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MOONSORROW

Tech/Extreme Prog Metal • Finland


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Moonsorrow biography
Founded in Helsinki, Finland in 1995 - Still active as of 2019

Moonsorrow was founded in 1995 in Helsinki Finland by the Sorvali cousins, Henri (guitar and keyboards; he is also a member of Finntroll) and Ville (vocals and bass). They proceeded to record four demos until 1998; two of them disappeared and the two others are "Metsä" from 1997 and "Tämä ikuinen talvi" from 1998. The music on these was more of black metal compared with what was to be made by the band on their albums. This latter demo made it possible for them to gain a recording contract with Plasmatica Records. At this point Marko Tarvonen joined the band to take hold of the drumming and percussions position. This lineup recorded in 2000 their first full length Suden uni (A Wolf's Dream). Their demo Tämä ikuinen talvi was also re-released alongside the album in 2001. This first album got a re-issue in 2003 with a bonus track, alternate cover art and a DVD. In 2000 two musicians were invited as session members and were then invited to join the band: Mitja Harvilahti (guitars) and Markus Eurén (keyboards). This lineup proceeded to perform live and also to record and release in 2001 the album Voimasta ja kunniasta (Of Strength and Honour) through a new label, Spikefarm Records.
It was the followup to that album, Kivenkantaja (Stonebearer) released in 2003, that got them the wide attention in Finland and beyond; it reached the 16th place on Finnish album charts. A short break followed this period with their first abroad show in 2004 and then in 2005 the release of Verisäkeet (Blood Verses). This album reached the 18th position in the Finnish charts. In 2006 the band did a European tour alongside Primordial from Ireland. In 2007 came Viides luku - Hävitetty (Chapter five - Ravaged) which shows another progression in their style, having on it only two songs, each one half an hour long. This was followed by touring in Finland and around the world.

Moonsorrow's origins are in Black Metal but have progressed from it, preserving its roots but expanding on it, giving it an epic feel in the majestic and grandiose sound of it, and the length of the songs and also a folk characteristic Finnish paganism. It was termed Viking Metal (along bands like Thyrfing, Einherjer, Ensiferum, Turisas, Falkenbach and others) which are black metal in basis, but add much melodiness to their sound, an epic feel and anthemic choruses and a specific lyrical content. They have progressed with each release, t...
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MOONSORROW discography


Ordered by release date | Showing ratings (top albums) | Help Progarchives.com to complete the discography and add albums

MOONSORROW top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.44 | 44 ratings
Suden Uni
2001
3.48 | 50 ratings
Voimasta Ja Kunniasta
2001
4.00 | 87 ratings
Kivenkantaja
2003
3.90 | 71 ratings
Verisäkeet
2005
4.21 | 86 ratings
Viides Luku - Hävitetty
2007
3.82 | 61 ratings
Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa
2011
3.84 | 61 ratings
Jumalten Aika
2016

MOONSORROW Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

MOONSORROW Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

MOONSORROW Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

MOONSORROW Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

2.17 | 4 ratings
Metsä
1997
4.29 | 7 ratings
Tämä Ikuinen Talvi
1999
3.86 | 30 ratings
Tulimyrsky
2008

MOONSORROW Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Verisäkeet by MOONSORROW album cover Studio Album, 2005
3.90 | 71 ratings

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Verisäkeet
Moonsorrow Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by DangHeck
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Moonsorrow is a Finnish Pagan-Folk Metal band. Their early material, especially, is often far from 'progressive' and features much a hokey, if not cringe-inducing, sonic element, accordion being the biggest sin (yes, I acknowledge accordion can be used tastefully). See my review for Suden Uni if you wish to feel my pain at its worst today. Verisäkeet is the 2005 follow-up to the here-beloved Kivenkantaja, that a significantly enough better album than the two that precede, I must admit. With a mere 5-song tracklist and all tracks reaching above 8 minutes in length, I was intrigued. Optimistic? Perhaps. I had been feeling a bit downtrodden and jaded after their first two albums...

"Karhunkynsi" starts off in the naturalistic, setting-set type of way that I now expect from Moonsorrow. I really do think that it's a nice touch. Sounds like ravens squawking. Then, the folk-metal beginneth. Please, for the better... Things start off slow enough, but the main riff is pretty nice. If I may assume for all of Europe (as an American haha), a much more respectful, tasteful use of folk elements herein. All is relatively (as expected) static until around minute 10. So, good show for the end.

