I was just re-re-re-re-re-re-rewatching the music video for Metallica's cover of "Turn the Page" because, well, that song is awesome. Actually, the whole thing was prompted by a friend who asked people on Facebook what their favorite metal cover songs were, and that happens to be mine. Anyway, while I was there there I noticed this comment:
"Not being funny but these old guys really need to retire, music is crap
too! Look at how amazing Lil Wayne is compared to these old dicks!"
I've long since given up caring even a little bit what people have to say in the comment section, as something about online anonymity seems to breed next-level stupidity. Still, I have to be honest, a little part of my faith in humanity died. I mean, even if we were to accept this guy's rather poor assumption that rap is inherently better than metal (a point I absolutely refuse to concede), are you telling me he couldn't have come up with a better rapper than Lil Wayne? Seriously? Not even Tupac or somebody? Yikes.
Someone posted this on Facebook, and I am quite happy they did. I haven't had a chance to listen through the full album yet, but if you like really dark and ugly doom, I'd suggest giving it a whirl.
Finntroll have long resided on the list of bands I like reasonably well but don't actively follow. They were largely responsible for piquing my interest in folk metal, but after that they just kind of faded into the background of my consciousness.
Well with the release of the Finnish crew's newest album this spring, I decided to give them my attention again, and I wasn't disappointed. Their music really hasn't changed in any notable way: it's still fantasy-infused folk metal played with plenty of skill and energy. This album feels a little angrier to me than the last Finntroll material I listened to, but to be fair I haven't caught the last couple of albums. In general, I'd say that this has a little more metal and less folk than their old music, but it still feels very much like the same band I remember.
The snarling Swedish vocals, the hyperactive guitars, the spash of flavor from accordions and synths, and the goofy costume aesthetic of the band are all still there and they all click. This is not a brilliant, powerhouse album that redefines the sub-genre or anything, but it's a very good record that works well on a number of levels. If you like folk metal then you already know these guys and have likely checked this out yourself by now. If you don't, then this is as good a place as any to start.
First off, sorry I haven't posted in such a long time. In the past couple months I finished college, moved all my stuff to my parents' house, went to work raising some cash, packed up and moved from Ohio back out to Nevada (a car-trouble-filled odyssey in its own right), and started up my new job here in Las Vegas. So, basically, I've been occupied. I'm pretty much settled in at this point, so while I won't be posting daily or anything, I'm finally going to start producing some material again.
A couple weeks ago, one of my absolute favorite metal bands released their first album in nearly four years. Månegarm are a Swedish Viking metal band who came into this release on a streak of six excellent albums. Their 2007 record Vargstenen in particular deserves a place amongst the top handful of albums in the sub-genre's history.
With all the anticipation I felt for this record, it's perhaps understandable that it didn't quite live up to my expectations. Now don't get me wrong, this is a good album. But it lacks that "it factor" that the band usually brings to the table. The songs are entertaining, but they feel a little bit cheesy in comparison with the group's previous material, with more of an emphasis on bouncy catchiness and less of the hostile beauty I've come to expect.
One really major factor that has affected the feel of the record is the band's lamentable decision to transition from Swedish to English lyrics. Somebody in Finntroll (I forget who) once noted that Swedish sounds "damn trollish" and it's kind of true. The Nordic languages have a sound that suits this kind of music really well, and by stepping away from both their roots and that guttural harshness, the band has lost something.
The songwriting in general is somewhat culpable as well, given the aforementioned bouncy catchiness. The riffs, the tempo, and the overall feel is just more (and I hate the hipster implications of saying this) . . . commercial. I mean, it's not Korpiklaani or anything, but it feels much more geared toward accessibility than their previous work. There's nothing wrong with accessibility, unless it comes at the cost of quality, and here I think it does.
It's funny how negative this review sounds, because like I said at the start, I actually liked this album just fine. It really wasn't bad at all, and I'd have little hesitation in offering it up to fans of the genre. Comeing from a band that has maintained such a tremendous level of quality, though, it's a clear step down from the summit.
I'm currently in the process of driving from Ohio to Nevada. I'm making a number of stops along the way to see family and friends, so it's not all in one straight shot, but it's still a ton of driving. At this moment I'm in Virginia (side trip at the start) but in the morning I'll be back on the road again. I'd hoped to get through some material for the blog this past month, but a lot has been going on and I've just not had the time. In about two more weeks I'll finally be settled in place somewhat, with some of the first free time I've had in longer than I'd like, so as long as nothing further comes up I'd like to get back to posting at least semi-regularly then.
