Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja
Spikefarm, 2003
Finally, after 2 years we have a new Moonsorrow release. This is their third album, titled Kivenkantaja, meaning 'Stonebearer'. They continue their pagan black metal just raising it into more epic highness. The one hour long album consists of six epical pieces. Just like with their previous releases it found its way to my heart and my soul with the very first listen and they even topped my expectations. The lyrics are in Finnish again keeping their pagan roots and carrying on their own traditions. The music is still built on viking metal in the vein of Bathory and Enslaved interwoven with their own Finnish features. Why have I found it even better? I feel they put even more of their characteristic elements into the music that have been found since their first album 'Suden Uni'. The compositions are powerful and melodic with longer instrumental parts and simply the music tells stories. The songs are connected to each other neatly, arranging one saga from their six songs.
As the quiet chants of the opener 'At the ruins(Raunioilla)' followed by the recognizable tunes created by guitars and drums, you know this is Moonsorrow, without a doubt. And the melancholic voice of an accordion puts the epical feeling onto a next level. It's beauitful and heart stirring. Listening to this song gives you strength to survive all the misfortunes we have to face everyday. First, it's the voice of Henri 'Urponpoika' Sorvali that is guiding us 'at the ruins'. Then his brother Ville 'Seponpoika' Sorvali joins in with his trollish, eviler vocals and they slide into a catchy, hymnic choir together. The folkish instrumental parts and the epic atmosphere makes us want to sing along with them. Though it's just the first track of the album, the feeling is getting stronger, this is the best song on the album. (If you like the world of 'Twilight of the Gods' by Bathory, this song is a must for you.) The song is closing with an acoustical part and despite the epic feeling is fading, we can feel still proud.
Chimes connect 'At the Ruins' to the song 'Child Of Oblivion(Unohduksen Lapsi)'. From the first parts it shows a more brutal, rawer side of theirs. But we don't have to wait too long for the epic moments nor for the great choirs again. To my great pleasure they start to use the mouth harp around the middle of the song, that is a quieter, abating instrumental passage. The harsh voice of Ville snatch us back to reality and to the world of nice Moonsorrow melodies, lining up together against to the 'wolves from the house of death'. Just like the first track it closes with an acoustical part, drifting into 'City of the gods - Legacy of a thousand years(Jumalten Kaupunki - Tuhativuotinen Reintö)'. Beside the epcical traits it contains mellow melodies, sometimes like a soundtrack of a fantasy movie. This song has the sharpest changes rhythmwise but they didn't forget about the majestic choirs either. The duet of the accordion and the synths is the background to our proud consciousness "A thousand years may have passes, from the moment we left our home. At last have we returned, to the city of eternal." Simple riffing, the blowing wind and the synths makes the lyrics more captivating as we are nearing to the end of the song subsiding with the melancolic sounds of accordion and harmonium.
We are already over half of the album but the drawn out instrumental passages aren't boring, neither repetative, they are simple the spirit of Kivenkantaja. Now we arrived to the title track that is my second favourite on the album. After the acoustical intro the song explodes out of the speakers as the drums came to their role. And if my ears are right they are playin on old fiddle in this song. Ville again let his trollish voice to be heard and while the accordion cries in the background we are preparing for battle together with them. Lots of folkish, trollish melodies make the song even catchier and addig some humppa feeling we got to know at Finntroll, making you wanna dance but not dimishing the combative spirit. Its rhythms and melodies are boiling together with our blood. It deserves of being the title track of this great album.
'Daughter of the wind - The way of Warrior(Tuulen Tytär - Soturin tie)' is long, medieval like, folkish songs. With the wings of its melodies we can fly together with the Daughter of the wind. The short spoken words (sounds like a shaman) end at a touching, powerful chorus. Close your eyes while listening to this song and let your soul fly above the cold, outlying lands followinng 'the way of a warrior' and being aware of his proudness and sense his responsibility.
'At the journey's End(Matkan Lopussa)' , for the first time in Moonsorrow's history, the lyrics are sung by a female vocalist, Petra Lindgren. This traditional Finnish song is melancholic and mournful, a perfect choice to end an epic album. Calming down our pagan soul and leaving us sad for saying good-bye to this mythical, legendary world we lived in for an hour.
Kivenkantaja is an epic masterpiece, from the first second till the last tune fades away.The long instrumental parts are just as important as the great choruses.The arrangements and the whole songwriting things are better if I may say and you just can't find anything you may not like on this album. The atmosphere, the music, the lyrics are all working together, accomplishing the challenge of viking/pagan metal might have.
I even dare to say with this release they will be placed next to Bathory.
01. Raunioilla
02. Unohduksen Lapsi
03. Jumalten Kaupunki Tuhatvuotinen Perintö
04. Kivenkantaja
05. Tuulen Tytär Soturin Tie
06. Matkan Lopussa
http://www.moonsorrow.cjb.net
Spikefarm, 2003
Finally, after 2 years we have a new Moonsorrow release. This is their third album, titled Kivenkantaja, meaning 'Stonebearer'. They continue their pagan black metal just raising it into more epic highness. The one hour long album consists of six epical pieces. Just like with their previous releases it found its way to my heart and my soul with the very first listen and they even topped my expectations. The lyrics are in Finnish again keeping their pagan roots and carrying on their own traditions. The music is still built on viking metal in the vein of Bathory and Enslaved interwoven with their own Finnish features. Why have I found it even better? I feel they put even more of their characteristic elements into the music that have been found since their first album 'Suden Uni'. The compositions are powerful and melodic with longer instrumental parts and simply the music tells stories. The songs are connected to each other neatly, arranging one saga from their six songs.
As the quiet chants of the opener 'At the ruins(Raunioilla)' followed by the recognizable tunes created by guitars and drums, you know this is Moonsorrow, without a doubt. And the melancholic voice of an accordion puts the epical feeling onto a next level. It's beauitful and heart stirring. Listening to this song gives you strength to survive all the misfortunes we have to face everyday. First, it's the voice of Henri 'Urponpoika' Sorvali that is guiding us 'at the ruins'. Then his brother Ville 'Seponpoika' Sorvali joins in with his trollish, eviler vocals and they slide into a catchy, hymnic choir together. The folkish instrumental parts and the epic atmosphere makes us want to sing along with them. Though it's just the first track of the album, the feeling is getting stronger, this is the best song on the album. (If you like the world of 'Twilight of the Gods' by Bathory, this song is a must for you.) The song is closing with an acoustical part and despite the epic feeling is fading, we can feel still proud.
Chimes connect 'At the Ruins' to the song 'Child Of Oblivion(Unohduksen Lapsi)'. From the first parts it shows a more brutal, rawer side of theirs. But we don't have to wait too long for the epic moments nor for the great choirs again. To my great pleasure they start to use the mouth harp around the middle of the song, that is a quieter, abating instrumental passage. The harsh voice of Ville snatch us back to reality and to the world of nice Moonsorrow melodies, lining up together against to the 'wolves from the house of death'. Just like the first track it closes with an acoustical part, drifting into 'City of the gods - Legacy of a thousand years(Jumalten Kaupunki - Tuhativuotinen Reintö)'. Beside the epcical traits it contains mellow melodies, sometimes like a soundtrack of a fantasy movie. This song has the sharpest changes rhythmwise but they didn't forget about the majestic choirs either. The duet of the accordion and the synths is the background to our proud consciousness "A thousand years may have passes, from the moment we left our home. At last have we returned, to the city of eternal." Simple riffing, the blowing wind and the synths makes the lyrics more captivating as we are nearing to the end of the song subsiding with the melancolic sounds of accordion and harmonium.
We are already over half of the album but the drawn out instrumental passages aren't boring, neither repetative, they are simple the spirit of Kivenkantaja. Now we arrived to the title track that is my second favourite on the album. After the acoustical intro the song explodes out of the speakers as the drums came to their role. And if my ears are right they are playin on old fiddle in this song. Ville again let his trollish voice to be heard and while the accordion cries in the background we are preparing for battle together with them. Lots of folkish, trollish melodies make the song even catchier and addig some humppa feeling we got to know at Finntroll, making you wanna dance but not dimishing the combative spirit. Its rhythms and melodies are boiling together with our blood. It deserves of being the title track of this great album.
'Daughter of the wind - The way of Warrior(Tuulen Tytär - Soturin tie)' is long, medieval like, folkish songs. With the wings of its melodies we can fly together with the Daughter of the wind. The short spoken words (sounds like a shaman) end at a touching, powerful chorus. Close your eyes while listening to this song and let your soul fly above the cold, outlying lands followinng 'the way of a warrior' and being aware of his proudness and sense his responsibility.
'At the journey's End(Matkan Lopussa)' , for the first time in Moonsorrow's history, the lyrics are sung by a female vocalist, Petra Lindgren. This traditional Finnish song is melancholic and mournful, a perfect choice to end an epic album. Calming down our pagan soul and leaving us sad for saying good-bye to this mythical, legendary world we lived in for an hour.
Kivenkantaja is an epic masterpiece, from the first second till the last tune fades away.The long instrumental parts are just as important as the great choruses.The arrangements and the whole songwriting things are better if I may say and you just can't find anything you may not like on this album. The atmosphere, the music, the lyrics are all working together, accomplishing the challenge of viking/pagan metal might have.
I even dare to say with this release they will be placed next to Bathory.
01. Raunioilla
02. Unohduksen Lapsi
03. Jumalten Kaupunki Tuhatvuotinen Perintö
04. Kivenkantaja
05. Tuulen Tytär Soturin Tie
06. Matkan Lopussa
http://www.moonsorrow.cjb.net