"Haaska" starts off brooding and actually gave me a bit of frisson. Frankly, this is the most excited for this band I've been. Really great set for atmosphere. They had my attention. First song I've added to my playlist haha. Genuinely good.

"Pimeä": Pretty much yeah. I like the clean vocals starting around 4:40(?). Any time they go into a half-time thing, it's pretty successfully moving. This song has some of the better 'melodic' metal moments.

The 19-minute epic "Jotunheim" starts off sweet but brooding enough, with a singular acoustic guitar plucked. It's joined by more. This builds for about 3 minutes; not ever my favorite choice to draw things out like this. But ultimately, this track has a lot to offer; compositionally interesting and well performed. It should be noted that, really, this song is not a whole lot longer than the rest, given the ending is this atmospheric, nature-sounds thing once again.

Back to the sea with "Kaiku". That's it. Whatever haha.

True Rate: 3.5/5.0

 Voimasta Ja Kunniasta by MOONSORROW album cover Studio Album, 2001
3.48 | 50 ratings

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Voimasta Ja Kunniasta
Moonsorrow Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by DangHeck
Prog Reviewer

2 stars Onto the next potential heap of Euro-Folk Metal cringe: apparently the debut (I don't care that I got that wrong on my last review), Voimasta Ja Kunniasta: Seriously, doesn't that title sound Rastafari to anyone else?! haha. I'm really actually kind of sorry to fans if they see this if this goes as poorly as what I thought was the debut: Suden Uni.

"Tyven": We actually have quite a bit of loveliness, with soft piano on this introduction.

Rolling right out of that gate is "Sankarihauta", with grandiose chording and swelling keyboards. Ultimately though, it's pretty flat. The ending: pretty good.

Then we have the clanging of... swords... over a classic trudging guitar intro on "Kylän pääsä". I really can't stand their use of accordion. It's just way too hokey for me. Almost better than the last...

"Hiidenpelto" certainly starts off strong enough. Good riff. I appreciate what they're doing in the mix. A pretty classic sound. Compositionally, this song has more to offer than most of their early stuff, apparently.

What feels like Eastern sonics and a Jew's harp head off on the next, "Aurinko ja Kuu". Very folksy. It was alright.

Finally, "Sankaritarina": Sounds like a beach-side campsite with rolling waves and seabirds and a crackling fire. A bit more going on, but just not entirely for the whole journey throughout.

True Rate: 2.5/5.0

 Suden Uni by MOONSORROW album cover Studio Album, 2001
3.44 | 44 ratings

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Suden Uni
Moonsorrow Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by DangHeck
Prog Reviewer

2 stars Finnish Dropkick Murphys play hokey Euro Schlock

A quick listen of this, [what I thought to be] the debut album by Finnish Pagan-Folk Metal band Moonsorrow: Suden Uni. My first thought is this: What on earth is this cover they have for it on Spotify? An upright anthropomorphized wolf-man?! Ok then. [After listening, it fits hahaha!!!!] My first taste of the band is [actually was, thanks to yours truly haha] their highest rated here: Kivenkantaja (2003).

"Ukkosenjumalan poika": Pretty cool riffs, seriously. The ending was a winner.

"Köyliönjärven jäällä (Pakanavadet II)": Wow, that's a lot of umlauts. What is this, a polka? When the acoustic guitar comes in around minute 1, very nice, actually. Hard for me, periodically, not to draw parallels to Opeth, but these specific moments are fleeting. Unusual rhythm? Sure. Once. It was decent.

"Kuin ikuinen": A little hokey. The drums were good (at one point haha). I'm over it.

"Tuulen koti, Aaltojen koti": Soft acoustic number? Nay. Pretty big. Not pretty good.

"Pakanajuhla": Alright, boys! Queue up "Sea Shanty 2"! haha. I just can't picture what kind of person listens to this. This is basically the same as Irish music: horrible haha.

"1065: Aika": Starts off low and slow, spacy. Wow... what a riveting 11 minutes... /s ( -__- )

And then the whole affair ends on the title track. Pointless haha.

