While other folk metal bands began with metal before adding folk music, Korpiklaani started with folk music before turning metal.
The roots of Korpiklaani can be traced back to a Sami folk music group under the name of Shamaani Duo, an “in house restaurant band” created by Jonne Järvelä in 1993.
An album of folk music (Hunka Lunka) was released under this name before Järvelä relocated and formed a new band Shaman. The folk metal act Shaman was based on the folk music of Shamaani Duo. Two albums were released in 1999 and 2001 before Shaman changed their name to Korpiklaani. The change in name was accompanied by a change in the music. The traditional yoik vocals and the use of the Sámi language were dropped while the synthesizer was replaced with real folk instruments.
Jonne Järvelä credits his work with Finntroll as the catalyst for the shift in emphasis from folk to metal.
Their song lyrics are often related to alcohol and partying.
According to Jonne Järvelä, Korpiklaani’s music would be seen as “old people’s music with heavy metal guitars” in Finland.
Here comes a review of the great Copenhell festival that took place during two slightly rainy days in the middle of June. Acts that performed included Slayer, Anthrax, Lamb Of God, Immortal, Saxon, Gojira etc.. Lets take a closer look at what the festival had to bring…..
Headlining “Manala North American Tour” to kick off late-August
FINLAND – Finnish traditional folk metal pioneer, Korpiklaani, has posted the first of a series of track-by-track videos from its upcoming eighth studio album, Manala, on YouTube at: http://youtu.be/rFdn9lhlsEw. Manala will hit stores in North America on August 14th via Nuclear Blast Records. Pre-order Manala via the Nuclear Blast web-store today at: http://store.nuclearblastusa.com/Search/korpiklaani.
Korpiklaani is currently gearing up for its headlining, “Manala North American Tour,” set to kick off in late-August. The band’s vocalist/guitarist, Jonne Järvelä, has issued the following statement in anticipation of the run, which will launch in Quebec City, Canada on August 28th.
“Once again we are very excited to come back to North America. It will be the first time we are able to tour on the release of our new record, Manala. We are also very pleased to be having our very good close friends from Moonsorrow, Týr and Metsatöll, so expect a great party with good friends and even better music!”
In an effort to give back to the fans, Korpiklaani and Nuclear Blast USA will be giving away a limited number of guest list spots (not a backstage pass) to some lucky fans for the “Manala North American Tour.” Head over to: http://bit.ly/korptourcontest for complete details.
Stay tuned for more information on Korpiklaani, Manala and the “Manala North American Tour!”
“Manala North American Tour” dates…
Aug 28 – Quebec City, QC @ Imperial Theatre
Aug 29 – Montreal, QC @ Club Soda
Aug 30 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Aug 31 – Cleveland, OH @ Peabody’s
Sep 1 – Joliet, IL @ Mojoe’s
Sep 2 – St Paul, MN @ Station-4
Sep 3 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater
Sep 4 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
Sep 5 – Billings, MT @ Manny’s
Sep 6 – Salt Lake City, UT @ TBA
Sep 8 – Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
Sep 9 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater
Sep 10 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
Sep 11 – San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge
Sep 12 – Hollywood, CA @ The Whisky
Sep 13 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
Sep 14 – Ramona, CA @ Ramona Mainstage
Sep 15 – Tempe, AZ @ Rocky Point
Sep 18 – Detroit, MI @ Harpo’s
Sep 19 – Buffalo, NY @ Club Infinity
Sep 20 – Reading, PA @ Reverb
Sep 21 – Springfield, VA @ Empire
Sep 22 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater
Sep 23 – Worcester, MA @ Palladium
Born in a land which is touched by the creeping fingers of the Arctic, and at times may not see night or day, Finland’s Korpiklaani seem perfectly suited to the blend of folk’s culture and metal’s hard edge. Heritage has always been at the heart of the band, and new album Manala is no exception – it’s the realm of the dead in the national mythology if you weren’t already in the know. Sitting down with guitarist Kalle "Cane" Savijärvi we spin a few stories about Korpiklaani, Manala, and staying true….
Finnish traditional folk metal pioneers KORPIKLAANI are proud to present two brand-new video clips for the songs “Rauta” and “The Steel” (which is the English version of “Rauta”). Both tracks are taken from the band’s upcoming 8th studio album Manala, which will be released on August 3 (Europe) and August 14 (North America). The clips were shot with director Markku Kirves (www.markkukirves.com) in the idyllic region of Janakkala in the South of Finland.
