Korpiklaani (Finland)

[Hellas]

Korpiklaani is a folk metal band from Finland, formerly known as Shaman. The name Korpiklaani means Woodsclan in the Finnish language. Korpiklaani is today one of most famous folk metal bends, and they got their fame relatively quickly.

Biography

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 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.

According to Jonne Järvelä, Korpiklaani's music would be seen as "old peoples music with heavy metal guitars" in Finnland.

There has been some amount of collaboration between Korpiklaani and Finntroll, as Samu Ruotsalainen of Finntroll provided session drums for their debut album Spirit of the Forest and Järvelä provided the yoiking for the title track of Finntroll's album Jaktens Tid.

Band members
Jonne Järvelä – vocals, guitar
Jaakko "Hittavainen" Lemmetty – violin, jouhikko and woodwinds
Kalle "Cane" Savijärvi – guitar (Voice of Wilderness and onwards)
Matti "Matson" Johansson – drums (Voice of Wilderness and onwards)
Jarkko Aaltonen – bass (Tales Along This Road and onwards)
Juho Kauppinen – accordion (Tales Along This Road and onwards)

Discography

Albums
Spirit of the Forest (2003)
Voice of Wilderness (2005)
Tales Along This Road (2006)
Tervaskanto (2007)
Korven Kuningas (2008)

Singles
"Keep on Galloping" (2008)

Videos
"Wooden Pints" (2003)
"Hunting Song" (2005) at Napalm Records (WMV)
"Kädet Siipinä" (2005) at Napalm Records (WMV)
"Beer Beer" (2005) at Napalm Records (WMV)
"Happy Little Boozer" (2006) at Napalm Records (WMV)
"Tervaskanto" (2007) at Napalm Records (WMV)
"Metsämies" (2008)
"Keep on Galloping" (2008)

Korpiklaani official web page: http://www.korpiklaani.com/
Korpiklaani at Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/korpiklaaniofficial
Korpiklaani at Metal Archives: http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=17431

[Simargl]

Can't believe that nobody replied on this topic. Great band, I love Tales Along This Road album, every song is good here. It seems that they have lack of originality in last few years, but I like their style and I don't care for it that much .

[neonshez]

I have seen them many times and will keep going when I can... they are just so much fun live, and know how to impress the crowd!
The reviews of the latest album seem to revolve around the lack of drinking songs...  any comments?

[Hellas]

actualy i find last album to be the best of them
there is no much peasant feel (i hate first beacuse of that)

[Magyla]

Hellas, I'm thinking otherwise. Maybe I don't like "Korven Kuningas", because I didn't listen that album so much as others. There wasn't any song, which I remember as distinct from "Tales Along This Road" or "Tervaskanto". Nonetheless, this band is awesome and always exhilarates me. Lucky who saw them.



P.S. Sorry for my bad english.

[Hellas]

Hellas, I'm thinking otherwise. Maybe I don't like "Korven Kuningas", because I didn't listen that album so much as others. There wasn't any song, which I remember as distinct from "Tales Along This Road" or "Tervaskanto". Nonetheless, this band is awesome and always exhilarates me. Lucky who saw them.



P.S. Sorry for my bad english.

your english is great, much better then mine!
i listened album 10 times at once, so maybe i get used to it. also there is much similar songs on it to.

[neonshez]

my embarassment is that you all speak English and i'm not speaking in our tongue!  I shall try to learn Danish with the Dane and how's about some Finnish to sing along with Korpklaani?

I still love Cottages and Saunas, my favourite tune

[Waldheri]

I'm thinking of picking up one of the Scandinavian languages as well - or maybe after I've graduated. I can understand some German, though, so that makes up for quite some bands.

[Thor]

After first three albums then Tervaskanto and Korven Kuningas. Are they turning back into Shaman?

[misscarissa]

"With Trees" from Spirit of the Forest is one of my favorite songs of all time.

[Ulfrinn]

I need to catch up on my Korpiklaani. Just got back into listening to them, stopped buying albums after "Tales".

For me, I think that Spirit of the Forest remains my favourite album, although Voice of Wilderness holds a place in my heart.