Bonus track "Tulkaapa äijät!" is just as bad as the rest. Hokey cringe.

 Kivenkantaja by MOONSORROW album cover Studio Album, 2003
4.00 | 87 ratings

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Kivenkantaja
Moonsorrow Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by DangHeck
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Extreme Metal with European Folk flavors.

This is my first taste of this Finnish band. Considered to be Pagan Metal, I'm utterly unsurprised I have no clue about any of the 'related bands' I'm seeing.

"Rauniolilla" initially sounds like a traditional Nordic tune ramped up. Pretty grandiose. Clean group vocals atop big, folksy instrumentation are juxtaposed with pretty classic metal riffage and unclean (sort of Blackened) vocals. I was definitely beginning to warm up to things around the midpoint--again, I didn't even know what I was getting myself into this morning. It's around 11 minutes, through to the end, that we get more of a glimpse into their progressive leanings with soft synth lead melody.

With the striking of a bell, we are led into "Unohduksen lapsi", more overtly Black Metal vocally. The main riff is crisp and is met with what sounds like a backing string ensemble. Once more showing off any progressive tinges via a quieted section near the middle featuring synth lead. It's good, but not, really, overly progressive or intriguing to those (like me, I presume) looking in from without.

"Jumalten kaupunki including Tuhatvuotinen Perintö" certainly has an interesting intro... What wins this song, if anything, is the layering of all the pieces. The thing is, these sonic choices don't necessarily grab me as listener.

Compositionally speaking, the first track to pull me in a little deeper is "Kivenkantaja", but once more, sonically speaking, I'm not really drawn all that much to Moonsorrow. They're clearly very talented, but it's just not feeling like it's for me.

Another that draws is "Tuulen tytär including Soturin tie", a very Euro-folksy tune that feels like it could also fit within the scope of the Highlands; I suppose this makes sense. A shared sense of atmosphere with the Nords haha. It continues to build on this singular theme though, and doesn't rise much higher. Good song. Not great. [If it's not been clear, that's been my judgement for most of these tracks.]

Finally, we have "Matkan lopussa" [I'm sorry. Are these capital "I's" or lowercase "L's"??? haha.] This is a quieted closer, with what sounds like accordion, female vocal lead and group vocals that are most ethereal. Quite atmospheric.

There ya have it. I'm officially the lowest rating reviewer here. I'll continue on, but... I'm not won over.

 Kivenkantaja by MOONSORROW album cover Studio Album, 2003
4.00 | 87 ratings

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Kivenkantaja
Moonsorrow Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by siLLy puPPy
Special Collaborator PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic

4 stars MOONSORROW had already come a long way after starting as a laughable lumpen gathering of pissed off stray cats that found their way into the lo-fi underworld's recording studio but quickly found that black metal sounded a tad more original when played with Nordic folk and quaint drinking songs. While not the inventors of the style, the band nevertheless channeled its potential into more fertile grounds and added epic atmospheres, irresistible melodies and legendary subject matter revolving around Norse mythology, paganism and the world of the Vikings. While concocting a satisfying anthemic and heroic style on their first two albums "Suden Uni" and "Voimasta Ja Kunniasta," MOONSORROW suddenly got the progressive bug and created an even more intense larger than life album with the third release KIVENKANTAJA ("Stonebearer") which showcased a triumphant evolution in compositional fortitude and a knack for pulling out all the punches. Folk tinged extreme metal would never be the same.

In addition to the now established folk remedies and black metal bantering MOONSORROW found a new source of inspiration from neighboring Sweden in the form of Bathory's Viking metal classic "Hammerheart." Gone are the blatant drinking song jigs in grim reaper fashion and in are more nuanced compositions that offer the grandiloquence of galloping guitar riffs, epic percussive drive, synthesized cumulous cloud covers and chanting vocal exchanges that alternate between the raspy harsh metal vocals of Ville Sorvali and the powerful clean vocal style of Henri Sorvali backed up by a cranking choir effect. Vikings may have been Norse in origin but MOONSORROW with Finno-Ugric origins proves they have what it takes to summon the proper aural spectres to join their Western neighbors in a good game of pagan ritual worship and pilfering plunder but despite the Viking metal tag so carefully attached to their resume, the band itself insists that their style is nothing more than "epic heathen metal."

