Finnish folk-influenced melodic metallers ENSIFERUM have posted the first in a series of video clips documenting the recording sessions for the band's fourth album, due on September 9, 2009. Watch it at this location.

ENSIFERUM had its first two albums made officially available in the U.K. for the very first time. The records in question — "Ensiferum" (2001) and "Iron" (2004) — were released on March 30 via Spinefarm Records. Both albums come with bonus material.

After entering the studio for the first time in the latter part of the '90s, ENSIFERUM has been constantly sharpening its sound, dispensing epic music heavy in both atmosphere and attack, with its most recent "Victory Songs" opus (reissued in the U.K. last year as a two-CD set with the "Dragonheads" EP) taking "folk/viking melodic metal" to a whole new level of grandeur.

ENSIFERUM vocalist/guitarist Petri Lindroos was forced to miss the group's shows in Russia last November "due to serious illness," according to a posting on the band's web site. Former ENSIFERUM member Jukka-Pekka Miettinen played guitar on the Russian dates and vocals were "growled" by Sami Hinkka.