Finntroll – Blodsvept

Folk metal is at its high the last years. And these guys were always on the front line. They still are. Finntroll is their name and their kind of folk metal is humppa. Humppa is folklore music of Finland and it is a bit related to jazz. This is the sixth release of the Finnish septet. After many changes on their line-up in the early days, many due to health problems, the seven piece group from Helsinki goes steady for almost seven years with just an addition of a keyboardist.

On the album now, I found it really mesmerizing after many auditions. Most of the albums of Finntroll have two or three songs that stand out. In “Blodsvept” this does not apply. I enjoy each listening a lot. And after three times of constantly listening to the whole CD I can see its quality. The dark rhythms and the mid-tempos are so catchy I found myself whispering them a lot of times while having a walk.

Yes, still it is a CD where some songs can stand out as highlights. Yet, there aren’t just two or three. And you cannot choose easily. The first and title track is definitely one. The roar in the beginning is giving a clue of what comes next. The song that recently was out as a video clip is another one and is called “Häxbrygd”. “När Jättar Marschera”, with its great melody and its loud bass is another one. And then, you have some songs that can’t go with a beer in your hand, such as “Mordminnen” and “Rösets Kung”. Especially with the last one, you can imagine that you are in a fantasy land of the old surrounded by creatures of the legend. And these are just a few I could distinguish at ease.

The whole atmosphere is dark as the lyrics demand, which relate to fairy tale creatures and other mythological monsters and trolls. The words are again on Swedish – something that is happening since Katla was singing – and that is because they are more melodic, as Vreth have admitted on its interview on Metalpaths. And you can really listen to this in many choruses and parts on “Blodsvept”.

Of course the melodies and the orchestration are magnificent. It is a true masterpiece, regarding the musical arrangements, that combine two worlds; that of metal music and Finnish folklore. The guitars bind with the keyboards with each taking its turn with melodies and without either instrument overshadowing the other. The compositions are dark and gloomy and yet powerful and uplifting. All the tracks have a dancing quality that makes you want to get up and headbang! It really is a contradiction how Finntroll can make such a cheerful music sound so dark and deep. What if the vocals are screams that tumble between death and black metal? You should feel the urge that will make you get off your ass.

And most of the kudos should go to the producer of “Blodsvept”. It is a nominee for the best album of the year 2013 in my opinion. Ladies and gentlemen you have been trolled – Finntrolled!