Folk Metal

I got tickets to see Korpiklaani, Einsiferum, and TrollfesT in May!

When I was in college, I was really into folk metal. Like, really into it. As an extension of this, I also got into a few troll metal bands.

I’ve always really liked Korpiklaani, but I have never actually seen them live, so I am pretty excited about this show. Shame I didn’t get around to seeing them before they had to replace Jaakko (their violinist) due to health issues.

I mean, just look at this guy in the Wooden Pints video:

I cannot stop watching that video, by-the-way. It is so… nonsensical. And bad. And for this, I love it.

My synopsis: A man hacks into a stump with a hatchet. Another man pops out of an outhouse and starts playing a violin on his hip. He then periodically teleports back and forth between the outhouse and another location where the rest of the band is, including a man wailing on a single drum with a large branch. What is happening??

Author: Steen

Steen is a nerdy biologist who spends a lot of time trying to cultivate Chloroflexi, who also likes to draw comics, play video games, and climb.

5 thoughts on “Folk Metal”

    1. When I was in college, they only had 3 albums out: Spirit of the Forest, Voice of Wilderness, and Tales Along This Road. I haven’t really been keeping up with them over the years, sad to say.

      In fact, when I first heard about them and when I was really into metal, I believe they only had “Spirit of the Forest” out, unless you count the stuff they released previously under the band name Shaman (which, try as I might, I never could find any recordings for back then, I’m sure this wasn’t helped by the ambiguous band name).

      So, for me, Spirit of the Forest is what I consider “Korpiklaani,” through-and-through, because that is all I had from them. Looks like they’ve released billions of albums since then, though, so I might have to do some catching up!

  1. Oh man! I love Korpiklaani! I was going to see fellow finish folk metal (though rather heavier) Finntroll earlier this year but got sick. They were also playing Slim’s iirc. Perhaps I’ll see you there, though $31 is nearing my limit… I’ll probably be the one dude with a bowtie at the metal show (as usual).

    1. I love love love Finntroll, but… they were very bad live when I saw them 🙁
      I saw them twice at the DNA Lounge, and both times I was hugely disappointed.

      Fortunately, Einsiferum opened for them and they were really really good live.

      Maybe Finntroll just had some off-nights when I saw them? Maybe their live performance is better now? I don’t know. But it did break my tiny little troll-heart to hear how bad they sounded.

      I will say though, that word on metal blogs and forums seem to agree that Finntroll are not good live, whereas Korpiklaani do an excellent live show. Ironically, I much prefer Finntroll’s studio recordings to Korpiklaani’s, but I guess that’s life!

    2. Haha, well if Doc wears his bowtie, then there will be at least two of you!

      I agree, the price is pretty steep. But I’ve missed Korpiklaani so many times when they were in town, and they seem to be universally praised for putting on a great live show, so I decided I had to do it.

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