Jari Mäenpää reunites with Ensiferum for special “The Early Years” live shows after more than 20 years

Finnish folk metal pioneers Ensiferum have announced a historic reunion with founding vocalist and guitarist Jari Mäenpää. The Wintersun mastermind will join his former bandmates for a series of special “The Early Years” live shows, marking the first time he has performed with Ensiferum since 2004.

The upcoming concerts will also mark Mäenpää’s first performances with Ensiferum outside Finland. He will reunite on stage with the band’s current lineup of Markus Toivonen, Petri Lindroos, Janne Parviainen, Sami Hinkka and Pekka Montin.

Jari Mäenpää to perform classic Ensiferum material

The special shows will celebrate the early years of Ensiferum, with Mäenpää taking lead vocals on songs he originally recorded with the band. The setlists will span material from the 1997 demo through the band’s early albums and later releases.

Material will be drawn from:

• Demo Tape (1997)
• Ensiferum (2001)
• Iron (2004)
• Dragonheads (2006)
• Victory Songs (2007)

According to the announcement, fans can expect everything from established favorites to deeper cuts and rare material from the band’s formative years.

Ensiferum commented on the reunion:

“This is more than a show — it’s a return to the roots. To the energy and vision that started it all.”

Mäenpää is equally enthusiastic about returning to the band more than two decades after his departure:

“I’m excited and honored to be joining Ensiferum for these very special ‘Early Years’ live shows! After more than 20 years, I’ll be performing with Ensiferum again. I can’t wait to sing these classic songs with you all. See you there!”

More than two decades since Mäenpää left Ensiferum

Jari Mäenpää was one of the founding members of Ensiferum, handling vocals and guitar during the band’s formative years. He appeared on the band’s first two studio albums, “Ensiferum” in 2001 and “Iron” in 2004, before leaving the group and forming Wintersun.

His return therefore marks a particularly significant moment in Ensiferum history, bringing one of the key figures behind the band’s original sound back to the stage for material associated with its earliest era.

Dates and locations for the upcoming “The Early Years” shows will be announced separately.