Moonsorrow
Encyclopedia
Moonsorrow is a pagan metal
band formed in Helsinki
, Finland
, in 1995. Musically, the band incorporates elements of black metal
and folk metal
in their sound. The band call their sound "epic heathen metal" and try to distance themselves from the term "Viking metal
".
(vocals and bass) and Henri Sorvali
(guitar and keyboards; also keyboards for Finntroll
, Barathrum
, and session member of Ensiferum
) who released various demos that were much more characteristic of melodic black metal than future releases.
Their debut album, Suden Uni
, recorded in early 2000, was released in 2001, along with Tämä Ikuinen Talvi
("This Everlasting Winter"), a re-release of a 1999 demo. Suden Uni ("A Wolf's Dream") combined Finnish paganism
and folk
elements. After recruiting Mitja Harvilahti and Markus Eurén
, Moonsorrow started playing live, releasing Voimasta Ja Kunniasta
("Of Strength and Honour") in late 2001. However, the real takeoff for the band is generally held to be their 2003 release, Kivenkantaja
("Stonebearer"). In 2005 the band followed it up with their fourth full-length album, Verisäkeet
("Blood Verses"). The album was also their first to use ambient sounds such as birdsong and crackling fire in between tracks.
In January 2006 the band played their first US
show at the Heathen Crusade Metalfest in Columbia Heights
, MN
. On March 7, 2006, Moonsorrow announced a 2-album contract with Spinefarm Records
, and that their next album was slated for release in late 2006. On June 19 it was revealed that the upcoming album would feature guest vocals by Thomas Väänänen, the former vocalist of Thyrfing
; Viides Luku - Hävitetty
("Chapter five - Ravaged") was released in January 2007. The album contained only two tracks and displayed more overt influence from progressive rock
.
An EP
called Tulimyrsky
was released in 2008. The EP is over one hour long and contains one new song (the title track), two remakes of old songs, and two cover songs. It was released worldwide by Spinefarm Records, and in May the German label Drakkar Entertainment
released it in Germany
, Austria
and Switzerland
.
In Fall 2010, Moonsorrow entered the studio to record their sixth full-length studio album, with a tentative release date in February 2011.
, legends and poetry; since Tämä Ikuinen Talvi
they have been written exclusively in Finnish
. For instance, the song "Sankaritarina" from Voimasta Ja Kunniasta
features lyrics directly translated from Hávamál
.
, racists
, and fascists
from the German organizations Antifa and BIFF (Berliner Institut für Faschismusforschung). Ville Sorvali of Moonsorrow and Heri Joensen of Týr
issued a joint video statement to refute these accusations, noting that the bands are in no way connected to fascist groups and actually are against fascism. Guitarist Mitja Harvilahti told the German Feindesland webzine that the band has nothing to do with fascism, and Mitja personally "strongly despises racists and Nazis."
sideproject of the band. The project started as a joke: when Moonsorrow were recording their 2005 album Verisäkeet
, they said in an interview that the album would be named Raah Raah Blääh and it would be very different stylistically than their previous releases. Although this was just a joke, many people took it to heart. Later they stated that it had been a joke, but they then decided to actually record one of the songs, called "Kuolema Taidehomoille... Ja Muille" (engl. "Death to Art Faggots... and Others"). It didn't end there, however: the band ended up actually recording the whole Raah Raah Blääh album and released it on the internet under the new moniker Lakupaavi.
Pagan metal
Pagan metal is an umbrella term for heavy metal music which fuses extreme metal with "the pre-Christian traditions of a specific culture or region through thematic concept, rustic melodies, unusual instruments or archaic languages", usually referring to folk metal or black metal. The Norwegian band...
band formed in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, in 1995. Musically, the band incorporates elements of black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
and folk metal
Folk metal
Folk metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal with traditional folk music...
in their sound. The band call their sound "epic heathen metal" and try to distance themselves from the term "Viking metal
Viking metal
Viking metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its galloping pace, keyboard-rich anthemic sound, bleakness and dramatic emphasis on lyrical themes of Norse mythology, Norse paganism, and the Viking Age...
".
History
The group's earliest formation consisted of cousins Ville SorvaliVille Sorvali
Ville Sorvali is a Finnish musician and music journalist. He is the vocalist, bass guitarist and lyricist for the Finnish pagan metal band Moonsorrow. His cousin Henri "Trollhorn" Sorvali is the rhythm guitarist and main songwriter.He speaks fluent Finnish and English, and personally admits to...
(vocals and bass) and Henri Sorvali
Henri Sorvali
Henri "Trollhorn" Sorvali, born October 19, 1978, in Finland, is the guitarist and keyboardist of the pagan metal band Moonsorrow, and keyboardist for Finntroll, and also plays for The Wicked....
(guitar and keyboards; also keyboards for Finntroll
Finntroll
Finntroll is a folk metal band from Helsinki, Finland. They combine elements of black metal and folk metal. Finntroll's lyrics are mostly in Swedish, the only exception being the song "Madon Laulu" on Visor Om Slutet...
, Barathrum
Barathrum
Barathrum is a Finnish black doom band. They originate from Kuopio but have since re-located to Helsinki. The first letters of their full-length albums spell "HEIL SOVA" , which completes their original eight-album plan. However, there have been rumours about a new record ever since the Anno Aspera...
, and session member of Ensiferum
Ensiferum
Ensiferum is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "heroic folk metal." Since their formation, Ensiferum has released four full-length albums, one EP, one compilation, three singles, and three demo albums and one unreleased album.-Musical...
) who released various demos that were much more characteristic of melodic black metal than future releases.
Their debut album, Suden Uni
Suden Uni
Suden uni is the first full-length album by Finnish pagan metal band Moonsorrow. It was originally released in 2001, and then re-released in 2003 with one bonus track, different cover art, and a 40-minute DVD.-Track listing:...
, recorded in early 2000, was released in 2001, along with Tämä Ikuinen Talvi
Tämä Ikuinen Talvi
Tämä Ikuinen Talvi is the fourth demo album of the Finnish folk metal band Moonsorrow, released in the very beginning of 1999 by Meat Hook Productions. It was re-released on August 28, 2001 on CD by Sagitarius Productions, with significantly remastered music and vocals...
("This Everlasting Winter"), a re-release of a 1999 demo. Suden Uni ("A Wolf's Dream") combined Finnish paganism
Finnish paganism
Finnish paganism was the indigenous pagan religion in Finland, Estonia and Karelia prior to Christianization. It was a polytheistic religion, worshipping a number of different deities...
and folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
elements. After recruiting Mitja Harvilahti and Markus Eurén
Markus Eurén
Markus Eurén is a keyboard musician. He currently plays keyboard in the Finnish pagan metal band Moonsorrow. He is also in their grindcore side project called Lakupaavi....
, Moonsorrow started playing live, releasing Voimasta Ja Kunniasta
Voimasta Ja Kunniasta
Voimasta ja kunniasta is the second full-length album by the Finnish folk metal band Moonsorrow. It was released on November 26, 2001 through Spinefarm Records.-Track listing:# "Tyven" – 1:52...
("Of Strength and Honour") in late 2001. However, the real takeoff for the band is generally held to be their 2003 release, Kivenkantaja
Kivenkantaja
Kivenkantaja is the third full-length album by Finnish pagan metal band Moonsorrow. It was released on May 10, 2003 through Spinefarm Records.-Track listing:"Raunioilla" – 13:37Askelmilla...
("Stonebearer"). In 2005 the band followed it up with their fourth full-length album, Verisäkeet
Verisäkeet
Verisäkeet is the fourth full-length album by Finnish metal band Moonsorrow. It was released on February 23, 2005 through Spinefarm Records. The songs are long and epic and are supposed to be listened to all at once, as the tracks are more parts of an individual composition than individual songs...
