ALBUM REVIEW: Jylhä – Korpiklaani

For the last seventeen years, there’s been no party like a KORPIKLAANI party. The folk metal powerhouse from Finland have delighted thousands with their upbeat, joyful blend of riffs and storytelling, to the point that a shift in style from English-sung tunes about various alcohols to more serious matters in their mother tongue hasn’t deterred their fanbase one bit. Today sees the release of Jylhä, a word that does not have a direct translation, but can be interpreted as ‘rugged and wild in a beautiful way’. Their eleventh studio release and sixth on Nuclear Blast, it also sees the first record to involve drummer Samuli Mikkonen, who replaces the long standing Matti Johannson.

Mikkonen has not come into the fold to just play material previously written, either – he’s actually taken a prominent role in the writing and developing of the material, which takes on a much darker tone than it has before. The KORPIKLAANI of old is still present, though – Sanaton maa is a hefty slab of Euro-metal cheese that deserves multiple raisings of drinking horns and Leväluhta continues the band’s tried and tested formula of lead guitar lines played on more traditional instruments, namely the accordion of Sami Perttula and the violin of Tuomas Rounakari.

Somehow, even in this well-trodden path of creativity, the band have found a new way to expand their resume, coming in the form of Pidot. Literally translating as ‘meal’, it gleefully throws a large helping of bluegrass into the already bubbling cauldron of styles with slide guitars and banjo incorporated, the latter of which is provided by Jack Gibson of thrash royalty EXODUS, which only adds to the bizarre nature of the track, no matter how infectious it is.

The talking point, however, is the much more foreboding manner that Jylhä takes on, which might hinder those that aren’t as die-hard in their support or who much prefer the more jovial side of the band’s output. Beginning with the six-minute Verikoira is an immediate statement of intent as the riffing – on actual guitar this time from Kalle Savijärvi – is more evidently in line with classic outfits like IRON MAIDEN and MOTÖRHEAD than it has ever been before. Then there’s the lyrics; yes, they’re in Finnish, but many still read them and translate them, so to discover that Kiuru is about one of Finland’s most famous unsolved murder cases might be a shock to those who are more used to their ditties about drinking, or Miero’s existential discussion about the cosmos and our own roles in it. This also leads into the juxtaposition of these tracks still retaining that fast, jig-like tempo that tempts you into having a good old knees-up, which seems wrong on a number of levels.

Pushing boundaries is something KORPIKLAANI relish in and the new twists and turns on Jylhä will surely delight long-standing devotees of their desire to continue branching out. More casual fans might take a bit more time to warm to such a direction, but they’ll soon be won over; you can’t stay sullen and moody at this style of music for too long.

Rating: 7/10

Jylhä is out now via Nuclear Blast Records. 

For more information on KORPIKLAANI like their official page on Facebook.