KORPIKLAANI -“MANALA”
NUCLEAR BLAST (2012)
Folk Metal has evolved enormously since the early 90s, a period when bands like Skyclad gradually began convincing people that folk tunes and organs, such as the violin, in Metal can be an inspiring rather than an abhorrent concept. Following England’s example, Finland has been dominating this unique genre and rightfully so, as not only is it a country with a strong and very interesting Folk tradition but also the one place in the world where Heavy Metal music is stronger in terms of sales than Pop! One outfit that has dominated the media’s attention the past decade or so is the Lahti-based sextet Korpiklaani – a band whose eighth studio album “Manala” is only just released by the highly prestigious German label Nuclear Blast.
My one and only previous encounter with Korpiklaani’s music was last year when I wrote a review for their album “Ukon Wacka”, an album that I vividly remember not being particularly impressed by. So, what on earth convinced me that undertaking the task of reviewing “Manala” would be a good idea? Well, I do believe that sometimes not connecting with a certain band/album is simply a matter of bad timing. So, has “Manala” managed to change my opinion of Korpiklaani? Well, even though I still find it really difficult to connect with their ‘happier’ material I find the guitar-driven and slow atmospheric pieces on offer to be much to my liking. Let me explain further.
I know that there are many Metalheads out there who have associated Folk Metal with beer and partying and it is these people who will appreciate the accordion-infused tunes of sing-along tracks such as “Kunnia”, “Rauta” or the weird violin experimentations in “Husky Sledge”. Though I really tried to connect as a listener, I cannot say that my attempts were particularly successful. On the contrary, I found myself pretty impressed by the band’s more guitar-driven material, some of which are pretty heavy for the standards of the genre. “Petoeläimen Kuola” contains a solid riff and violin tunes reminiscent of those of early Skyclad, “Synkaa” is a slow atmospheric/epic gem while “Sumussa Hämärän Aamun” features a massive groovy guitar riff whose power is massive and whose nature is highly addictive.
It took me a few goods spins before getting to understand what Korpiklaani tried to achieve in “Manala” and even though I still don’t “get” their trademark sing-along tunes, I have discovered certain aspects in their music that are both interesting and enjoyable. Both by nature and choice, “Manala” is an album that lacks coherence and perhaps even direction but, on the other hand, maybe this is what will help the Finnish sextet become appealing to a much wider group of Metalheads. This is hardly the album that will turn me into a fan but progress has been made – who knows what the future holds!
John Stefanis
Rating: ***1/2 (3.5/5.0)
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
Next session: Sunday 19 January
Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio
David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 3 December 2024.
How to Listen Live?
Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)
Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.
More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com
Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024
In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections
Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)