MOONSORROW: Suden Uni PROMO CD. Folk Metal from Finland. RARE. Check whole album (all songs)

Description

MOONSORROW Folk Metal from Finland.

For a first album, 2001s Suden Uni (translation: “A Wolfs Dream”) was a surprisingly mature accomplishment for Finnish hopefuls Moonsorrow. More than simply moving into the folk-death metal niche conveniently left vacant by their legendary compatriots Amorphis (who by then had decided to explore new musical pastures), Moonsorrow managed to take this underutilized new subgenre to an entirely new level. To do this, they incorporated Finlands traditional folk music forms into elaborate symphonic arrangements typical of Viking metal outfits such as Bathory and Enslaved; then spiced it up with even more vicious ingredients borrowed from straight-up black metal. The combustible results can be heard in the anthemic drama of “Ukkosenjumalan Poika,” the striking beauty of “Kuin Ikuinen,” and the truly epic history lesson of “1065: Aika” — all of them sung in Finnish, incidentally. Additional highlights such as “Köyliönjärven Jäällä” and “Tuulen Koti, Aaltojen Koti” further contribute to the albums mesmerizing, unbroken sense of flow — one which not even regular detours into very unmetallic, extremely danceable folk jigs featuring accordions, flutes, and Jews harps (?!) can disrupt; and which culminates in the moody, minute-long title cut that is pure Bathory. Impressive through and through, Suden Uni transcended the many sonic reference points named above to instantaneously establish Moonsorrow as champions of their chosen league, and it also proved an almost impossible act to follow.

tracklisting:

1. Ukkosenjumalan Poika 06:09
2. Köyliönjärven Jäällä (Pakanavedet II) 06:30
3. Kuin Ikuinen 07:20
4. Tuulen Koti, Aaltojen Koti 04:02
5. Pakanajuhla 06:45
6. 1065: Aika 11:02
7. Suden Uni 01:05 instrumental

Bonus track:
08 Tulkaapa Aijat! *
All songs written & performed by Moonsorrow
except * music: traditional
42:53

Beautiful and Epic – 100%

Moonsorrow are probably my favorite band of the new millennium era of metal bands. These guys play a folk metal/black metal/pagan metal. It’s kinda hard to nail them down….I like to call them heathen/nature metal due to their lyrics. And speaking of lyrics, thankfully they translate all of their lyrics because they sing in Finnish, their native tongue. They have six full lengths, four demos and an EP to date. This is Suden Uni, their debut full length released in February of 2001. I first heard this band some time right after their third full length was released in 2003 and I immediately became a fan. This band is epic as fuck and the talent that is displayed by these guys is undeniable. Their mix of folk and metal is stunning and this album is a fine example of the best of this sub genre of metal that seemed to grow very large during the previous decade.

The only way to I can describe Moonsorrow is that they sound like a more epic and serious sounding Finntroll with lyrics in Finnish instead if Swedish. Which makes sense since the guitarist and keyboardist Henri Sorvali aka “Trollhorn” is also the keyboardist for Finntroll.
The music is a blend of metal with folk music which include using folk instruments like acoustic guitar, mouth harp, the accordion and some handclapping. There are also small parts where they throw in viking battle sounds like swords clashing. The vocals are harsh and at times he sounds like an animal because I don’t understand Finnish. There are also some clean vocals and the other bandmembers sing choruss. The songs themselves are usually long with the longest being 11 minutes and the shortest 3 and a half which is actually a remake of a Finnish drinking song and they really sound like Finntroll on that track. There are also English translations inside the booklette.
This cd also comes with a dvd but the description above doesn’t mention that. It has music from 2 of their other cds and none from this one. It has a music video which features vikings being attacked by Christians. There are also four other songs being played live in concert. I also believe that the disc is in Pal format.
If you like great epic sounding metal with some folk metal thrown in and with pagan lyrics then you should get this cd and their other ones as well.

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I have to admit I was a little worried when I ordered a copy of Suden Uni (Wolfs Dream). Beyond having “Pakanajuhla” on an old CD I got from a friend, I literally knew nothing about Moonsorrow. Still, I enjoyed the interesting mix of metal and folk music it presented, so I dove in head first despite the fact I try to make my purchases as informed as possible. Additionally, while I like my music heavy, some metal is a bit too heavy for my taste. Given what I had already heard, Moonsorrows music appeared to be on the borderline, making my eventual love or hate an interesting proposition.

So how did things turn out? While I can’t say it was smooth sailing right out of the gate, I have to say the album won me over. I can’t really say that patience was the key, but it took quite a few listens for things to click, especially when it came to some of the moments within the first three tracks. Solid as those tracks are, its the second half of the album that gives one the inside skinny on what Moonsorrow is all about. While the lyrics do their fair share of lifting, a song like “Tuulen koti, aaltojen koti” (Home of the Wind, Home of the Waves) comes off more as an instrumental than a typical song. In other words, the music is at the forefront of the experience here and, quite honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Of course, there are songs where the exact opposite holds true. As important as the folkish influences are to the aforementioned “Pakanajuhla” (Pagans Feast), its the ferociousness of the vocals that really ties the track together and makes it the centerpiece of the album. A different yet equally important vocal approach can be heard in 1065: Aika (1065: Time) where a medium between the two extremes makes an eleven minute monster fly by in the blink of an eye. Haunting as this number truly is, the chill it leaves behind is quickly subdued by a short reprise that lays this beast of burden to bed.

All in all, Suden Uni is about risks. While such a statement may seem a given when a band attempts to merge two styles of music together, its really the nonchalant challenge the album poses to the listener thats the main draw. Good as the music is in its own right, theres more than a solid debut here – theres a lesson. That lesson? Take more chances, at least when it comes to music.