, QC @ Foufounes Electriques
2/9 – Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club
2/10 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
2/11 – Cleveland, OH @ Peabody’s Downunder
2/13 – Minneapolis, MN @ Mill City Nights
2/15 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
2/16 – Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue
2/18 – Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
2/19 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
2/20 – Portland, OR @ Branx
2/21 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Metro Operahouse

Yes, opener, “The March Of The Varangian Guard,” gives the Renfaire crowd what they came for, but “Take The Day!” immediately opens up new musical pastures for the band with its poppy brass blasts and drawn-out power chords. From there, things get funky—“The Great Escape” tosses in some dulcet piano tinkles and female vocals, while “Venetoi! – Prasinoi!” is a spritely instrumental that would sound at home at a Romanian wedding. By the time the melodramatic strings of “The Bosphorus Freezes Over” roll around, the listener has reconsidered their understanding of the band. This isn’t the battlefield you were looking for.

Some experiments work better than others. “Hunting Pirates” begs to be a furious anthem against swashbuckling hipsters, but instead seems too eager to bite off Alestorm, and tracks like “End of an Empire” sound confused, unsure of their footing. But bully for Turisas, nonetheless, for giving us a folk-metal album that’s more than drinking music and fight songs. One cannot fault a band for taking risks, even if some of them fail. If repeated listens are needed, their new album deserves them. CHRIS KROVATIN