#apr24 — Public Fediverse posts

Verikalpa – Tuomio Review

By Angry Metal Guy

Tuomio is the fourth full-length LP from Finnish extreme folk metallers, Verikalpa. Back in ’20,1 I reviewed—and thoroughly enjoyed—Verikalpa’s sophomore platter Tuoppitannsi. The thing that stood out to me about the record, and its follow-up Tunturihauta, was how much it felt like the band was carrying forward the impeccable vibes from Finntroll’s earliest contributions, but without setting their stamp on it. Still, the writing popped and the sound satisfyingly scratched an extremely specific itch. As I wrote at the time, they bore “the accordion of tradition to the sauna of the metal gods, so that we might have something new to listen to while we drink.” But, let’s be honest, “competent but derivative” is not the praise anyone is looking for when they create music. And so one wonders, four years after my initial exposure, is that the only contribution Verikalpa had to make?

Like its predecessors, Tuomio has a familiar sound that’s easy to love. Verikalpa plays speedy, sometimes galloping or even blasty, melodeath with as much harmonic minor as the songwriters can pump into the riffs. The band, made up of two Jussis (guitars and keyboards), two Samis (guitars and bass), a Jari (drums), and a Jani (vocals) play tight, energetic metal that calls upon their Finnish brethren, but without the pretensions of a Wintersun or Turisas. Their compositions aren’t complex, they’re not borrowing sounds from Japanese instrumentation, and don’t require quantum computing to play on a computer. And their scope is not one with epic aspirations. Instead, Tuomio works almost exclusively in simple time but does so with loads of pathos, driven on by majestic and sticky melodies carried on guitar or keys reminiscent of Turisas’ debut album. This makes it easy to drop into comfortable grooves, with the snare on two and four and machine gun kicks whipping at the Jussis’ and Samis’ backs.

And firmly planted in that familiar Finnish sound, Tuomio delivers the bangers in spades. Verikalpa vacillates primarily between speedier, driven passages that will annihilate unsuspecting crowds live (“Arvon tuomari,” “Noijan sauna”), and the kind of mid-paced tracks (“Laulava vainaja,” “Hakkaa hakkaa,” or the bridge on “Sammalsynti”) that can so often get sleepy if not perfectly executed. But Tuomio finds Verikalpa increasingly mastering their craft, balancing these different speeds, with every riff hitting home—and a seemingly innate understanding of when to slow it down or speed it up to keep a listener interested. Every song on Tuomio features sharp hooks, interesting variations upon themes, and tight execution. One major difference from the previous albums is that Tuomio is mixed and mastered by Pasi Kauppinen, of Sonata Arctica. Pasi’s approach gives them exactly the kind of crisp, and balanced mix that the band needs. And while it could be criticized as dated, it clocks in at a surprising DR of 8 and it fits the music perfectly. Pasi’s touch does the job of getting out of the way of the songs to allow the composition to speak for itself.

And it’s the composition throughout Tuomio that makes it clear how Verikalpa has begun to differentiate itself. One of the band’s most defining tendencies is playing key melodies in unison. That is, the bass, keys, and guitars are all playing the same thing, which sometimes gives it a punky energy. While this could be boring, it has the counterintuitive effect of creating a melodic blunt-force trauma. As a lover of big, epic sounds, I tend to lean away from bands that work with punky energy or ‘simplistic’ writing. But Verikalpa understands that songwriting is a balancing act, making the band’s very specific and well-considered use of harmony extremely effective. After several listens, I began realizing that I was perking up at these perfect moments, like in “Tulimerten taa,” where the harmonies come in (YouTube link, plays 15ish second clip), or the pre-chorus in “Laulava vainaja” (1:13) where the guitars suddenly deviate out of unison into an abbreviated lead, which adds a tight flare. What feels unsubtle becomes the band’s best compositional trick. Less turns out to be more.2 This also gives the impression that Verikalpa has begun opening things up a bit more compositionally, experimenting with better orchestration and slightly carnivalesque sounds (“Maat hauraan hautaa,” the bridge in “Veritonttu”). It’s playful, but it’s worth taking 100% seriously.

Ultimately, Tuomio’s combination of a maturing band that’s developing its sound and a production that lets their excellent ideas and melodies shine creates what is easily one of the most enjoyable listening experiences I’ve had this year. Tuomio is an album without a bad song and that finds Verikalpa making major strides to come into its own. Even at 55 minutes long, I never think about the album’s length when I’m listening to it. It’s just fun hearing Verikalpa develop, and while their sound is still undeniably indebted to the Finnish scene from 20 years ago, Tuomio is helping them plant their flag. So, sure, Verikalpa continues to bear the accordion of tradition to the sauna of the metal gods. But in 2024, they no longer only do so as supplicants.