Epic indeed right from the getgo as vocal chants and atmospheric creeping is suddenly rudely interrupted by the twin guitar stomping power of Henri Sorvali's and Mitja Harvilahti's pristine precisionism as they navigate the choppy progressive Viking waters and chug out the percussive counterpoints in rhythmic mode save the stray guitar solo fluttering into the sonicscape. Likewise the melodic development is provided by the one two punch of the myriad vocalists in cahoots with the keyboards which provide not only the proper ambient brume of mood setting schemata but also cranks out the extra touches of horn instrument sounds as well as wild woodwinds. Sticking to the Viking metal playbook despite contempt for the term, MOONSORROW bedazzles and enchants with the lush tapestry of folk instrumentation heard from the accordion, jew's harp and fiddle (through the dirty little finger's of guest musician Jaakko Lemmetty "Hittavainen.) Add the fretted and fretless bass of Ville Sorvali, the multitude of electric, acoustic and 12-string guitar strums and the percussive prowess of the skin and cymbal smasher in chief, Marko Tarvonen and most a exciting sonic storm is guaranteed to please the metalhead's sensibiltiies.

Stretched out into five tracks of epic heathen metal splendor, KIVENKANTAJA is stuff that far reaching progressively inclined metal dreams are made of. While the Gregorian chant rich opening "Rauniolla (At The Ruins)" provides a rather gentle false sense of tranquility, the following "Unohduksen Lapsi (Child Of Oblivion)" provides the proper soul crushing metal bombast to keep the headbangers happy all the while layers of synth-drenches atmospheric touches ooze by in the background as the guitars stomp their way into the heat of battle. KIVENKANTAJA is where the classic sound of MOONSORROW gelled into its permanent state of awesomeness as all the ingredients and simmered down into a delectable stew of metal palatability. While the album keeps a great pace of mixing the heavier elements with the softer more sensual folk remedies, the final track provides a departure with a pure Pagan folk ritual along with the feminine divine goddess charm of guest vocalist Petra Lindberg. KIVENKANTAJA is equally as divine without missing a beat and cemented MOONSORROW's status as one of the premier folk metal bands of the millennium.

4.5 rounded down

 Voimasta Ja Kunniasta by MOONSORROW album cover Studio Album, 2001
3.48 | 50 ratings

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Voimasta Ja Kunniasta
Moonsorrow Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by siLLy puPPy
Special Collaborator PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic

4 stars Considering themselves 'epic heathen metal,' the Helsinki, Finland based MOONSORROW followed in the footsteps of bands like Skyclad and Amorphis to incorporate local folk music flavors into extreme metal and in the process found ways to carve a new niche for themselves. While the band began more as a Norwegian second wave black metal clone, brothers Ville and Henri Sorvali really stepped up their game for the debut 'Suden Uni,' which showcased a more sophisticated approach of melding together the aforementioned elements however on their sophomore album VOIMASTA JA KUNNIASTA ('Of Strength And Honor'), MOONSORROW really took a quantum leap in quality and although i didn't find the debut the least bit uninteresting, on this this one a new synthesis of the disparate sounds certainly did rise to the next level.

While 'Suden Uni' was profound, VOIMASTA JA KUNNIASTA introduces the world to a more epic approach of black metal and ethnic folk fusion with a step towards more progressive pastures. One of the distinguishing features of this second full-length offering is the arrival of second guitarist Mitja Harvilahti who along with Henri Sorvali gives the band a much fuller twin guitar attack sound. Dare i say that VOIMASTA JA KUNNIASTA also dishes out much more memorable folk hooks as well? Everything seems to click for the band and their much lauded and idiosyncratic approach to folk metal comes into fruition here. Except for the short instrumental intro, the tracks are quite lengthy ranging from seven and a half minutes to nearly fourteen, however the repetitive folk hooks are mesmerizing even as the black metal bombast pummels the senses.

