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Tiurida is the fifth full-length from German one-man Viking Metal band Falkenbach. Generally well regarded, this is my first go-round with Falkenbach. The music on Tiurida is smooth and atmospheric, with main man Vratyas Vakyas relying more on clean vocals than harsh. With song titles like "...Where his Ravens Fly..." and "Runes Shall You Know" it's clear the lyrics concern Viking/Norse themes.

Tiurida reminds me of Agalloch's The Mantle, with faraway, haunting vocals and softer, acoustic pieces interwoven with more metallic riffs. The blackened vocals of "Time Between Dog and Wolf" and "In Flames" are the biggest nod to metal, otherwise, Tiurida is heavy on the folk, with plenty of acoustic guitars, keyboards, flutes and the like. Everything is played well, but I did not find the album very engaging. I found it better as background music. Nothing brought me up short or made me stop what I was doing to really pay attention to what I was hearing.

I have to think the laid-back feel to Tiurida was intentional on the part of Vakyas. If that is the case, he succeeded. Beautiful, even soothing, Viking Metal from Falkenbach is what to expect from Tiurida. Find yourself a nice, northern forest and brood to your heart's content.