Finntroll is one of the more known Folk metal bands these days. Being on par with Korpiklaani and Ensiferum, I believe that they do have the potential to reach world wide recognition in the folk metal world, and possibly become one of the most known metal bands, not only because they're fun to listen to and have a pint with your friends, but also because they're fairly talented and fresh sounding compared to most of the other Deathcore and Metalcore bands these days.
I actually just got Nifelvind, and I will say that I had low expectations, because the first single wasn't really that great in my opinion. It incorporated a new sound that I didn't really like. It sounded really thrashy and had a breakdown in it, so I wasn't expecting much, but I will say that I did like the album a lot. The album didn't really feel like Finntroll, however, as it is thrashy as all hell, minus maybe one or two folk songs on the album. It focused more on the metal aspect of the music then the story or the folk aspects. Nifelvind was a good listen, though and it did get me pumped and want to go out and fight, which is what I like in my metal.
When the album starts, it opens with Solsagan, the single that I didn't really enjoy, but it does get better, and has a great beat throughout. Nifelvind is a really catchy album, but for me, the downfall is that most of the time, it feels like a filler album, that they made because they're running out of ideas (Metallica, anyone?). A lot of the songs do drag and the album seems repetitive sometimes, especially near the end.
When it comes down to the actual music, the album excels, especially in the vocal and fiddle parts. The album basically features the same drums as always, polka style (which is obvious, because the band themselves are a polka folk band), but the guitars are really fresh sounding, which gave the album its own sound. It was fun to hear a lot of the really thrashy stuff, but honestly, I prefer the young Finntroll. I'll take Nattfodd and Jaktens Tid over this album any day.
Finntroll have had three singers, and Vreth is probably the best, which he shows it in this album very well. His growl fits over the music perfectly, especially in Under Bergets Rot, probably the best song on the album. Much of the album seems to focus on his singing over the symphonic style of play that they have in a lot of the songs. It's really not a bad thing, honestly, I actually like the style that they incorporated, but it's still weird to hear them be thrashy, so I guess my opinions are biased if anything. Don't count this album out, because it's probably going to be one of their signaling a turning point in the music. I just wouldn't start with it.
Highlights: Den Fursna Munnen, I Tradens Sang, Under Bergets Rot, Fornfammad