Generally speaking, MOONSORROW at this stage are clearly a black metal band with the characteristic traits of orotundity that includes incessant tempos, buzzsaw guitar action and tremolo picking as well as shred vocals, percussive blastbeats and muddy distortion however the folk elements take it into an entirely new direction and not just for novelty's sake. This is a true marriage of ethnic folk and black metal. The folk aspects take the metal into more melodic sophistication that allow the chord progressions to carry a deeper meaning as well as the keyboard rich atmospheric backdrops that have been toned down since the previous album. While 'Suden Uni' allowed clean vocal non-metal segments to find their way into the mix, VOIMASTA JA KNNIASTA is pretty much an intense black metal fusion all the way through with only a smattering of acoustic guitar intros and breakdowns popping up from time to time. Clean vocals are reserved for the backing vocals only.

MOONSORROW mastered here a nice collection of five tracks that each have a distinct personality. Some such as 'Hiidenpelto - H'pe'n Hiljaiset Vedet ('Field of the Devil/The Silent Waters of Shame") focus more on the melodic developments while some like 'Aurinko ja Kuu (The Sun And The Moon)' break out a more thrashy metal heft and emphasis on the heaviness without sacrificing the folk intricacies. The true treat is saved for last as the sprawling epic 'Sankarihauta (Warrior's Tale)' begins with sensual ocean wave sounds and slinks on through several developing features which include a health dose of blackened folk metal prowess, a distinct folkened melodic escapade sallies forth into the heat of battle and nice a alternating mix of atmospheric oomf between the metal stomps and acoustic folk inserts. Overall VOIMASTA JA KUNNIASTA is an excellent development in MOONSORROW's history but personally i don't think it's better, just a nice different path to embark upon.

 Kivenkantaja by MOONSORROW album cover Studio Album, 2003
4.00 | 87 ratings

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Kivenkantaja
Moonsorrow Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by Warthur
Prog Reviewer

3 stars I tend to find the whole "folk metal" thing highly hit and miss, particularly when bands don't integrate the two halves of that formula but simply play mediocre metal and mediocre folk music together and hope that the charms of both sides of the equation smooth over the holes. Moonsorrow's Kivenkantaja, on the other hand, absolutely does not do that, integrating the sounds and motifs of Scandinavian folk music into a majestic, sweeping, almost cinematic metal framework. The compositions tend towards longer tracks with epic, progressive rock-esque structures, and the overall effect wouldn't seem out of place as the soundtrack to an adaptation of some pagan saga of ancient days, which is more or less what they are going for, though at the same time they're treading such well-trod ground with so little new to say about it that I don't consider this essential.
 Suden Uni by MOONSORROW album cover Studio Album, 2001
3.44 | 44 ratings

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Suden Uni
Moonsorrow Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by siLLy puPPy
Special Collaborator PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic

4 stars After a string of demos proving that they had what it took to master the art of becoming mere black metal clones of their Norwegian neighbors, the Finnish Pagan folk metal band MOONSORROW that formed in 1995 in Helsinki had differentiated themselves enough from the pack and released their debut album as the old millennium was swallowed up by the Northern lights and a new change of guard had occurred. While present on the demos, the Pagan folk elements were obscured in a lo-fi cacophonous din of buzzsaw feedback and pissed cat screams. On their debut album SUDEN UNI ("Wolf's Dream") cousins Ville Sorvali and Henri Sorvali added on Marko Tarvonen for percussion as well as an army of guests who provide nothing more than handclaps!

Right from the very first track "Ukkosenjumalan poika" ("Son of the God of Thunder") it's clear that MOONSORROW had latched onto a style that is theirs alone. While the black metal is as ferocious as ever with heavily distorted guitar and bass fuzziness, the compositions are now composed as Pagan folk melodies that utilize epic hummable catchiness with the black metal augmenting the intensity into overdrive and often dominating to the point where the folk is buried. While the band would prove shortly to blend these elements together even more seamlessly with their second album of the same year "Voimasta Ja Kunniasta," the result of the blending of blatant folk melodies on keyboard, accordion and mouth harp in full company of black metal shrieks, guitar fury and the insane drumming prowess of Tarvonen was quite novel at the time and is quite satisfying even at this early stage as it seems once MOONSORROW hit pay dirt with their signature sound that any variations of their elements dominating was secondary to the strength of the compositions churned out.

