MOONSORROW interview: Ville Sorvali
Finland’s Moonsorrow unleashed their latest pagan metal masterpiece on the world earlier this year. In the week’s leading up to the release of Jumalten Aika” (which…
Moonsorrow
HELLBOUND @ TUSKA OPEN AIR 2014: DAY ZERO
Barren Earth Tuska Open Air Festival 2014 Helsinki, Finland (6/26/14) After spending a nice pre-show vacation in Northern Finland, becoming ill for a few…
Finsterforst – Rastlos
I can’t say that Finsterforst are totally original, but they make up for any lack of creativity by bringing a contagious passion to a style of metal that has rarely resonated with me in recent years. They make a powerful case for the sheer grandeur of their music, which is pretty significant considering that the band sings mostly about the forest and the abuse of nature.
Dark Forest: Land of the Evening Star
“Sometimes album art can be misleading, but visual imagery is to some extent genre specific, so there’s usually a pretty good chance I can judge by an album cover if a band’s style is likely to be my kind of thing. Such was the case with Dark Forest’s Land of the Evening Star. What I can’t always predict is how good the music is going to be, but with Dark Forest’s third “Vinlandic pagan black metal” release, the tracks inside are not just well represented by the gloomy mountain and forest scene on the cover. They’re also very good. As impressed as I was with the recording I wanted to learn more about the band, so I went straight to the source.”
Interview by Laura Wiebe
Korpiklaani / Moonsorrow / Tyr / Metsatoll @ The Opera House, Toronto ON, August 30, 2012
On August 30th a terrific foursome of current folk metal acts descended on Toronto’s Opera House that included Korpiklaani, Moonsorrow, Tyr and Metsatoll. Laura Wiebe documents the evening’s activities, with live photography by Adam Wills.
Tyr – The Lay of Thrym
This album isn’t breaking any new ground, but if you’re a fan of clean-voiced heavy/melodic/viking metal (with some power metal mixed in) this album is for you.
Finntroll / Ensiferum / Rotten Sound / Barren Earth @ Opera House, Toronto ON, Feb 22, 2011
Sean Palmerston reviews the February 22, 2011 Toronto stop on the current Finnish Metal Tour. Live photos by Albert Mansour. Live footage by Sean.
STAFF PLAYLISTS: February 2011
Back by popular demand, here are the Staff Playlists for February 2011!
Barren Earth: When the Prog/Metal Fusion Works Out Right…
“We all listen to progressive rock, so it’s natural that it comes across in the music. It was clear from the start that progressive elements would be featured in the band’s sound. And that was the reason for me to join. I remember seeing Opeth in 2006, and being very impressed by not just the music, but the whole presentation, and the juxtaposition of metal and prog. I thought then that this is would be an interesting musical path to explore. And Barren Earth has provided me with that path.”
Laura Wiebe Taylor in conversation with Barren Earth keyboardist Kasper Mårtenson about the band’s creation, their debut full-length album and more, exclusively for Hellbound.ca
Barren Earth: Our Twilight
Whenever a veteran metal band undergoes radical changes, like in Amorphis’s case, a new lead singer and a more streamlined sound, even if that shift in direction is successful artistically commercially and artistically, there will always be the stubborn folks in the background bitching and moaning about how their favourite band just isn’t the same as it used to be. Well, if you’re one of those people who still gripe that Skyforger is a sellout and can’t hold a candle to Tales From the Thousand Lakes, first of all, you’re only half right, and secondly, you can give a listen to Finland’s newest supergroup, who approach Amorphis’s classic, folk-infused progressive doom sound as if nary a day has passed since 1994.
Adrien Begrand dissects the debut release by Finnish progressive death metal supergroup Barren Earth.