Moonsorrow - V: Hävitetty
Spinefarm Records - US004 - January 15, 2007
By Wayward_Son
As was expected, the new Moonsorrow album, V: Hävitetty, has received almost universal praise from internet reviewers and metal magazines. Faithful Reader, did you expect differently? These Finns have been the poster boys for Viking/Heathen metals throne since 2003s massive Kivenkantaja. While that title may not be entirely deserved, it cannot be ignored that the band has gone from strength to semi-strength since 1999.
This writer discovered the band just after the release of the overlooked and underrated Voimasta Ja Kunniasta in 2001. To this day it is the one album that is played most of their entire catalogue. Kivenkantaja continued in the same manner, yet something was missing. The band seemed to be striving for something that was beyond them. Verisäkeet alienated this writer even more, to a point where V: Hävitetty was hardly even on the radar.
Now that it has been playing nonstop since receiving it, this writer can safely say that V: Hävitetty is really nothing special. Sure, the trademark Moonsorrow sound is still firmly intact. The songs roar of the epic, the vocals fit perfectly, and those ever-important keys and traditional instruments play their part nicely. Verisäkeet hinted at what was to come on V: Hävitetty, and that is the band melding their talents to create two extremely grandiose opuses. It is hardly the length of the songs that is discouraging, but that these two epics found within are quite simply not interesting to listen to. Moonsorrow could have easily cut the album length by twenty minutes and still had plenty of time to get their message across.
Jäästä Syntynyt/Varjojen Virta is the better track found on V: Hävitetty. Unfortunately, it takes over six minutes to truly get moving. Yes, this writer understands that songs of this nature and length naturally need to build momentum, but in this case the softer introduction added nothing at all. It does get better, especially towards the end of the song, concluding with that fine Moonsorrow bombast and a flare of the victorious.
It is Tuleen Ajettu Maa that could have been left off the album entirely. After countless intense listens, nothing in this song has left an impression, only to create a burning desire to listen to the bands earlier efforts. The more folk oriented interludes are a pleasant break from the monotony, however they are drowned in leftover riffs and pounding war-like drums.
This writer wanted to like V: Hävitetty, truly. It simply failed to emotionally engage in every respect. Fear not Faithful Reader, Moonsorrow will no doubt gain countless fans with the album, as it seems this writers opinion in is the minority. As for the future, let us hope Moonsorrow leaves the epic-for-epics-sake songwriting to those who can truly pull it off, so that they may return to the greener pastures (or blood-soaked battlefields) of more concise Heathen Metal.
Official Moonsorrow Website
Official Spinefarm Records Website
Spinefarm Records - US004 - January 15, 2007
By Wayward_Son
As was expected, the new Moonsorrow album, V: Hävitetty, has received almost universal praise from internet reviewers and metal magazines. Faithful Reader, did you expect differently? These Finns have been the poster boys for Viking/Heathen metals throne since 2003s massive Kivenkantaja. While that title may not be entirely deserved, it cannot be ignored that the band has gone from strength to semi-strength since 1999.
This writer discovered the band just after the release of the overlooked and underrated Voimasta Ja Kunniasta in 2001. To this day it is the one album that is played most of their entire catalogue. Kivenkantaja continued in the same manner, yet something was missing. The band seemed to be striving for something that was beyond them. Verisäkeet alienated this writer even more, to a point where V: Hävitetty was hardly even on the radar.
Now that it has been playing nonstop since receiving it, this writer can safely say that V: Hävitetty is really nothing special. Sure, the trademark Moonsorrow sound is still firmly intact. The songs roar of the epic, the vocals fit perfectly, and those ever-important keys and traditional instruments play their part nicely. Verisäkeet hinted at what was to come on V: Hävitetty, and that is the band melding their talents to create two extremely grandiose opuses. It is hardly the length of the songs that is discouraging, but that these two epics found within are quite simply not interesting to listen to. Moonsorrow could have easily cut the album length by twenty minutes and still had plenty of time to get their message across.
Jäästä Syntynyt/Varjojen Virta is the better track found on V: Hävitetty. Unfortunately, it takes over six minutes to truly get moving. Yes, this writer understands that songs of this nature and length naturally need to build momentum, but in this case the softer introduction added nothing at all. It does get better, especially towards the end of the song, concluding with that fine Moonsorrow bombast and a flare of the victorious.
It is Tuleen Ajettu Maa that could have been left off the album entirely. After countless intense listens, nothing in this song has left an impression, only to create a burning desire to listen to the bands earlier efforts. The more folk oriented interludes are a pleasant break from the monotony, however they are drowned in leftover riffs and pounding war-like drums.
This writer wanted to like V: Hävitetty, truly. It simply failed to emotionally engage in every respect. Fear not Faithful Reader, Moonsorrow will no doubt gain countless fans with the album, as it seems this writers opinion in is the minority. As for the future, let us hope Moonsorrow leaves the epic-for-epics-sake songwriting to those who can truly pull it off, so that they may return to the greener pastures (or blood-soaked battlefields) of more concise Heathen Metal.
Official Moonsorrow Website
Official Spinefarm Records Website
