ALBUM REVIEW: Rankarumpu – Korpiklaani

KORPIKLAANI are one of those bands that seemed to arrive into the world fully formed. Yes, their progenitor SHAMAN was a bit less metal overall, but by the time Jonne Järvelä took on the KORPIKLAANI mantle, the band had a clear and defined sonic vision – reeling violins, squeezed accordions, crunchy guitars and hopping good times. It’s been a tried and tested formula for most of the Finnish outfit’s career and with good reason. While some of their more recent output has seen the group stray from their original path ever so slightly (not in the least 2021’s Jylhä, which saw the band flirt with more genres than usual), Rankarumpu is KORPIKLAANI getting back to the trail they know best. Mostly.

Kicking off the record with a harmonised folk cry, Kotomaa sees KORPIKLAANI at their most classic. With the call-and-response vocals giving the song its backbone, the rest of the track sees spinning violins, accordions and flutes all vie for centre stage with a backdrop of satisfyingly aggressive metal kick drums. The mix of traditional folk instruments and metallic aggression is where KORPIKLAANI have always excelled, a case made further by Tapa sen kun kerkeet. A dirge of accordions flirt with chunky thrash riffs, topped off with a bitingly danceable chorus.

Aita follows a similar path, its powerful humppa rhythm and frenetic violins creating the soundtrack to a square dance from hell – although its lively, gang vocal chorus keeps things relatively jovial throughout. Followed by the short but equally joyful Saunaan, Rankarumpu’s opening quartet is an exercise in KORPIKLAANI playing their best hand. It’s almost as if the bread-and-butter approach is compensation for some of their most recent dalliances. But before the band can wear out their folkish shtick, KORPIKLAANI start to shift gears ever so slightly.

Despite an opening chord that feels like a nod to Owner Of A Lonely Heart by YES (we’re serious), Mettään is more aggressive and thrashy than anything that’s come before it. The combination of furious palm muted riffing and sinister violins has more in line with the first couple of SKYCLAD albums than it does KORPIKLAANI. However, it’s a track of deft mood shifts, with gently swooned vocals and a rousingly mournful chorus keeping listeners on their tones. Mettään’s well executed shifts feel more of a journey than any other tracks on the record and cement the song as one of Rankarumpu’s biggest highlights.

It’s from here however that KORPIKLAANI start to walk on less solid ground. There are still excellent moments to be had – the slower, heavy stomp of Kalmisto and the wonderfully bouncy title track are as good as anything in the album’s first half. But tracks like No perkele and Nouse feel like missteps, managing to feel both overly repetitive of earlier tracks while not missing the same high mark. It’s a shame because, as Rankarumpu starts to wind down, you can’t help but feel less would have been more. Particularly when the middling material is punctuated by numbers like the captivatingly sorrowful Viikatelintu.

Twelve albums in, KORPIKLAANI have their work cut out from them. Do they veer from their idiosyncratic heavy folk stomp and risk alienating longtime fans, or do they stick with the familiar and wear their sound out? Rankarumpu feels like KORPIKLAANI trying to find a careful balance of the two, with just enough variety to keep things interesting but without stepping far off their well beaten path. Consequently, Rankarumpu can occasionally feel samey, but its highlights are worth sticking around for. It’s unlikely to win over new fans, but for the KORPIKLAANI faithful it’s another fun chapter in the band’s upbeat collected works.

Rating: 7/10

Rankarumpu is set for release on April 5th via Nuclear Blast Records. 

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