Nordic Folk Metal
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Nordic folk metal applies metal's distortion and momentum to the folk traditions of Finland and Scandinavia, leaning on accordion, fiddle, jouhikko, kantele, flute, mouth harp and the bouncy Finnish polka-rhythm 'humppa'. Tempos are frequently fast and danceable, with major-key fiddle-and-accordion hooks doubling the guitars over galloping double-kick and rollicking, oom-pah-flavoured grooves. Vocals run from harsh black-metal rasps and goblin-snarls to boozy gang shouts and heroic clean choirs. The mood ranges from drunken festivity and troll-forest whimsy to epic, somber Viking grandeur; trademarks include singalong folk choruses, beer-hall rhythms and battle-march cadences.
History
Nordic folk metal took shape in Finland in the late 1990s as black-metal musicians embraced national folk traditions. Finntroll debuted in 1997 fusing black metal with Finnish humppa, while Henri and Ville Sorvali's Moonsorrow blended Viking grandeur with native folk on epic albums from 1999 onward. Jonne Järvelä's Korpiklaani grew out of the folk act Shaman into beer-soaked party metal, and Ensiferum and Turisas pushed cinematic, battle-themed 'battle metal'. The Faroese band Týr brought Nordic ballad melodies and odd time signatures. Helsinki and Spinefarm/Napalm Records anchored the scene, which exploded internationally in the 2000s via festivals and the Paganfest circuit, making Finland the epicentre of folk metal's most commercially successful, crowd-pleasing wing.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Wikipedia: Folk metal
- Finntroll
- Moonsorrow
- Korpiklaani
- Encyclopaedia Metallum (Metal Archives): Finntroll, Korpiklaani, Ensiferum, Turisas, Týr
- No Clean Singing feature on Finnish humppa folk metal (Finntroll/Korpiklaani)