Time and time again, just when you think heavy metal has been maxed out in the "is there anything new left to do?" department, along comes a band that breaks new ground and offers a previously unheard metallic spin.
Case in point, Finland's Korpiklaani.
While folk music has always crept into scattered recordings by select bands over the years (side two of Led Zeppelin III, Spinal Tap's middle section of "Stonehenge," etc.), no band had been able to truly merge the two styles together as one -- let alone Finnish folk.
But Korpiklaani certainly succeeded, and continue to do so, as evidenced by their 2009 release, Karkelo.
For many metal bands, partying was always at the head of their to-do list (especially in their lyrics), and Korpiklaani's music sounds like it would provide the perfect soundtrack to a jam-packed Finnish bar on a Saturday night, especially such ditties as the lead-off single, "Vodka," as well as "Juodaan Viinaa," and the self-explanatory "Bring Us Pints of Beer." However, not all of Karkelo is party-hearty, as tracks such as "Mettänpeiton Valtiaalle" are both mellow and melodic.
Alternating between lyrics that are sung in English and Finnish, Karkelo is one rowdy good time.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vodka | Korpiklaani | Play | 02:59 | 6 MB | 22 MB |
| 2 | Juodaan Viinaa | Korpiklaani | Play | 03:15 | 7 MB | 24 MB |
| 3 | Erämaan ärjyt | Korpiklaani | Play | 02:56 | 6 MB | 21 MB |
| 4 | Isku Pitkästä Ilosta | Korpiklaani | Play | 04:10 | 9 MB | 31 MB |
| 5 | Mettänpeiton Valtiaalle | Korpiklaani | Play | 06:41 | 15 MB | 45 MB |
| 6 | Uniaika | Korpiklaani | Play | 04:22 | 10 MB | 31 MB |
| 7 | Kultanainen | Korpiklaani | Play | 06:16 | 14 MB | 47 MB |
| 8 | Bring Us Pints Of Beer | Korpiklaani | Play | 02:48 | 6 MB | 20 MB |
| 9 | Huppiaan Aarre | Korpiklaani | Play | 05:12 | 11 MB | 36 MB |
| 10 | Konnin Kuokkamies | Korpiklaani | Play | 03:04 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 11 | Vesaisen sota | Korpiklaani | Play | 03:39 | 8 MB | 27 MB |
| 12 | Sulasilmä | Korpiklaani | Play | 05:37 | 12 MB | 37 MB |
| 13 | Kohmelo | Korpiklaani | Play | 03:28 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 54 mins | 125 MB | |||||
| 54 mins | 390 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Svante Forsbäck | Mastering |
| 2 | Hittavainen | Fiddle, Tin Whistle, Viola |
| 3 | Jarkko | Bass, Composer |
| 4 | Jarkko Ja Laura | Composer |
| 5 | Korpiklaani | Primary Artist |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |