Today on The Great Metal Debate podcast we’re reviewing Jylhä from Finnish folk metallers Korpiklaani,
I’ll confess this review may be somewhat biased by my own, very strong love for folk metal. Along with sex and pizza, folk metal is something that even when it’s not great, it’s still pretty damn good! In that sense, for me the bar is set quite low for Korpiklaani to present at least a competent album. Thankfully - and to their credit - Korpiklaani do this and more on Jylhä; perhaps not a genre-defining album, but a solid output of folk metal music that is well-worth the listener’s time and attention.
Without going track-by-track, I’ll hit the highlights, and they are plenty. The album begins with “Verikoria,” maybe the closest thing to an all-out arena rocker on the album; this one is a slam-dunk to be a fan favorite live! The song begins and ends with a compelling march, adding more tempo and angst in between. The drums do a solid job throughout, building up a good combination of solid rhythms, flourishes and occasional blasts of double bass power. The diversity of sound and upbeat tempo of this track really sets the stage for all that is to come.
Several other songs continue with or include the anthemic vibe. “Mylly” gives us a pounding aggressive feel, with the accordion serving as a capable foil for the lead guitar riff throughout the controlled march. “Miero” slows the pace a bit, with the violin coming in for a short, tasteful solo. Album closer “Juuret” has some nice moments but perhaps tries a bit too hard resulting in a scattershot result.
If you are looking for songs with a fun, bouncy vibe, there’s a ton to pick from here. “Leväluhta” – which I think was the first track released as a video single for the album – has a full, dyanamic sound blending syncopated rhythm and colorful countermelody. The song “Neimi” introduces a frenzied waltz timing and super-catchy chorus. This one really lets the violin and accordion control the melody. Quite the firecracker. “Kiuru” has a also killer melody line – that riff is a true earworm – and rollicking chorus following a somewhat shaky bridge section.
A few mellower songs make their way onto the tracklist as well, with “Tuuleton” starting softy and building in energy until exploding in an epic chorus. Another good one is “Anolan Aukeat” which rolls and swells gently with vocal passages that transition gently into beautiful violin refrains.
Overall, the folk instrumentation is well integrated into the sound of this album, and there's rarely a moment where the metal vibe of the song isn't being intensified by accordions and violin. Again, there’s variety aplenty such that after only a couple of listenings it’s easy to distinguish one song from the next. While frontman Jonne Järvelä’s vocal range is somewhat limited, his distinctive rough and ready singing is perfect for the songs Korpiklaani write.
Kudos to Korpiklaani for bringing so much to the table on this one. There’s no recycled riffs or ideas – all the music sounds fresh and that sense is reinforced by the sheer quantity of melodies rotated before the listener.
In conclusion: I’m giving Jylhä an 8 out of 10 score. There’s nothing lacking here, albeit no song that takes it over the top into legend status either. But the tracks that do stand out will find you grinning, headbanging and raising your pint toward the heavens. If you’re a fan of the likes of Ensiferum or Finntroll this should be right in your wheelhouse. One of their better albums by Korpiklaani, and a solid banger that I can see putting on to play on a long car drive and listening all the way through. Jylhä will be released on February 5th via Nuclear Blast Records, coming out as a digital album, CD, and a variety of other formats. Check it out!