Watch the video for “Rauta”:
…and here’s the clip for “The Steel”:
KORPIKLAANI will embark on a headlining run dubbed the “Manala North American Tour” this August. Moonsorrow, Týr and Metsatöll will accompany KORPIKLAANI on the run, which will come in the wake of the group’s eighth studio album, Manala. A full list of tour-dates can be seen below.
Aug 25 Mexico, MEX @ Circo Volador (Korpiklaani ONLY)
Aug 28 Quebec City, QC @ Imperial Theatre
Aug 29 Montreal, QC @ Club Soda
Aug 30 Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Aug 31 Cleveland, OH @ Peabody’s
Sep 1 Joliet, IL @ Mojoe’s
Sep 2 St Paul, MN @ Station-4
Sep 3 Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater
Sep 4 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
Sep 5 Billings, MT @ Manny’s
Sep 6 Salt Lake City, UT @ TBA
Sep 8 Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
Sep 9 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater
Sep 10 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
Sep 11 San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge
Sep 12 Hollywood, CA @ The Whisky
Sep 13 Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
Sep 14 Ramona, CA @ Ramona Mainstage
Sep 15 Tempe, AZ @ Rocky Point
Sep 18 Detroit, MI @ Harpo’s
Sep 19 Buffalo, NY @ Club Infinity
Sep 20 Reading, PA @ Reverb
Sep 21 Springfield, VA @ Empire
Sep 22 New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater
Sep 23 Worcester, MA @ Palladium
FINLAND – Finnish traditional folk metal pioneer, Korpiklaani, has announced its headlining, “Manala North American Tour,” set to kick off in late-August. Moonsorrow, Týr and Metsatöll will accompany Korpiklaani on the run, which will come in the wake of the group’s eighth studio album, Manala, due out August 14th on Nuclear Blast. A full list of tour-dates can be seen below.
Stay tuned for more information on Korpiklaani, Manala and the “Manala North American Tour!”
“Manala North American Tour” dates…
Aug 25 Mexico, MEX @ Circo Volador (Korpiklaani ONLY)
Aug 28 Quebec City, QC @ Imperial Theatre
Aug 29 Montreal, QC @ Club Soda
Aug 30 Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Aug 31 Cleveland, OH @ Peabody’s
Sep 1 Joliet, IL @ Mojoe’s
Sep 2 St Paul, MN @ Station-4
Sep 3 Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater
Sep 4 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
Sep 5 Billings, MT @ Manny’s
Sep 6 Salt Lake City, UT @ TBA
Sep 8 Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
Sep 9 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater
Sep 10 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
Sep 11 San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge
Sep 12 Hollywood, CA @ The Whisky
Sep 13 Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
Sep 14 Ramona, CA @ Ramona Mainstage
Sep 15 Tempe, AZ @ Rocky Point
Sep 18 Detroit, MI @ Harpo’s
Sep 19 Buffalo, NY @ Club Infinity
Sep 20 Reading, PA @ Reverb
Sep 21 Springfield, VA @ Empire
Sep 22 New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater
Sep 23 Worcester, MA @ Palladium
Finnish traditional folk metal pioneers KORPIKLAANI have posted two lyric videos for a new song from their upcoming 8th studio album Manala! As announced before, the European limited Digipak edition of Manala will come to you with a bonus CD, including the whole album with the lyrics sung in English. The English counterpart of “Kunnia” (as the original Finnish verion is called) is entitled `“Honor” and both songs can now be enjoyed in the form of two great lyric videos.
The limited European Digipak edition of Manala comes with a bonus CD, including the whole album with lyrics in English. Manala will be released via Nuclear Blast on the August 3 (Europe) and August 14 (North America).
Finnish traditional folk metal pioneers KORPIKLAANI have issued further details including the artwork and track listing of their upcoming 8th studio album Manala. The cover artwork was created by Finnish artist Jan Yrlund (www.darkgrove.net). KORPIKLAANI vocalist Jonne Järvelä stated:
“On the album cover, our band mascot Vaari represents Väinämöinen, who is one of the main characters in the Finnish national epic Kalevala. As most of the lyrics on Manala are based on the Kalevala, Jan Yrlund decided to draw his inspiration for the cover artwork from the beautiful but yet brutal depiction of the underworld in Finnish mythology.” The limited European Digipak edition of Manala comes with a bonus CD, including the whole album with lyrics in English. Manala will be released via Nuclear Blast on the August 3 (Europe) and August 14 (North America).
