Band: Verikalpa
Album: Tunturihauta
Label: Scarlet Records
Release date: January 21st 2022
Rating: 9/10

Verikalpa are the next in a line of great Folk Metal bands from Finland, following in the footsteps of such luminaries as Moonsorrow, Finntroll, Korpiklaani, Ensiferum and Turisas. Lofty company indeed, but with this, their third album, Verikalpa have emphatically marked their territory and cemented their place in the upper echelons of Finnish Folk Metal. As the lyrics on Tunturihauta are in the band’s native tongue, Finnish, therefore rendering them completely impenetrable to the rest of the world, it’s hard to really get a handle of the subject matter. However, working from the song-titles alone (I’m currently learning Finnish and Google Translate is your friend), they follow the familiar Folk Metal tropes, namely Battles, Alcohol, Ancient times, etc. That said, we all know that language is pretty much irrelevant in the world of music as the bands we love come from far and wide and it’s the music which does the talking. Lucky for us, then, that just about every song on Tunturihauta is immediate, instantly catchy and these melodies will be stuck in your head for days. There were signs of potential on their previous albums, but this time around, Verikalpa have struck gold. Musically, they slot neatly into the type of upbeat and melodic Folk Metal as purveyed by the likes of the aforementioned Finntroll and Korpiklaani, albeit with a liberal sprinkling of Moonsorrow’s keyboard magic. This is perfect musical accompaniment for drinking beer, and I imagine that Verikalpa would be an absolute blast in the live setting. If I had to give a criticism, and it’s a minor one, it’s that there isn’t much variation here. Every song follows a similar, familiar pattern and musically, Verikalpa are very much a one trick pony, steeped in the sound of their contemporaries. But when the trick is this good, you might as well perfect it…and they have. This is hook-laden, straight down the line Folk Metal and I honestly wouldn’t want it any other way. Those looking for a ground-breaking band who are pushing the boundaries of the genre will find slim pickings here, but fans of straight down the line, quality Folk Metal will love it! I certainly do. 2022 is already proving to be a great year for Folk Metal and Tunturihauta is yet another album that is likely to be finding a place on end of year lists come December. Lovely stuff!

Firn - Frostwärts review

Band: Firn
Album: Frostwärts
Label: Einheit Produktionen / Schattenpfade
Release date: 25th February 2022
Rating: 10/10

Let’s not beat around the bush here, initially Frostwärts sounds like an album which worships at the dark altar of Finnish Pagan Metal kings, Moonsorrow and there is no doubt that said band have been a clear influence on Firn, the one-man project from Horda (Ordoerir / Waldtraene). It soon becomes apparent however that there is so much more to them than such a one-dimensional comparison would suggest. Horda brings a wide variety of influences to the table, such as, but not limited to, the overt folk leanings of Svartsot and Bifröst, Falkenbach’s knack for atmosphere and even the Power Metal stylings of Crom. In my opinion though, Firn are so much more than the sum of these parts and bring something decidedly unique to the Folk / Pagan Metal table.
One of the most exciting things about Firn and the thing that should make them real heavy hitters in the scene in years to come is Horda’s ability to craft a song which keeps the attention of the listener for its entire duration. At no point was I even tempted to skip to the next song, despite the fact that none of the tracks on the album comes in under the 8-minute mark. This is no more apparent than on the stunning Urkraft, which ebbs and flows with an almost cinematic beauty. Harsh vocals and folk instrumentation gives way to chants, whispered vocals and a catchy as Covid folk melody. For me it’s on this song as well as on the first single from the album, Vater Berg, where the band really comes to life and shows the massive potential they have. All of this is done without contrivance. In fact, the opposite is true as every song on the album is a beautifully crafted piece of work and there isn’t a weak moment to be found. That this is the band’s debut album is nothing short of breathtaking and I look forward to seeing them grow and develop their enormous potential.
I am sometimes guilty of hyperbole and tend to award high scores to the albums that I review, so with that in mind, Frostwärts is a masterful and majestic, solid 10/10 masterpiece.

Theigns & Thralls - Theigns & Thralls review

Band: Theigns & Thralls
Album: Theigns & Thralls
Label: Rockshot Records
Release date: 8th April 2022
Rating: 7/10

I’ll start with a caveat; I’m a huge Skyclad fan. In fact, they are my favourite Folk Metal band and one of my all-time favourite bands, full stop. With that in mind, given that Theigns & Thralls is a new project from Skyclad frontman / songwriter, Kevin Ridley and features Dave Briggs (Waylander) and John Ryan (ex-Cruachan), I went in with high expectations. I am very aware that in doing this there arises a risk of bias, both positive and negative, so I listened with as open a mind as I could. With such an impressive pedigree you’d be forgiven for expecting Theigns & Thralls self-titled debut album to be a rip-roaring Folk Metal monster. In reality, however, it is a much more nuanced and varied offering, with one foot in the Metal camp and the other firmly planted in traditional British Folk music. It is as much Damh the Bard or Levellers as it is Skyclad and If I’m honest, the result of this juxtaposition is a bit of a mixed bag, quality wise. When the songs are good, they are very good. On this side of the coin, you have the beautiful melancholy of “Strive” and “Lord of the Hills”, the brilliant Levellers-esque stomp of “The New Folk Devils” and the wonderfully catchy single “Drinking” which features a variety of guest musicians, most notably Jonne Järvelä from Korpiklaani. On the flip side, however, you have the forgettable instrumental “Flora Robb”, the trite “Today We Get to Play” and alternative version of the cringeworthy “Queen of the Moors” which originally appeared on Skyclad’s “Forward into the Past” album. An honourable mention should also go to the Electronic / Industrial remix of “Life Will Out” which rounds of the album and is an unexpected personal highlight. As Kevin’s voice and song writing style are both so distinctive, many of these songs would fit very neatly into the Skyclad back catalogue and as you might expect, the lyrical themes here are on brand Ridley fare; hardship, politics and of course, drinking. As I touched on previously, Theigns and Thralls is a hit and miss affair that has moments of brilliance, but it is marred by too much lackluster filler material. I really wanted to love it, but I’m sorry to say that I don’t. That said, it’s a solid album with enough quality songs for fans of Skyclad or Kevin Ridley’s solo project to get their teeth into, but it is far from being an essential purchase.