Album Review: Korpiklaani - "Tervaskanto"

Band: Korpiklaani (Finland)
Album Title: Tervaskanto
Label: Napalm Records (Germany, U.S.)
Released: 2007

There are folk metal bands who are very serious, and then there are bands like Korpiklaani. I don't like the idea of celebrating drunkenness or hunting for sport, but this forest clan from Finland sure makes those things sound like fun. Korpiklaani doesn't concern themselves with issues of paganism or nationalism (as most folk metal bands do), instead focusing on mostly lighter subjects. This has given them access to a wider audience, but it has also had the effect of making them seem like a trifle, a novelty. I myself have had this impression of Korpiklaani many times; their music is certainly enjoyable and infectious, but I tend to tire of them and return to more serious fare.

Therefore, I resisted their newest release, Tervaskanto, for several months after its release, until I realized that there was a version with a live DVD (45 minutes of their set at Wacken festival 2006). I mainly bought it for the live DVD, and didn't even listen to the CD for a few days after it arrived in the mail.

However, I could not long resist its charms, and was soon caught in its addicting polka rhythms and cheery atmosphere. And, unlike their past albums, this one has stuck with me. At first listen, it doesn't sound like much has changed for Korpiklaani since 2006's Tales Along This Road. There's still the expected English-language drinking song (on this release, it's "Let's Drink"), the gruff vocals of frontman Jonne, the mixture of violin and accordion with traditional metal instruments, etc. The first difference I noticed was that there are only two English-language songs on this CD, "Let's Drink" included. I think this was a good choice, as I've found many of their English-language songs to be kind of bland for some reason ("Hunting Song" and "Beer Beer" from 2005's Voice of Wilderness notwithstanding).

I think the reason why Tervaskanto has resonated with me more than previous Korpiklaani albums is that the band sounds tighter, the accordion is featured quite heavily, and the songs are just awesome. They're all catchy, and the level of quality from song to song is more consistent than on previous albums, in my opinion. On the first few Korpiklaani albums, there are always songs I skip over because they don't grab me, but Tervaskanto is an album I can listen to all the way through. The momentum never breaks until the second-to-last song, "Vesilahden veräjillä," for which the tempo finally slows to let the listener catch his or her breath. This song also proves that these guys have some depth to them, as they take the time to share a local legend from the municipality of Vesilahti (where vocalist/guitarist Jonne and bassist Jarkko are from originally, according to the helpful liner notes, which also include English translations for the Finnish-language lyrics). Then they finish the album with a great instrumental, "Nordic Feast." This is the album I'd been hoping Korpiklaani would make since I first heard them and realized their potential.

The Finnish bands had some strong releases last year, and this is certainly no exception. Tervaskanto is probably the most fun album I heard in 2007.