FINLAND – Finnish traditional folk metal pioneer, Korpiklaani, has revealed initial details on its upcoming 8th studio record, Manala. The band’s fourth Nuclear Blast Records release will hit stores on August 14th in North America.
Main man, Jonne Järvelä, has issued a statement explaining the concept behind the album’s title.
“Manala is the realm of the dead – the underworld in Finnish mythology. Tuonela, Tuoni, Manala and Mana are used synonymously. This place is best known for its appearance in the Finnish national epic Kalevala, on which many of our new songs are based. In the 16th poem of Kalevala, Väinämöinen, a shamanistic hero travels to Manala to seek for knowledge about the dead. On the journey he meets the ferrywoman (similar to Charon), a girl, Tuonen tytti, or Tuonen piika (Death’s maid), who takes him across the river of Tuoni. However, on the isle of Tuoni he is not given the spells he was originally looking for and he barely manages to escape the place. After his return he curses anyone trying to enter the place alive.”
While these mystical Finnish lyrics may sound intimidating to some, don’t worry; Manala will come with a bonus CD, including the whole album with English lyrics.
Stay tuned for further information! In the meantime, check out the song, “Metsälle,” a foretaste of the new compositions:
Finnish traditional folk metal pioneers KORPIKLAANI have recently finished the recordings of their upcoming 8th studio album that will be released this Summer. As a taste for what you can look forward to, and to make the waiting time more bearable, the band proudly present the brand new track “Metsälle”!
Guitarist/vocalist Jonne grants insight into the song’s lyrical concept: “’Metsälle’ can be seen as kind of a prayer to the ancient gods to ask for luck for the tough hunt deep in the woods in cold winter time. Not only is the old man in the song praying for success, but even more importantly, for a safe way through the dangerous frostiness.”
Listen to the song on the official Nuclear Blast YouTube channel:
Or to get the song as a free download to enjoy it over and over again click here: http://bit.ly/GVqoiL
In the last couple of years, the Heidenfest turned out to be a unique and not-to-be-missed tour package when it comes to the biggest names in the field of heathen/viking metal and bands offering you the best in between war anthems and drinking horn frenzy! Which is why the 2012 line up looks like the wet dream of every heathen metal warrior again:
Headlining will be mighty genre legends WINTERSUN from Finland! It took mastermind Jari Mäenpää and his brethren exactly one album to write folk and melodic death metal history: “Wintersun” came out in 2004 and will be followed by a new milestone around the tour.
“We are very excited to announce that we are going to be headlining the 2012 Heidenfest Tour in October. There was some setbacks with the album during the winter (again), but as usual we have managed to ram through them. (Big thanks to our management for helping us through the tough times!). I´ve been mixing my ass off and things are going smooth and steady now and the album will be released late summer. Stay tuned for bigger updates about the album (or should we say “albums”, wink wink!)“ Jari and the Wintersun boys, cheers!
Fellow Finns KORPIKLAANI have an equally impressive fan base to boast and with albums such as “Ukon Wacka” (2011) they deliver the goods in a party-friendly “Pelimanni metal” way! Rising German force VARG on the other hand call their troops to war with some powerful pagan metal tunes while Norwegians TROLLFEST up the ante with a healthy dose of black humour – and supreme folky heaviness! TROLLFEST will be releasing their brand new album “Brumlebassen” on August 24 and VARG will unleash their new beast on October 19, right in time for the HEIDENFEST tour!
Opening act on this tour will be Italian modern folk metal outfit KRAMPUS, who won the Rock The Nation award 2011. KRAMPUS offer an eclectic array of folk sounds with the usage of bagpipes, flutes, whistles, violins, and the Irish Bouzouki partnered with the modern metal sounds of heavy guitars, aggressive vocals, and melodic keyboards. In addition to creating a new breed of sound, KRAMPUS´ focus on their lyrical content while addressing themes such as issues with humanity and nature, and environmental awareness. They´ll be appearing on this years edition of METALCAMP festival in August and the same month they´ll be releasing their long-awaited debut album. Fear the Krampus!
