Much like the sword-wielding Norseman depicted on its front sleeve, the eponymous debut album from Ensiferum unexpectedly invaded the new millennium's budding Viking metal landscape, speedily conquered the loyalties of unsuspecting listeners, & proceeded to set up a permanent settlement within the hearts of many devoted metal fans of all stripes. The strategy for this wholesale takeover was really quite simple, as the Finnish band obviously took stock of the broad inspirational foundations lai