Voice of Wilderness Reviews

• Absolutely jaw-dropping.

  
  By A1IA8D8NJ7ME2T on 2006-03-29
  This is the second review I'm writing for these guys, the first review having been a quick one for Spirit of the Forest, based on my first impressions. On many further listens, I maintain that this music is positively stunning. This album is every bit as perfect as Spirit. I know a lot of people refer to this as some happy - party - drunken type music, and to some extent this is true, but for me this music really touches the nature spirit, it makes me yearn for dark forests and native wisdom like nothing else! It is powerful, emotional, so full of energy, and touches my soul to the core.
  
  Maybe this is just my reaction, I don't know, but for anyone else who feels it, Korpiklaani has 2 other albums under the name Shaman that also have this amazing nature energy, and I recommend them wholeheartedly. Over the few months that I've been listening to them, those 4 albums put together are rapidly becoming my most cherished among *hundreds* of CDs! Straight-up metalheads beware though, the Shaman albums are not that heavy at all, and emphasize the folk part even more - including a lot of really amazing native chanting... of course it's not in English, but this does not matter to me, the music and chanting are Magickal without having to be understood in a literal sense...
  
  
  

• Finns rule!!

  
  By A2EVXI7A6ECPJU on 2006-01-25
  At first I did not like this album as much as their last, but after listening to it over and over, I now consider it equal. It is, as some stated before, a lot heavier and faster and the vocals aren't sung much, they're a lot grittier. The melodies are still here, which is the most important part. I don't think Korpiklaani sound that much like Finntroll, they're a lot more melody oriented and use traditional instrumentation in favor of cheesy sounding keyboards, and they don't have that whole black metal sound going for them. Every song is unique, and full of traditional sounding Finnish folk blended with melodic metal touches. Don't listen to the person who said all the songs are written in the same key, they're not. Korpiklaani are one of the most original and innovative bands around in today's metal scene, and this album is very good. I would recommend this to fans of anything from Frigg to Finntroll, people into medieval music will probably enjoy this also.
  
  

• Not Finntroll, Still Good

  
  By A12U1D3LOL1Y5B on 2005-06-19
  Korpiklaani and Finntroll may both be playing Finnish folk metal, but the styles are completely different. Finntroll is much more akin to black metal, while Korpiklaani sounds like the Flogging Molly of metal. They have an actual folk singer, and that seems to be the main difference.
  
  For you Finntroll fans out there, I recommend you take a look at Mithotyn and Suidakra before checking this out. Mithotyn is more akin to Finntroll than this, and Suidakra sounds the most like Mithotyn if you like their style.
  
  For those of you who think a folk singer might sound good singing along to a heavy metal accompaniment (and a fiddle, don't forget the fiddle), then this is proof that you are right. Somehow, Korpiklaani make this arrangement work and work well. This is an improvement upon their first album, Spirit of the Forest, so hopefully when/if they release another one, it will be even better than this.
  
  Highlights on this album include "Spirit of the Forest", "Old Tale", and "Kaedet Siipinae", which is a beautiful way to end this album. Unfortunately, a few mediocre songs are thrown in as well, warranting this a four-star rating, but it's still worth a look.
  
  

• More metal this time

  
  By A1MLFB7BOQKDAJ on 2005-07-08
  I prefer Spirit of the Forest to this album. On Spirit the melodies stand out more, where I feel on this album rhythms are dominant and the songs are less distinctive. So if you are more into fast rhythms than strong melodies then you will prefer this album. The folk influence mainly comes from the fiddle, with pipes and accordeon also on some songs. Native Land is my favorite song on the album, it is a fitting anthem for a tiny country that held off the Soviets far longer than expected during WWII. I give the songs on this album 3 stars, and 5 stars to the band for being cool enough to combine folk and metal.
  
  

• just one flaw

  
  By A2QL7UUH8E8QFZ on 2005-10-28
  i will not lie, this cd is friggin awesome. it really is, but the is only one flaw in this cd, every song is in the same key. my favorite song on this cd, Hunting Song, starts off on the same key, but in minor, but then it goes back to the same key used in the rest of the cd. i give this cd 4 stars, because of the same reason. hopefully on their next cd they'l be a little more flexible on that.
  
  

• Spirit of the Forest
• Tales Along This Road
• Tervaskanto w/ bonus DVD
• Korven Kuningas
• Slania