This package already looks flawless – but there are some very special guests yet to be announced! So keep your eyes peeled and check www.heidenfest.eu regularly where you can also order your tickets!
HEIDENFEST 2012 – the ultimate party-program with several highlights, new albums, new music which will spice up your misty Autumn and mood! Cheers!
HEIDENFEST 2012
Presented by Metal Hammer, Legacy, Noizeletter, Musix, X-tra-X, Metalnews.de, BLAST!
WINTERSUN
KORPIKLAANI
VARG
TROLLFEST
KRAMPUS
+ SPECIAL GUESTS at extended shows*
19.10.2012 DE – Oberhausen, Turbinenhalle *Extended Show*
20.10.2012 DE – Stuttgart, LKA Longhorn *Extended Show*
21.10.2012 NL – Tilburg, 013 *Extended Show*
22.10.2012 CH – Pratteln, Z7
24.10.2012 IT – Bologna, Estragon
25.10.2012 AT – Wien, Gasometer
26.10.2012 DE – Leipzig, Hellraiser
27.10.2012 CZ – Prague, KD Vltavska
28.10.2012 PL – Krakow, Studio
29.10.2012 DE – Hamburg, Markthalle
30.10.2012 DE – Berlin, Postbahnhof
31.10.2012 DE – Munich, Backstage
01.11.2012 DE – Saarbrücken, Garage
02.11.2012 DE – Geiselwind, Music Hall *Extended Show*
03.11.2012 DE – Gießen, Hessenhallen *Extended Show*
04.11.2012 BE – Antwerp, Trix
“Ukon Wacka North American Tour” to kick off next week in Montreal
FINLAND – Finnish folk metal pioneer, Korpiklaani, has posted two video updates on YouTube in anticipation of the band’s upcoming “Ukon Wacka North American Tour.”
Head to: http://youtu.be/7o0wuhEYgHY for an exclusive in-studio update straight from Petrax Studio, as accordionist, Juho Kauppinen, gears up for the headlining North American run. Be sure to listen carefully as new violinist, Teemu Eerola, records his parts to a new song called “Metsälle.”
The second video, which contains a further glimpse at the new track, can be seen at: http://youtu.be/D_A4u_JU_M4.
“Ukon Wacka North American Tour” will kick off next week in Montreal, with support coming from Arkona, Polkadot Cadaver and Forged In Flames.
Korpiklaani is touring in support of its latest release, Ukon Wacka, which released last February on Nuclear Blast Records.
Stay tuned for more information on Korpiklaani and “Ukon Wacka North American Tour.”
“Ukon Wacka North American Tour” dates…
11/23 – Montreal QC @ Club Soda
11/24 – Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club
11/25 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater
11/26 – Cleveland, OH @ Peabody’s
11/27 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club
11/29 – Winnipeg, MB @ Park Theater
11/30 – Regina, SK @ The Exchange
12/01 – Edmonton, AB @ Pawn Shop
12/02 – Calgary, AB @ The Distillery
12/03 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater
12/04 – Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
12/05 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
12/06 – Oakland, CA @ The Pound
12/07 – West Hollywood, CA @ Key Club
12/08 – Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse
12/10 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Alternative Landing
12/11 – New Orleans, LA @ The Hanger
12/12 – Orlando, FL @ Firestone Live
12/13 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
12/14 – Columbus, OH @ AlRosa Villa
12/15 – West Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
12/16 – Reading, PA @ Reverb
12/17 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium (Upstairs)
12/18 – Quebec City, QC @ Theatre Imperial
Finnish folk metal pioneers, KORPIKLAANI, have made the music video for their brand new drinking hymn “Tequila” available for viewing below. The track comes off their new album, Ukon Wacka, which will be released in Europe on February 4, 2011 and in North America on February 15, 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Louhen Yhdeksäs Poika
02. Päät Pois Tai Hirteen
03. Tuoppi Oltta
04. Lonkkaluut
05. Tequila
06. Ukon Wacka
07. Korvesta Liha
08. Koivu Ja Tähti
09. Vaarinpolkka 10. Surma
North American Bonus Track: 11. Iron Fist (MOTÖRHEAD)
Check out the cover artwork below.
