Korpiklaani - Manala (2012)

Korpiklaani is a finnish folk metal band, and it has been formed in 1993 under the name "Shaman". The name has been changed to "Korpiklaani" in 2003. Korpiklaani`s music is very catchy and the singing is really unique, like growls with melodies. You should hear it yourself though. The songs are usually pretty simple and the songs are really good to turn up the atmosphere. They are mostly happy songs, and especially the songs named after some drink like "Vodka" and "Tequila" are very popular songs. This is why the bands style is also generally called "drinking metal". The music is really good for evening get-togethers. Happy melodies and great riffs and the epic metallic touch cant ruin the night. Seriously.

Korpiklaani`s music consists of metal riffs mixed with accordion and violin, which kinda make them folk metal. I havent really listened much of Korpiklaani before this album but, after seeing them live second time, it just caught me. And thats why i cant much compare this album to the before realeased ones.

In additon, I`m gona use the finnish names for the songs in the review.

Manala has been relaseased in two albums. One in finnish lyrics and songs, and one with english versions of all songs and lyrics.They have released one musicvideo "Rauta/Iron" from the album, in english and in finnish. Rauta is a good song, not the best that this album offers though. Rauta is not an usual korpiklaani song, with happy metal riffs and middle tempo. Its a bass based song mostly with epic bass riff, but thats pretty much all. The album starts with the song "Kunnia", that is a solid Korpiklaani song, nothing very special but really good  background music for get-togethers. The song "Tuonelan tuvilla" sounds bit like fill up song and, it has some good parts but mostly i think its bit too simple. Third comes "Rauta". the fourth song "Ruumiinmultaa" is very much like the fist song and like that its usual Korpiklaani song. Its a good song, but still nothing very special.

  The best of this album, in my opinion is the slower songs, the "Synkkä" and "Metsälle", are very beautiful songs, with epic violin melodies, and some touching lyric. The slow songs are really different and  the song "Metsälle" is the best that this album offers. Its acoustic guitars and violin play grow into epicness with distortion guitars and rough singing. You should really listen this with a care, the usual Korpiklaani songs go into background and you can listen them a million times, but you dont catch the details from them, expect like some repeating lyric like "Vodka".

   "Sumussa Hämärän Aamun" is a different song that is a slow one but really like Metallica style metal music, whic is a new branching to Korpiklaani, i kinda like the new style and kinda not. It`s refreshing compared to other songs of the album but still, its not good. Maybe if they keep going more to this type of songs, it gets better. The folk style is really in a smaller part, than in usual Korpiklaani songs. I dont really care for the instumental songs in this album, if youre gona do a instrumental you should get something more than in normal songs, but this album instrumentals were the same as the normal songs, without anything special. Expect the singing missing.

  The whole album, is good in all. I really missed some really cathcy riffs. But its all good, I got what i wanted from this album, good atmospherical music and few special really good songs. But chechk it out yourself. Its worth listening!

Rating 3.5/5 Stars

Tracklist:

1	- Kunnia
2	- Tuonelan Tuvilla
3	- Rauta
4	- Ruuminmultaa
5	- Petoeläimen Kuola
6	- Synkkä
7	- Ievan Polkka
8	- Husky Sledge
9	- Dolorous
10	- Uni
11	- Metsälle
12	- Sumussa Hämärän Aamun