Rating: Very good (and getting better!)
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: V0 mp3
Label: Scarlet Records
Websites: verikalpaofficial.com | Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: April 19th, 2024

#2024 #35 #Apr24 #Blog #FinnishMetal #FolkMetal #MelodicDeathMetal #Review #Reviews #ScarletRecords #SonataArctica #Tunturihauta #Tuomio #Tuoppitannsi #Turisas #Verikalpa #Wintersun

Verikalpa – Tuomio Review

By Angry Metal Guy

Tuomio is the fourth full-length LP from Finnish extreme folk metallers, Verikalpa. Back in ’20,1 I reviewed—and thoroughly enjoyed—Verikalpa’s sophomore platter Tuoppitannsi. The thing that stood out to me about the record, and its follow-up Tunturihauta, was how much it felt like the band was carrying forward the impeccable vibes from Finntroll’s earliest contributions, but without setting their stamp on it. Still, the writing popped and the sound satisfyingly scratched an extremely specific itch. As I wrote at the time, they bore “the accordion of tradition to the sauna of the metal gods, so that we might have something new to listen to while we drink.” But, let’s be honest, “competent but derivative” is not the praise anyone is looking for when they create music. And so one wonders, four years after my initial exposure, is that the only contribution Verikalpa had to make?

Like its predecessors, Tuomio has a familiar sound that’s easy to love. Verikalpa plays speedy, sometimes galloping or even blasty, melodeath with as much harmonic minor as the songwriters can pump into the riffs. The band, made up of two Jussis (guitars and keyboards), two Samis (guitars and bass), a Jari (drums), and a Jani (vocals) play tight, energetic metal that calls upon their Finnish brethren, but without the pretensions of a Wintersun or Turisas. Their compositions aren’t complex, they’re not borrowing sounds from Japanese instrumentation, and don’t require quantum computing to play on a computer. And their scope is not one with epic aspirations. Instead, Tuomio works almost exclusively in simple time but does so with loads of pathos, driven on by majestic and sticky melodies carried on guitar or keys reminiscent of Turisas’ debut album. This makes it easy to drop into comfortable grooves, with the snare on two and four and machine gun kicks whipping at the Jussis’ and Samis’ backs.

And firmly planted in that familiar Finnish sound, Tuomio delivers the bangers in spades. Verikalpa vacillates primarily between speedier, driven passages that will annihilate unsuspecting crowds live (“Arvon tuomari,” “Noijan sauna”), and the kind of mid-paced tracks (“Laulava vainaja,” “Hakkaa hakkaa,” or the bridge on “Sammalsynti”) that can so often get sleepy if not perfectly executed. But Tuomio finds Verikalpa increasingly mastering their craft, balancing these different speeds, with every riff hitting home—and a seemingly innate understanding of when to slow it down or speed it up to keep a listener interested. Every song on Tuomio features sharp hooks, interesting variations upon themes, and tight execution. One major difference from the previous albums is that Tuomio is mixed and mastered by Pasi Kauppinen, of Sonata Arctica. Pasi’s approach gives them exactly the kind of crisp, and balanced mix that the band needs. And while it could be criticized as dated, it clocks in at a surprising DR of 8 and it fits the music perfectly. Pasi’s touch does the job of getting out of the way of the songs to allow the composition to speak for itself.

And it’s the composition throughout Tuomio that makes it clear how Verikalpa has begun to differentiate itself. One of the band’s most defining tendencies is playing key melodies in unison. That is, the bass, keys, and guitars are all playing the same thing, which sometimes gives it a punky energy. While this could be boring, it has the counterintuitive effect of creating a melodic blunt-force trauma. As a lover of big, epic sounds, I tend to lean away from bands that work with punky energy or ‘simplistic’ writing. But Verikalpa understands that songwriting is a balancing act, making the band’s very specific and well-considered use of harmony extremely effective. After several listens, I began realizing that I was perking up at these perfect moments, like in “Tulimerten taa,” where the harmonies come in (YouTube link, plays 15ish second clip), or the pre-chorus in “Laulava vainaja” (1:13) where the guitars suddenly deviate out of unison into an abbreviated lead, which adds a tight flare. What feels unsubtle becomes the band’s best compositional trick. Less turns out to be more.2 This also gives the impression that Verikalpa has begun opening things up a bit more compositionally, experimenting with better orchestration and slightly carnivalesque sounds (“Maat hauraan hautaa,” the bridge in “Veritonttu”). It’s playful, but it’s worth taking 100% seriously.

Ultimately, Tuomio’s combination of a maturing band that’s developing its sound and a production that lets their excellent ideas and melodies shine creates what is easily one of the most enjoyable listening experiences I’ve had this year. Tuomio is an album without a bad song and that finds Verikalpa making major strides to come into its own. Even at 55 minutes long, I never think about the album’s length when I’m listening to it. It’s just fun hearing Verikalpa develop, and while their sound is still undeniably indebted to the Finnish scene from 20 years ago, Tuomio is helping them plant their flag. So, sure, Verikalpa continues to bear the accordion of tradition to the sauna of the metal gods. But in 2024, they no longer only do so as supplicants.

Rating: Very good (and getting better!)
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: V0 mp3
Label: Scarlet Records
Websites: verikalpaofficial.com | Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: April 19th, 2024

#2024 #35 #Apr24 #Blog #FinnishMetal #FolkMetal #MelodicDeathMetal #Review #Reviews #ScarletRecords #SonataArctica #Tunturihauta #Tuomio #Tuoppitannsi #Turisas #Verikalpa #Wintersun

Korpiklaani – Rankarumpu Review

By GardensTale

Every metalhead has a few firsts when they’re just entering the scene. First band you became obsessed with. First live gig. Korpiklaani was neither of those for me, but it was the backdrop to my first moshpit, and the next few as well, when I had less than 10 bands in my metal library and the band only had its first 2 albums under the belt. Like many others, Korpiklaani drifted into my past, apart from an occasional nostalgic spin of “Wooden Pints” or “Cottages & Saunas.” Until a few weeks ago, when I was constructing a playlist for a new Dungeons & Dragons character (a kobold ranger named Tracha) and decided nothing nailed his personality quite like the drunk druid folk party of the Finns. Perfect timing to clamber back aboard the running train as it heads to its 12th station: Rankarumpu.

Apparently, two decades of pumping out album after album have had little to no effect on Korpiklaani’s sound, because any of the around dozen songs on Rankarumpu could have been a lost bonus track from Voice of the Wilderness and I’d be none the wiser. If you’re new to the band: imagine Radagast the Brown from The Hobbit partying with Tankard and add a slew of folk instrumentation. Founder and vocalist Jonne Järvelä sounds entirely unchanged, his gruff shaman chants and traditional yoiks as distinctive as ever. The thrashy guitars stick to a backseat role, with violin and accordion providing most of the melodic leads. Of these, the violin steals the spotlight, thanks to Turisas alumnus Olli Vänskä. His light and nimble playing elevates the music a level above mere boisterous drinking fare (though make no mistakes, it definitely still classifies as such). “Saunaan”1 is an immediate favorite thanks to his soaring melody, and songs that would otherwise be classified as average like “Viikatelintu” benefit a lot from the lithe bowing overtop.

When I researched the reception to Korpiklaani’s recent work, the most common complaint seemed to be a pretty hefty case of bloat, with multiple albums running over an hour. Few bands can make such running times work, and none of them play jaunty folk metal. But Rankarumpu clocks in at a modest 43 minutes and change, and is all the better for it. Between the reduced length and Vänskä’s reinvigorating violin, Rankarumpu feels like a soft reset for the band, a return to basics. Instead of big, bloated concepts, here are 12 tracks that range from solid to excellent, the average length well under 4 minutes, and each has its own hooks and personality. The songwriting could have been just a smidge more dynamic, though. With cheerful and bouncy the default mode, the more introspective, melancholy tracks I’ve come to love from the band’s early efforts are largely absent, aside from closer “Harhainen Höyhen,” which seems afraid to commit fully to either low or high energy and winds up a somewhat awkward mid-pace.

It’s less a demerit and more a recommendation for future improvement, though, because Rankarumpu is a real joyous treat for the positivity-starved metalhead, and despite operating within a more limited spectrum, the tracklist has plenty of surprises. “Kotomaa” is the most intense and immediate opener the band could have come up with, “Aita” has the rom-pom-pom gait of an approaching troll and the title track comes across as equal parts war dance and victory party. The production fits the music just the same: warm, clear, and direct, emphasizing the folk instruments and vocals while letting the guitar fill out the background to keep an iota of heaviness.