According to the band, “Ukon Wacka, or Ukon Vakat, is a pagan sacrificial feast from ancient times, on which a special made beer richly flowed. As can be expected from the title, this album has an ancient and very folky feel and is totally in Finnish. To make the lyrics understandable for non-Finnish people, we will add an English description/translation in the booklet as usual. The album consists of 10 songs, among which you will find a song name ‘Tequila’, which is especially written for (and inspired by) our South American fans, with whom we celebrated such hard times, and who welcomed us so warmly, when we were touring in South America. Another surprise is the title song, ‘Ukon Wacka’, in which a special guest features: the famous Finnish singer Tuomari Nurmio! Last but not least features a tribute song (‘Päät Pois Tai Hirteen’) to the Finnish rock band PEER GÜNT, a great and underestimated band. We hope and expect that this album will give you as much joy as we had making it; a big folky feast for all!”
Karkelo (English translation: “Pleasure” or “Party”), the sixth album from KORPIKLAANI, was released on June 26, 2009 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Petrax studio in Hollola, Finland.
KORPIKLAANI‘s previous CD, Korven Kuningas, came out on March 21, 2008. The CD entered the album chart in the band’s home country at position No. 16.
Finnish folk metal pioneers KORPIKLAANI will release their new album, Ukon Wacka, in Europe on February 4, 2011 and in North America on February 15, 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records.
The track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. Louhen Yhdeksäs Poika
02. Päät Pois Tai Hirteen
03. Tuoppi Oltta
04. Lonkkaluut
05. Tequila
06. Ukon Wacka
07. Korvesta Liha
08. Koivu Ja Tähti
09. Vaarinpolkka
Check out the cover artwork below.
According to the band, “Ukon Wacka, or Ukon Vakat, is a pagan sacrificial feast from ancient times, on which a special made beer richly flowed. As can be expected from the title, this album has an ancient and very folky feel and is totally in Finnish. To make the lyrics understandable for non-Finnish people, we will add an English description/translation in the booklet as usual. The album consists of 10 songs, among which you will find a song name ‘Tequila’, which is especially written for (and inspired by) our South American fans, with whom we celebrated such hard times, and who welcomed us so warmly, when we were touring in South America. Another surprise is the title song, ‘Ukon Wacka’, in which a special guest features: the famous Finnish singer Tuomari Nurmio! Last but not least features a tribute song (‘Päät Pois Tai Hirteen’) to the Finnish rock band PEER GÜNT, a great and underestimated band. We hope and expect that this album will give you as much joy as we had making it; a big folky feast for all!”
Karkelo (English translation: “Pleasure” or “Party”), the sixth album from KORPIKLAANI, was released on June 26, 2009 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Petrax studio in Hollola, Finland.
KORPIKLAANI‘s previous CD, Korven Kuningas, came out on March 21, 2008. The CD entered the album chart in the band’s home country at position No. 16.
It seems that they forgot a Clan in the Finnish Forests, so they had to sail across the Baltic Sea once more. Please welcome KORPIKLAANI on board 70000TONS OF METAL, The World’s Biggest Floating Heavy Metal Festival! 23 out of 40 and counting… Vodka! Vodka! Vodka! Vodka! Hey!
70000TONS OF METAL will sail Monday, January 24, 2011 aboard the Royal Caribbean “Majesty of the Seas” from Miami FL to Cozumel, Mexico and will not return you to the real world for four days until Friday, January 28, 2011.
Make no mistake, 70000TONS OF METAL is not your grandma’s cruise. It’s also not one of the cruises that share the ship with normal cruise guests. This is an all heavy metal cruise! Can you imagine that? A whole luxury cruise ship full of metalheads? And since there is no backstage area you will have the opportunity to mingle side-by-side with the artists in this incredibly fan-friendly scenario that has no comparison. It’s like everyone has a backstage pass!
Ticket prices start at US$666 plus US$249 taxes and fees per person and include all on-board entertainment, all meals, non-alcoholic and non-carbonated beverages at the dining rooms, most on-board restaurants and 24 room service!
What are you waiting for? You might even need a vacation from this vacation when all is said and done! Check out http://www.70000tons.com/ for more information and book your cabin NOW!
While other folk metal bands began with metal before adding folk music, Korpiklaani started with folk music before turning metal.