At this point MOONSORROW hadn't quite ventured into the world of progressive metal as with their later releases but the tracks on SUDEN UNI are ripe for the picking as each track exudes an epic feel with several extended length tracks clocking in over six minutes with the profound "1065: Aika" just squeaking over the eleven minute mark. On SUDEN UNI the beauty is in the pacing of the elements as each synth drenched moody atmosphere builds up intensity as the guitars and drum fury are coaxed from their reticence and then allowed to unleash hypnotic fury into the musical patterns that provide a simultaneous epic charm and sonic assault. Ville Sorvali's vocals have improved big time as his pissed off cat shrieks have become more distinguished shrieks and offers some clean vocal Viking metal moments as well although the band dislike that term and insist on being referred to as Pagan black folk metal.

For me SUDEN UNI is not a weak debut in the least despite the elements not being as neatly tucked together as cleverly as on future albums. This one is more straightforward in nature but not one bit less satisfying and actually sounds more diverse than some of the epic albums with sprawling never-ending tracks like "V: Hävitetty." SUDEN UNI has been released in two significant forms. The first release with the fire orange album cover with a ghostly wolf howling into the blood red horizon and re-released in 2003 with the cover art i prefer with a human body donning a wolf's head holding a spiral-ended staff of some sort. This edition includes the bonus track "Tulkaapa äijät!" ("Come Along, Fellows!") which is probably the closest thing to a black metal drinking song that MOONSORROW has ever recorded. While not a vital experience in relationship to the rest of the album since it doesn't have the epic feel, it nonetheless is a nice little lighthearted (black metal style) closer. SUDEN UNI is hardly a throwaway debut release. This is a major step from the demo laden abyss from whence they came and a true declaration of blackened folk metal innovation.

 Jumalten Aika by MOONSORROW album cover Studio Album, 2016
3.84 | 61 ratings

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Jumalten Aika
Moonsorrow Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by siLLy puPPy
Special Collaborator PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic

4 stars MOONSORROW has carved out a unique niche in the extreme metal world having successfully positioned itself equidistantly smack dab in the middle between the world of black metal and the pagan Finnish folk music that is the source of their inspiration and philosophical outlook. On the black metal side from whence they sprung forth, they have kept many (if not all) of its aesthetics including the corpse paint visual effect, the intense distorted buzz saw wall of noise along with the other ubiquitous black metal elements such as blastbeats and raspy snarled vocals too buried beneath the din to discern all the while wrapped up in chaotic swirls of extreme Viking intensity. They have nurtured these attributes quite well over time never letting the incremental intrusions of the stronger folk elements or slicker production ever once distract from the overall goal of remaining firmly in the extreme shopping section of the greater metal universe. After a long five year wait for rabid fans foaming at the mouth awaiting a followup to 2011's "Varjoina Kulijemme Kuolleiden Maassa," they release their 7th full-length epic black folk metal JUMALTEN AIKA ("The Age Of Gods") and prove that their style seems to have no limits in how to expand into ever widening arenas without significantly changing the core of the band's sound.

One of the most surprising things about MOONSORROW is that it's never really a surprise as to what kind of album they will release. They dutifully check off every single element that defines their sound that began way back on "Voimasta Ja Kunniasta" and adamantly adhere to the formula set forth ever since. That usual formula has consisted of sprawling ten minute plus epic tracks that commence with slow atmospheric build ups that erupt into black metal fury wrapped around Finnish folk metal song structures and then draw out and eke every possible variation from every single cadence possible. In this aspect JUMALTEN AIKA is absolutely identical to previous albums where all these elements pretty much develop in identical fashion. The most surprising thing to me with JUMALTEN AIKA is exactly how gracefully MOONSORROW expands these set standards and create an album even more lush and brutal than its predecessors in a seemingly effortless and logical way. First of all, the song structures are stronger with deep earwormy hooks that sink in deep from the get go and the magical chemistry of the atmospheric keyboards, black metal guitar, bass and drum fury accompanied by the folk aspects that include violin, flute, accordion and mouth harp just play so very very well together.