Though I haven’t had the chance to delve into the band’s recent past, Rankarumpu feels like the band reining in their most destructive excesses while giving plenty of floor-time to their newest band member. Whilst Korpiklaani never lost my favor, this is where they have regained my interest, with an album that is as simple in writing and structure as it is addictive. A uniformly strong showing from a band a dozen albums deep is a rare treat, and I know Rankarumpu will be a worthy companion to many parties this year. Including my adventuring party, because a certain kobold ranger has just become a big fan of saunas!

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: Nuclear Blast
Websites: korpiklaani.bandcamp.com | korpiklaani.com | facebook.com/korpiklaani
Releases Worldwide: April 5th, 2024

#2024 #35 #Apr24 #FinnishMetal #FolkMetal #Korpiklaani #NuclearBlast #Rankarumpu #Review #Reviews #Tankard #Turisas

Korpiklaani – Rankarumpu Review

By GardensTale

Every metalhead has a few firsts when they’re just entering the scene. First band you became obsessed with. First live gig. Korpiklaani was neither of those for me, but it was the backdrop to my first moshpit, and the next few as well, when I had less than 10 bands in my metal library and the band only had its first 2 albums under the belt. Like many others, Korpiklaani drifted into my past, apart from an occasional nostalgic spin of “Wooden Pints” or “Cottages & Saunas.” Until a few weeks ago, when I was constructing a playlist for a new Dungeons & Dragons character (a kobold ranger named Tracha) and decided nothing nailed his personality quite like the drunk druid folk party of the Finns. Perfect timing to clamber back aboard the running train as it heads to its 12th station: Rankarumpu.

Apparently, two decades of pumping out album after album have had little to no effect on Korpiklaani’s sound, because any of the around dozen songs on Rankarumpu could have been a lost bonus track from Voice of the Wilderness and I’d be none the wiser. If you’re new to the band: imagine Radagast the Brown from The Hobbit partying with Tankard and add a slew of folk instrumentation. Founder and vocalist Jonne Järvelä sounds entirely unchanged, his gruff shaman chants and traditional yoiks as distinctive as ever. The thrashy guitars stick to a backseat role, with violin and accordion providing most of the melodic leads. Of these, the violin steals the spotlight, thanks to Turisas alumnus Olli Vänskä. His light and nimble playing elevates the music a level above mere boisterous drinking fare (though make no mistakes, it definitely still classifies as such). “Saunaan”1 is an immediate favorite thanks to his soaring melody, and songs that would otherwise be classified as average like “Viikatelintu” benefit a lot from the lithe bowing overtop.

When I researched the reception to Korpiklaani’s recent work, the most common complaint seemed to be a pretty hefty case of bloat, with multiple albums running over an hour. Few bands can make such running times work, and none of them play jaunty folk metal. But Rankarumpu clocks in at a modest 43 minutes and change, and is all the better for it. Between the reduced length and Vänskä’s reinvigorating violin, Rankarumpu feels like a soft reset for the band, a return to basics. Instead of big, bloated concepts, here are 12 tracks that range from solid to excellent, the average length well under 4 minutes, and each has its own hooks and personality. The songwriting could have been just a smidge more dynamic, though. With cheerful and bouncy the default mode, the more introspective, melancholy tracks I’ve come to love from the band’s early efforts are largely absent, aside from closer “Harhainen Höyhen,” which seems afraid to commit fully to either low or high energy and winds up a somewhat awkward mid-pace.

It’s less a demerit and more a recommendation for future improvement, though, because Rankarumpu is a real joyous treat for the positivity-starved metalhead, and despite operating within a more limited spectrum, the tracklist has plenty of surprises. “Kotomaa” is the most intense and immediate opener the band could have come up with, “Aita” has the rom-pom-pom gait of an approaching troll and the title track comes across as equal parts war dance and victory party. The production fits the music just the same: warm, clear, and direct, emphasizing the folk instruments and vocals while letting the guitar fill out the background to keep an iota of heaviness.

Though I haven’t had the chance to delve into the band’s recent past, Rankarumpu feels like the band reining in their most destructive excesses while giving plenty of floor-time to their newest band member. Whilst Korpiklaani never lost my favor, this is where they have regained my interest, with an album that is as simple in writing and structure as it is addictive. A uniformly strong showing from a band a dozen albums deep is a rare treat, and I know Rankarumpu will be a worthy companion to many parties this year. Including my adventuring party, because a certain kobold ranger has just become a big fan of saunas!

