ALBUM REVIEW: Tuoppitanssi – Verikalpa

Finland is not only famous for its vast forests and saunas but is known by many folk metal fanatics as the place where some of the best bands in the genre hail. Since they were conjured in 2015, the young VERIKALPA have shown they may have something fresh to offer a Finnish folk metal scene that is saturated with some of the most talented and renowned bands in the genre such as KORPIKLAANI, MOONSORROW and FINNTROLL. With their second album Tuoppitanssi, it’s time to find out if they will cement themselves as a unique niche in a thriving scene or be left standing with empty tankards and nothing left to give.

Demonstrating already a distinct new energy, Naulattujen Vaellus is enough to put a fire in your belly before Talonväen Teuraat establishes VERIKALPA as a unique love-child of FINNTROLL and KORPIKLAANI with a distinct sound that sees them stand defiant with their own identity instead of slipping into a plethora of bands which try too hard to sound like more renowned acts. Title track Tuoppitanssi is a drinking song as refreshing as a fresh pint, somewhat compulsory within the Finnish scene these days but whats not to love? Maintaining their own particular style in one hand and guzzling beer with the other – Sankari, Saatana, Kostaja is reminiscent of a time around a decade ago when folk metal bands were really starting to define themselves and create some of their best works, a reassuring sign that the VERIKALPA clan means serious business.

Both Varjosahti and Peikon Kieli are slobber-knocker tunes that ooze Finnish traits like diving into traditional humppa rhythm and dance inducing melodies augmented with catchy vocal chants. Verimaat proves that the Finnish sextet aren’t afraid to keep their boundaries open whilst Karhunkaataja does a tremendous job of pushing you onto the dance floor, whether you enjoy that sort of thing or not. Chunky bass signals the beginning of Mettäväinö before charging into a delicious swashbuckling anthem that at times could be mistaken for something that the crazy guys in TROLLFEST might jump into, solid stuff indeed! Persisting with the beer-soaked, folk-fuelled madness from start to finish the album ends like any good drunken night does as Haaksi and Tuonen Miekka blast a fiendish farewell. As our tankard wielding legends prepare to spread their newest offering around the world they do so with a new found sense of identity and musical niche.

It’s obvious that VERIKALPA have a mission to booze cruise their way through the metal community, spreading cheerful chants about drinking and Finnish pagan legends as they go. Yet it’s not all jovial jigs and tipsy tunes, if VERIKALPA want to keep capturing followers they need to develop their niche sound so that it doesn’t risk becoming turgid or tiresome over time – In the same way that KORPIKLAANI went from forging superb folk metal anthems about Finnish folklore and the forest to a sort of mish-mash of songs about various alcohols. Folk metal is a tough genre to stand out in but providing they don’t restrain their boundaries too much, VERIKALPA have a refreshingly joyous musical identity that is somewhat precious these days. Whether its the merry chorus of songs like Tuoppitanssi or the accordion soaked melodies throughout this particular album, there’s plenty here for die hard folk metal fanatics but time will tell if they convert those not normally convinced by the genre as a whole.

Rating: 7/10

Tuoppitanssi is out now via Scarlet Records.

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