Whispered: Scalpal Sharp Ninja Metal

Now if you are well versed in heavy metal, you know that there is a large sub genre of metal that involves writing metal songs about the vikings.  Bands like Amon Amarth and King of Asgard will write superb melodic death metal with lyrics about viking myths and culture.  Other bands like Turisas, Enisferum, and Adorned Brood take that one step further and add traditional Celtic sounds to accompany their viking themed metal.  There has also been a small rise of pirate themed metal.  Led by the band Alestorm, bands such as them, Blackguard, and Swashbuckle write metal with pirate themed lyrics.  Although out of those three bands, Alestorm really provides the musical accompaniment that makes you feel as if you're sailing around with Captain Jack Sparrow while they serenade you with their music.

So we have Vikings, Pirates, Egyptians (Nile), and Romans (Ex Deo), all accounted for in metal music.  That lead me to question "Where are the Ninja metal bands?" Surely the ninja is worthy a place at the metal roundtable?  Now to my credit I did not go searching for a ninja themed metal band, like any good blogger might have, I waited for it to find me.  I saw a tweet from one of Turisas' members that they were going to be touring Europe this year with a band from Finland called Whispered who write none other than ninja themed heavy metal.  I jumped up from my chair and quickly ran over to my computer to check them out.

After listening to them on youtube and liking what I heard, I decided to search for them on iTunes, to my excitement they had released one CD, Thousand Swords, back in 2010 and I wasted no time downloading it.  I only just got around to listening it today on a drive to and from a local drum store and I really liked what I heard.  The first song that stood out in my mind is the title track "Thousand Swords".  This song was also the first one I heard on youtube and when I listened to it in the car, I forgotten how good it was.  The quick tempo, ripping guitars, and choir chants in the beginning immediately pull you into the song and the motives played by the keyboards that impersonate what I can only guess are traditional Asian instruments, keep you seated as you get transported through the world of the ninja.  My first opinion of the band was that they reminded me of Ensiferum, except writing songs about ninjas instead of vikings.  Then I listened to it more and thought that the keyboards and choir chants reminded me of Dimmu Borgir's epic orchestral arrangements that can be found on almost all of their songs.  "This was cool" I thought "A band that sounds like Ensiferum writing about ninjas, with a hint of Dimmu Borgir orchestral backgrounds, I could get used to this."  As I found out later though my opinion of who this band sounded like would change.

Here is an audio video of "Thousand Swords" 

The second song I listened to on youtube is the one that really made me realize who Whispered reminded me of.  At first I thought it was Ensiferum singing about ninjas, but as I listened to more and more songs something just was not right.  I kept thinking "Where have I heard that style of keyboards before?" then when the song "Blindfold" came on my iPod, the ninja star hit me, "Bodom! They sound like Children of Bodom!"  Don't get me wrong I like Children of Bodom and its cool to see a band writing music similar to that of Bodom, because up until now I had not heard a band that sounded quite like Bodom.  Whispered accomplishes that feat.  The style of guitars, keyboards, and vocals are very similar to the formula that Bodom has been rolling with for their entire existence of a band.  

Here is the official video for "Blindfold"

I'm not trying to say that Whispered are a carbon copy of Children of Bodom, because they are not.  Sure Whispered's sound, sounds like the Bodom sound, but there are no songs off Thousand Swords that I thought sounded like copies of Bodom's songs.  Whispered has simply taken Bodom's blue prints, added lyrics about ninjas, found out that there was more than one setting on their keyboard to use to replicate the sound of the traditional Asian instruments, and added a hint of Dimmu Borgir style orchestral effects to top it all off. 

What Whispered has created is a great foundation for a new sub genre of heavy metal.  I really liked what I heard on Thousand Swords and I am excited to see where this band goes in the future.  I feel like there is big possibility to incorporate more of the Asian sounding instruments into their songs, instead of using them for little motives at the beginning or end of the songs (I can see ninja metal turn in to something like folk metal, although instead of Celtic instrument accompaniment, its accompanied by traditional Asian instruments).  As Whispered progresses through their career, I can see them start to establish the blue print for ninja metal (which they kind of already done).  It will be a blue print that many bands may try to impersonate, but Whispered would have already have taken that blue print, created something truly unique and original, and leave all other future ninja bands in the dust.  

I will say one last thing, if you like Children of Bodom, you will like this band.  If you like ninjas, you will like this band, and if you like both, then you should pick up their debut CD Thousand Swords because I just found your new favorite band in Whispered.  

Thanks guys!
-Zach

Remember if there is a band you want me to talk about, or an album you want me to review leave a comment below or tweet me @zachktheanimal.