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: Nuclear Blast
Websites: korpiklaani.bandcamp.com | korpiklaani.com | facebook.com/korpiklaani
Releases Worldwide: April 5th, 2024

#2024 #35 #Apr24 #FinnishMetal #FolkMetal #Korpiklaani #NuclearBlast #Rankarumpu #Review #Reviews #Tankard #Turisas

Korpiklaani – Rankarumpu Review

By GardensTale

Every metalhead has a few firsts when they’re just entering the scene. First band you became obsessed with. First live gig. Korpiklaani was neither of those for me, but it was the backdrop to my first moshpit, and the next few as well, when I had less than 10 bands in my metal library and the band only had its first 2 albums under the belt. Like many others, Korpiklaani drifted into my past, apart from an occasional nostalgic spin of “Wooden Pints” or “Cottages & Saunas.” Until a few weeks ago, when I was constructing a playlist for a new Dungeons & Dragons character (a kobold ranger named Tracha) and decided nothing nailed his personality quite like the drunk druid folk party of the Finns. Perfect timing to clamber back aboard the running train as it heads to its 12th station: Rankarumpu.

Apparently, two decades of pumping out album after album have had little to no effect on Korpiklaani’s sound, because any of the around dozen songs on Rankarumpu could have been a lost bonus track from Voice of the Wilderness and I’d be none the wiser. If you’re new to the band: imagine Radagast the Brown from The Hobbit partying with Tankard and add a slew of folk instrumentation. Founder and vocalist Jonne Järvelä sounds entirely unchanged, his gruff shaman chants and traditional yoiks as distinctive as ever. The thrashy guitars stick to a backseat role, with violin and accordion providing most of the melodic leads. Of these, the violin steals the spotlight, thanks to Turisas alumnus Olli Vänskä. His light and nimble playing elevates the music a level above mere boisterous drinking fare (though make no mistakes, it definitely still classifies as such). “Saunaan”1 is an immediate favorite thanks to his soaring melody, and songs that would otherwise be classified as average like “Viikatelintu” benefit a lot from the lithe bowing overtop.

When I researched the reception to Korpiklaani’s recent work, the most common complaint seemed to be a pretty hefty case of bloat, with multiple albums running over an hour. Few bands can make such running times work, and none of them play jaunty folk metal. But Rankarumpu clocks in at a modest 43 minutes and change, and is all the better for it. Between the reduced length and Vänskä’s reinvigorating violin, Rankarumpu feels like a soft reset for the band, a return to basics. Instead of big, bloated concepts, here are 12 tracks that range from solid to excellent, the average length well under 4 minutes, and each has its own hooks and personality. The songwriting could have been just a smidge more dynamic, though. With cheerful and bouncy the default mode, the more introspective, melancholy tracks I’ve come to love from the band’s early efforts are largely absent, aside from closer “Harhainen Höyhen,” which seems afraid to commit fully to either low or high energy and winds up a somewhat awkward mid-pace.

It’s less a demerit and more a recommendation for future improvement, though, because Rankarumpu is a real joyous treat for the positivity-starved metalhead, and despite operating within a more limited spectrum, the tracklist has plenty of surprises. “Kotomaa” is the most intense and immediate opener the band could have come up with, “Aita” has the rom-pom-pom gait of an approaching troll and the title track comes across as equal parts war dance and victory party. The production fits the music just the same: warm, clear, and direct, emphasizing the folk instruments and vocals while letting the guitar fill out the background to keep an iota of heaviness.

Though I haven’t had the chance to delve into the band’s recent past, Rankarumpu feels like the band reining in their most destructive excesses while giving plenty of floor-time to their newest band member. Whilst Korpiklaani never lost my favor, this is where they have regained my interest, with an album that is as simple in writing and structure as it is addictive. A uniformly strong showing from a band a dozen albums deep is a rare treat, and I know Rankarumpu will be a worthy companion to many parties this year. Including my adventuring party, because a certain kobold ranger has just become a big fan of saunas!

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: Nuclear Blast
Websites: korpiklaani.bandcamp.com | korpiklaani.com | facebook.com/korpiklaani
Releases Worldwide: April 5th, 2024

#2024 #35 #Apr24 #FinnishMetal #FolkMetal #Korpiklaani #NuclearBlast #Rankarumpu #Review #Reviews #Tankard #Turisas