MOONSORROW — Suden uni (review)

Album · 2001 · Folk Metal

5/5 · 2010-04-07
arcane-beautiful

Battle Metal is a hard genre to get in to. Recently there have been Battle Metal bands springing up from holes in the ground like smurfs, some do actually make some great music (Alestorm's new album rules), but then again, some can just annoy you, they take the spirit of Battle Metal and just ruin it with songs about geting drunk and having their way with anicent women who have been dead for thousands of years (that sounds a bit necro).

But then we have the great Battle Metal bands, who, rather than drink themselves into George Best airport, actually mean what they right, and sing about great epic battles and mythology, and seeing the drinking as reward, rather than a lifestyle. I felt that Koripiklanni have kind of seen themselves becoming too obsessive with drinking (listen to Vodka and Bring Us Pints Of Beer).

Moonsorrow are definelty one of if not the best Battle Metal band ever. Instead of waddling on about how drunk a man can get, they make pieces of music that are longer and more epic than a Lord Of The Rings movie. With extended instumental passages with folky breakdowns, and weird black metal influences, they definelty are in line for the Battle Metal throne that Bathory left so long ago.

Suden Uni is an epic leviathan that is full of emotion, bombastic sounds and Finish mythology. There lyrics (even though in Finnish, thats what translations are for) are poetry none the less, explaining enough to put the Kalevala to shame;

1. Ukkosenjumalan Poika - Extremely epic, a great first song. Really grabs the listeners attention. I love how Moonspell don't need alot of vocals in their songs and rely more on the quality and the vastness of the music itself. The vocals are not that bad, they remind me of early Children Of Bodom. The blastbeats at the end are heart stopping.

2. Köyliönjärven Jäällä (Pakanavedet II) - I love the use of mouth harp (or as the keyboardist of my band Eternia would say...bingy bongie), reminds me of Fintroll. The extended passages remind me of Enslaved & Opeth, where they can keep a listener intrested without putting them to sleep.

3. Kuin Ikuinen - This song is alot like the first, where the folk is replaced with symphonic styles. I love the sound effects, they really add texture and atmospher to the extended passages, and really give us the impression of a battle scene.

4. Tuulen Koti, Aaltojen Koti - The ocean sounds add more to the jaunty folky tune. The flute parts remind me of Jethro Tull, and the harmonies created are beautiful. A more solemn moment in this wonder.

5. Pakanajuhla - Sounds like an Irish jig that i would have played ages ago. Very Fintroll again, with the use of a jaunty beat. I also love the thrash metal riff before the blast beats...if thats not Prog, i don't know what is.

6. 1065: Aika -You can tell this is gonna be epic.A slow into with an epic climax. For some reason it's very doomy, and reminds me of My Dying Bride. The scream after the spoken word passage is very epic indeed. The epic Emperor choir moments are hair raising. It's less folky and more metal.

7. Suden Uni - A Pain Of Salvation like piano ending with bingy bongie. An amazing end to an epic album.

8. Tulkaapa Äijät! - A good drinking song, not all about how much someone can love beer. It reminds me of that song Mickey, for some reason. Finn's love their drink.

CONCLUSION: This is one of the milestones of Battle Metal. If you are intrested in Battle Metal, then buy this one, it's just a great album, and really makes people proud to believe in this once great genre. Now excuse me, I've got a keg with my name on it...