Originally written by Keith Fox.
Do you like beer? Then you should like Tervaskanto. Korpiklaani has always been considered something of a good times metal band, one that, like Finntroll prior to their most recent release, should be respected for the quality folk metal they play, but is mostly just expected to provide you a reason to eat, drink, and drink some more. This album is yet another rousing Finnish romp in the woods, and it doesn’t really bring anything new to the table; but it does show the band getting better at what they do, perhaps even surpassing some of their countrymen in the folk metal field.
Beginning with the obligatory song dedicated to drinking, the cut-to-the-chase “Let’s Drink” gets Tervaskanto off to a joyous start. And the album only gets better. By and large, what follows is energetic folk metal featuring violins, pipes, and something called a jouhikko, which, thanks to Wikipedia, I now know is a Finnish three-stringed lyre. “Viima”, a mid-paced tune built around the humppa, stands out not only for containing one of this album’s more compelling melodies–it just really makes me want to drink, so I guess that’s success on both fronts for Korpiklaani. They reap the same results from many of the tracks, “Karhunkaatolaulu,” “Misty Fields” and the title track especially.
The most obvious shift on Tervaskanto from their earlier albums is that most of the lyrics here are in Finnish, with only three of the eleven songs sung in English. I personally find the Finnish a better fit for Korpiklaani and wouldn’t mind if they completely ditched English on the next album, but it’s really not a big deal. What’s more important is that Tervaskanto feels more mature than its predecessor, Tales Along This Road. There’s a flow to the album that just works perfectly for keeping the dancing spirited the whole way through. And there’s not a bad track to be found, either, though there are some slightly surprising slower pieces, most notably “Vesilahden Veräjillä”, which clocks in at a whopping seven minutes and manages to remain engaging despite its repetition and length.
Still, the formula is the same, and if you like humppa metal you know what you’re getting when you buy any Korpiklaani record. The only difference is that Tervaskanto is an even better buy than earlier Korpiklaani, and now that Finntroll has taken a turn for the darker and heavier with their latest, Ur Jordens Djup, it looks like Korpiklaani will have to satisfy your urges for wild and drunken folk metal. In a year chock full of outstanding Finnish folk-influenced albums, Tervaskanto more than stands up to the stiff competition.
