Kalmah & Swamp

Diseased

New Metal Member
Sep 15, 2003
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Could someone tell me, how kalmah can advertise their music as "swamp metal"? I personally think it´s just plain death metal with guitar solos, and it hasn´t even seen swamp in it´s music. The layout may prefer to Swamp, but music IS NOT swamp metal. There just aren´t any swampy touch. If someone disagrees, i would like to hear some explanations, why there still is swamp in their music. But, my opinion is that even bands like Finntroll and Moonsorrow prefer more to swamp than kalmah.
Kalmah= new ETOS.
 
I can feel the swamps in the inner depths of their music! :D I think Finntroll has more of a folkish touch to it.. Kalmah will obviously have ETOS influences since two members were from there but like that Kalmah and Bodom comparison, Kalmah and ETOS are very different bands and I love them both (though I really hate to admit that in my opinion.. ETOS is far better :erk: ).. so I don't think Kalmah's a new ETOS.. the music touch is not at all similar.. that's what I think though.. and Kalmah has a different, Kalmah-style swamp! lol, I dunno.. :p
 
Morning Star: good explanations, even though I still wonder where´s the Swampy touch in Kalmah. Maybe Antti or Pekka would know the answer?
I know that ETOS and Kalmah are slightly different, but what I meant was, that their sound is quite similar. ETOS had as much "swampy touch" in their music, as does Kalmah. That is of course ZERO.
And, when I said that even Finntroll is more swampy than Kalmah, I didn´t mean that Finntroll was the face of Swamp (if anyone knows what i mean :) ) but, they have more that kind of music, which makes an image into one´s mind, and the image is of course folkish and trollish, but also swampy. When I listen to Kalmah, the strongest image is probably somekind of dark factory or something :D So, are there any other opinions? Does anyone think that Kalmah plays swamp-metal? If so, I would like to hear more comments. Especially from Antti or Pekka.

And, when you are reading this, I never said that Kalmah is a "shit band", no. It´s a good band, but it is mis-leading (or at least i think so) if they say they are playing metal with swampy touch, but when you listen to it, there is no swamp at all in their music. And that´s a shame, especially if you love forests and swamps like I do :) . Then I try to find swamp in the music, that´s the reason, why I may get interested of a band.
 
Diseased said:
Morning Star: good explanations, even though I still wonder where´s the Swampy touch in Kalmah. Maybe Antti or Pekka would know the answer?
I know that ETOS and Kalmah are slightly different, but what I meant was, that their sound is quite similar. ETOS had as much "swampy touch" in their music, as does Kalmah. That is of course ZERO.
lol, actually, I think that ETOS and Kalmah are not "slightly" different, they're "very" different. I do believe that there are ETOS influences but, hm, I don't find their music similar :loco: though I will be quite interested in an answer by bandmembers, hmm.. :tickled:

and about that image created thing.. when I listen to Kalmah, I just sigh, admire the music and sink into my own world.. :worship:

iAMtheblackwizards said:
I think the word swamp has been used way too much in this thread already
:lol: uhuh, I think this is what this thread is about :lol:
 
"Swamp metal" is bands like Down and later CoC. Kalmah is not "swamp metal" in that sense. However, the bandmembers themselves have stated that they draw their musical influence from actual swamps, so in that sense, they are swamp metal.

So I propose this: let's just call it "Scandinavian Swamp Metal" instead!
 
There is a little bit of EToS influence in Kalmah's music, but the bands aren't similar. The similarities were more noticeable on Swamplord, when the band was almost completely made up of EToS members.

When I think EToS, I think more "beautiful" music than Kalmah. EToS was a band that would use acoustics a lot, clean session vocalists, and had a number of slower songs.

Kalmah is a much heavier band. And while they have beautiful music, in their own right, most of their material is faster.

As for the swamp issue, discussing it really doesn't make sense. How can a band have a swamp sound? Kalmah often refer to themselves as the Swamplords, because there are a lot of swamps where they live, and that is a major source of their inspiration, and one of the main themes of their lyrics.
 
I´m just speculating their statement, they say they play death metal with lots of melodies and "swampy touch". I would just like to know, what makes that touch in their music, because, if I wouldn´t know, I would consider them just another metalband. No swamps around.
But, in some songs (and I don´t mean Kalmah), you JUST know when it´s swamp metal, or troll metal, or whatever. They bring pictures into my mind, and into other´s too. But the picture that Kalmah brings, doesn´t bring swamps into my mind, which it should, that is of course if they say that they play swamp metal.

This topic is pretty psychic and weird, don´t you think :D

But my opinion is that, if a band says that they play metal with swampy touch, the swamps should shine in their music. It shouldn´t be just a source of inspiration. Still waiting for Kokko Brothers´s comments...:)
 
I don't know about the swamps, but Kalmah's music gives me the feeling of being in the wilderness, as does a lot of music with folk melodies. Other music compared with Kalmah can have an "urbanised" feel to it, maybe thats what they are trying to capture with the swamp image. I've personally been to Finland, and Kalmah just makes me feel as if i'm back there. And Pekka's vocals are totally unique.,..
 
ugly said:
When I think EToS, I think more "beautiful" music than Kalmah. EToS was a band that would use acoustics a lot, clean session vocalists, and had a number of slower songs.
clean session vocalists were only for A Virgin and A Whore, but there weren't any clean ones on other albums apart from female vocals :p ETOS's music was melodic and dark. If you have the music on the way I do, it feels like Altti Vetelainen is singing right beside you :D *so cool*

@hibernal_dream: yeah, me too, the wilderness :D
 
What the fuck is swamp metal?

And the reason there are EToS influences is because there are guys in the band that used to be in EToS, ever think of that? Kalmah is pretty much an extention of EToS. And now that EToS broke up, Kalmah are the NEW EToS. That's how I see it.
 
SpiritCrusherX said:
What the fuck is swamp metal?

And the reason there are EToS influences is because there are guys in the band that used to be in EToS, ever think of that? Kalmah is pretty much an extention of EToS. And now that EToS broke up, Kalmah are the NEW EToS. That's how I see it.
You got it pretty much wrong. Kalmah started as Ancestor in 1991. And if you think the relationship between these two bands the way you do, I´d say Cradle of Filth is Dimmu Borgir then.

Swamp metal is about the smell of Finnish swamp turf. It`s very deadly/melodic/black and explosive stuff. People warm facilities with turf here.
 
hmm, good explanation.. smell of Finnish swamp turf.. ah, I can smell it in the music! :D

@SpiritCrusherX: If Kalmah was the new ETOS I wouldn't mind because I miss ETOS a lot but they're not the new ETOS so I love Kalmah for who they are :p I don't find their music very similar..
 
"swamp" is just the "logo" of the band like the jester for in flames, reaper for cob and so... Somehow the band started to call themselfs a swamplords and that gave birth to all the swamp things in band.
 
In a certain way INF got this right. The bands You mentioned have something that everybody can be familiar with and know what it is all about. One of the main goals is to arrange a show that has never been arranged before, a show in the middle of Finnish swamp. That would be so cool that even I can`t understand. Until the SMOA beware...
 
kalmah has a lot of "swampy" feeling to it!!! (try listening to it while at night in a swamp)... kalmah and EToS are VERY different... with kalmah winning the competition between them. id say that Kalmah is melodic death. finntroll is polka-metal. its not connected to swamps in any way.