If folk metal is your drug of choice then prepare to overdose; in the space of a few weeks we’ve had re-issues from Ensiferum, an E.P. from Moonsorrow and new albums from Eluveitie and Korpiklaani. It almost seems like it’s too good to be true. Then again, Korpiklaani seem to be one of the most reliable bands the genre has to offer; we’ve never had to wait very long between albums and they’ve more or less trodden the same path throughout their five album career. After slowly building their fan base over their years on Austrian label Napalm Records, they begin a new chapter with metal giants Nuclear Blast starting with the release of Korven Kuningas. The label may have changed but, thankfully, little else has.
One minor change that is instantly noticeable is the cover; we see the hirsute hermit Vari, recognisable from previous album covers, surfing down the water rapids on a log in front of a backdrop of forestry. The difference is that unlike previous covers this is an actual painting rather than a Photoshopped image. As the painting may slightly hint at, Korven Kuningas (That’s ‘King of the woods’ for the non-Finnish speakers) is a bit of an homage to the lumberjacks of their home country.
The album gets off to a lively start with the frenzied conviviality of ‘Tapporauta’, where the manic bounce of the accordion is interleaved with rhythmic rapids before calming down for a peaceful and solitary wander through the woodland on ‘Metsamies’, which carries along a traditional folk melody that has a neo-pagan ‘Lord of the dance’ feel to it. The first single to be taken from the album, ‘Keep on galloping’ does exactly what the title would lead you to expect. The track kicks off with the galloping of hooves before a thumping bassline pushes through and a sequence of riffs trot along steadily as a folky layer of violin creeps along creating a pleasant hum-along melody.
The instrumental ‘Shall we take a turn?’ is a fine moment, as the music contains a certain nuance of indecisiveness that is fitting with the theme of the song; a forceful succession of crunchy riffs and intense drum blast get entangled in a brawl against the muscular accordion which causes the rhythm to swerve in the opposite direction as a bass comes stampeding through, flying head first into a formidable gallop until everything comes to a sudden grinding halt.
‘Ali Jaisten Vetten’ rocks to and fro with a pendulous motion, as a frolicsome accordion melody skips lightly alongside the gravel-like yodels of Jonne. The tone is brought down as we are take through the beautiful ‘Gods of Fire’ where a serene atmosphere prevails, before returning to the cavorting buoyancy of ‘Kantaiso’ which carries a Finntroll-esque polka vibe mixed in with a cyclonic accordion line that you can’t help but want to dance to.
The mellow, bass driven sounds of ‘Syntykoski Syommehassain’ build up a soporific repetition, as the instruments gradually enter the mix; a flute lingers sweetly in the air as a sluggish accordion melody creates an ethnic feel while a shamanic drum beat leads the way through the convoluted finale ‘Korven Kuningas’ which passes by distant ethnic chants and jovial dance rhythms, eventually thinning out leaving us with only a monotonous shamanic drum beat that eventually brings the album to a close.
Listening to this album gives me the impression that Korpiklaani are genuinely having as much fun creating music as the fans are having hearing it. If they were dropped from their label tomorrow my guess would be that they would hide away in their log cabin making tunes just the same. Another solid album from the Finnish forest dwellers, and if you have enjoyed previous outings of ‘Tervaskanto’ and ‘Tales along the road’ then this shouldn’t disappoint.
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