One of the things that takes JUMALTEN AIKA into slightly more elevated territory is the supreme production aspects along with a more heightened sense of folk and symphonic elements including a larger roster of chorus vocal contributions in addition to the five permanent members of the band. While the black metal has been beaten into submission as to maintain the harsh brutality of that respective world, the folk and symphonic characteristics have been given more of a free rein in creating a more polished sound than before. If that wasn't enough MOONSORROW has certainly attained a state of maturity that allows them the luxury of knowing just how long to let a passage linger before it outstays its welcome as well as knowing when to let certain aspects drop out as to let others shine. I have to admit that i seldom have hope that MOONSORROW will find the gumption to keep their set sound fresh and relevant in the contemporary metal universe but i have to fully admit that with JUMALTEN AIKA they have surprised me and am in awe of their ability to take the slower burner approach of slightly upping their elements incrementally from one album to next by staying true to their core sound but expanding from within in totally logical arrangements.

MOONSORROW once again proves that they are masters of their unique amalgamation of Finnish folk and black metal. As they transcend from one stage of their existence to another, they remain firmly planted in their philosophical roots and only adding new elements to their sound where they are appropriate for inclusion. While as always, all lyrics are in their native Finnish language but the feel and instrumental prowess successfully dictates a story in the making regardless. While the album and first title track JUMALTEN AIKA ("The Age Of Gods") begins the journey, the final track "Ihmisen Aika (The Age of Humans)" shows the culmination of a musical pilgrimage that brings forth the pagan folk philosophies that the usurpation of human introduced technologies imposing their will upon long established "godly" traditions as evidenced in the natural world will bring about a dystopian existence. As with every MOONSORROW release, i'm very much impressed by their style of seamless fusion of folk and black metal and even in awe of their philosophies of sort but never quite finding myself wanting to bestow upon them the credit of creating a masterpiece of the ages. There is always something albeit imperceivibly identifiable missing in that regard but nevertheless this dilemma prevents me from doing so. But that doesn't mean i don't love listening to their music time and time again!

Personally i have the limited edition digibook that has an extra CD with two bonus cover tracks. While i would hardly recommend these covers by Grave and Rotting Christ to be worthy of shelling out the extra dough to get the upgraded version, i do have to say that the inclusion of the beautifully embroidered patch that depicts the album cover is totally awesome! BTW that extra CD is a mere 8 minutes and 28 seconds so it does seem a little gimmicky to include it. They could have at least included some live or unreleased material. So unless you REALLY want a patch, stick to the original five track version. Personally this album is a winner and a top 5 in the year of 2016 for yours truly :) Sorrow Finntroll and other weaklings of the underworld. This band has your asses beat big time!

4.5 stars but rounded down

 Metsä by MOONSORROW album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 1997
2.17 | 4 ratings

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Metsä
Moonsorrow Tech/Extreme Prog Metal

Review by siLLy puPPy
Special Collaborator PSIKE, JRF/Canterbury, P Metal, Eclectic

2 stars The origins of MOONSORROW go all the way back to 1995 when cousins Ville Sorvali (vocals, bass) and Henri Sorvali (guitar, keyboards) hooked up in Helsinki, Finland to form a simple melodic black metal band. Before they would introduce the Nordic and Slavic folk elements to their music they started out as a run-of-the-mill 90s black metal band as heard on this early demo turned remastered EP "Metsä." At this point the band was merely a duo with the two cousins handling all vocal and instrumental duties.

While the music is the typical atmospheric keyboard drenched buzz saw feedback distortionfest black metal of the era complete with a two minute atmospheric ambient chill out session, there are faint traces of folk influences that would later dominate such as the inclusion of the mouth harp in their otherwise standard Pagan and spiritually themed melodic metal marches. As with all MOONSORROW albums even to this day, everything is totally in the Finnish language, so if you're not hip to this top dog of Finno-Ugric languages then the meaning will be shrouded in incomprehensible mystery however with screeched lyrics like this it would be impossible to discern any meaning.

In addition to the four tracks feeling amateurish, the production value is fairly weak as well which for some may be an attraction, however the great promise of a melodic black metal band is born here and it's clear that even though this is hardly an essential edition of their discography that the song structures are decent and the keyboards provide more than just a subdued frosting to the cake and actually contribute a significant portion to the overall dynamics. Many reviewers compare the vocals to a pissed off cat and i couldn't think of a better comparison myself. Better things were to come but this is an interesting historical artifact for those who like to dig deep.

2.5 rounded down

Thanks to avestin for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

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