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Moonsorrow > Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa > Reviews > CleansingPestilence
Moonsorrow - Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa

Eeppinen, massiivinen ja hämmästyttävä - 100%

CleansingPestilence, May 25th, 2011

Perhaps it's just me who notices this, but Finland (and all of Scandinavia, for that matter) has this unfailing tendency for its metal to be monumentally epic and massive. Releases by Ensiferum, Wintersun, and Amorphis have always proved that Finland is a metal strong point of our world.

However, Moonsorrow are a band that truly redefine what the listener thinks when they think of "epic". Moonsorrow have always had an element of epicness to them as the riffs really conjure up images of war and glory. As they progressed as a band, their sound became more "epic", almost having a cinematic quality to their albums. The latest, "Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa" (which, when translated to English, apparently means "As shadows, we walk through the land of the dead", or something to that effect), is no exception, providing all of the massive riffs and folk elements that created a truly monumental soundscape that does not bore the listener, but rather, completely engages them. The band themselves have described this album as their darkest release yet, and it is indeed very moody and dark for a band usually associated with "happier" folk metal melodies.

Opener "Tahdeton" ("Starless") is an early highlight in my opinion. The riffs are heavy as fuck and indeed very "dark". The song does indeed create a dark vibe, and there is almost a vibe of hopelessness the listener feels when being absorbed by the epic swathes of sound that the band is creating. But fear not, as they of course incorporate the folk elements that they are known for towards the end of the song.

"Varjoina.." only contains 4 "real" songs, as there are brief tracks of ambiance between each song usually consisting of horse hooves, wind, and other such sounds. It's kind of a good setup because it gives the listener "breathing room" between the massive maelstroms of sound that are the main songs.

The next song, "Muinaiset" ("Ancient"), is a little shorter (marginally), but heavier; the song is more driven by riffs, I find, rather than the atmosphere and overall feeling. That's not to say there isn't plenty, but the riffs are slightly more apparent. A great fucking song, totally massive sounding and basically perfect.

It should be mentioned that each of these songs are fairly slow and heavy and a little bit contrasting as a good part of their other songs are more up-tempo, blastbeat-driven folk affairs. The sluggish tempo of most of the songs, I find, add to the overall dark mood of the album.

The epic closer of "Kuolleiden Maa" ("Death March", or something like that) is my favourite tune on the album. Clocking in at a massive sixteen and a half minutes, it's the longest song on the album, the darkest, the most melodic, and indeed the most epic. A perfect way to close the album, incorporating all of the elements of the previous songs into one.

Moonsorrow have truly outdone themselves with this album. In my opinion, it is their masterpiece and the best album they've released to date. And considering the quality of their past albums, that is no small compliment. They have created the perfect blend of heaviness, epicness, and a sense of melancholy. Ville and co. will have a very tough time topping this one.