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It's been a long time since I last reviewed a Týr album, 2011's The Lay of Thrym to be exact. Battle Ballads is their ninth album and I figured it was time to jump back in and hear what The Faroe Islands' most famous metal band is up to. It seems Heri Joenson and crew are continuing to embrace the heavy/power metal stylings that were evident back in 2011 and songs like "Hammered," "Hangman," and "Axes" are crunching riff fests supporting by fast, pounding drums and Joenson's staccato shouts. Good stuff sure to get a fist or two in the air as you listen. The band explores the folk side of their heritage with tracks like "Torkils døtur," which starts slow and builds to a rousing end, and "Vælkomnir føroyingar" with their non-English lyrics and melodic influences. Other songs embrace popular music, especially the keyboard lines on tracks like "Dragons Never Die" and "Unwandered Days," which while still heavy metal bring in that electronic/dance music feel the way Beast in Black or Metalite have been doing recently. They aren't bad songs by any stretch, but you do need to be OK with a glossy sheen to your heavy/power metal to get the most out of them. Battle Ballads is well played and, at this stage of their career, Týr are consummate pros, so it sounds great and rocks hard (I suspect in the live setting, it will be heavier). Personally, I wish they'd lean into their epic side more, but that's just me, so check it out if quality heavy/power metal is up your alley.