("Blood Verses"). The album was also their first to use ambient sounds such as birdsong and crackling fire in between tracks.
In January 2006 the band played their first US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
show at the Heathen Crusade Metalfest in Columbia Heights
Columbia Heights, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,520 people, 8,033 households, and 4,731 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,368.7 people per square mile . There were 8,151 housing units at an average density of 2,362.9 per square mile...
, MN
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. On March 7, 2006, Moonsorrow announced a 2-album contract with Spinefarm Records
Spinefarm Records
Spinefarm Records is a Finland-based record label focusing mainly on heavy metal artists. In 1999, a sub-label titled Spikefarm Records was started by Sami Tenetz from Thy Serpent...
, and that their next album was slated for release in late 2006. On June 19 it was revealed that the upcoming album would feature guest vocals by Thomas Väänänen, the former vocalist of Thyrfing
Thyrfing
Thyrfing is a viking metal band from Sweden. The band is named after the royal sword Tyrfing from Norse mythology.-History:Thyrfing was formed in 1995 by Patrik Lindgren , Jocke Kristensson , Peter Löf and Kimmy Sjölund...
; Viides Luku - Hävitetty
Viides Luku - Hävitetty
V: Hävitetty is the fifth full-length album by Finnish pagan metal band Moonsorrow. It was released on January 10, 2007 through Spinefarm Records...
("Chapter five - Ravaged") was released in January 2007. The album contained only two tracks and displayed more overt influence from progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
.
An EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
called Tulimyrsky
Tulimyrsky
Tulimyrsky is the first EP of the Finnish folk metal band Moonsorrow. Initially scheduled for release on March 26, 2008 through Spinefarm Records, the release date was postponed until April 30 to allow for proper promotion. Over an hour in length, the release contains one new song, two covers and...
was released in 2008. The EP is over one hour long and contains one new song (the title track), two remakes of old songs, and two cover songs. It was released worldwide by Spinefarm Records, and in May the German label Drakkar Entertainment
Drakkar Entertainment
Drakkar Entertainment GmbH, also called Drakkar Records or Drakkar Publishing, is a German record label with its headquarters in Witten. It is a joint venture with Bertelsmann Music Group.-History:...
released it in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
In Fall 2010, Moonsorrow entered the studio to record their sixth full-length studio album, with a tentative release date in February 2011.
Lyrics
Moonsorrow's lyrics draw inspiration from Finnish mythologyFinnish mythology
Finnish mythology is the mythology that went with Finnish paganism which was practised by the Finnish people prior to Christianisation. It has many features shared with fellow Finnic Estonian mythology and its non-Finnic neighbours, the Balts and the Scandinavians...
, legends and poetry; since Tämä Ikuinen Talvi
Tämä Ikuinen Talvi
Tämä Ikuinen Talvi is the fourth demo album of the Finnish folk metal band Moonsorrow, released in the very beginning of 1999 by Meat Hook Productions. It was re-released on August 28, 2001 on CD by Sagitarius Productions, with significantly remastered music and vocals...
they have been written exclusively in Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
. For instance, the song "Sankaritarina" from Voimasta Ja Kunniasta
Voimasta Ja Kunniasta
Voimasta ja kunniasta is the second full-length album by the Finnish folk metal band Moonsorrow. It was released on November 26, 2001 through Spinefarm Records.-Track listing:# "Tyven" – 1:52...
features lyrics directly translated from Hávamál
Hávamál
Hávamál is presented as a single poem in the Poetic Edda, a collection of Old Norse poems from the Viking age. The poem, itself a combination of different poems, is largely gnomic, presenting advice for living, proper conduct and wisdom....
.
Politics
In April 2008, Moonsorrow and other performers on the folk metal festival Paganfest were accused of being NazisNazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
, racists
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, and fascists
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
from the German organizations Antifa and BIFF (Berliner Institut für Faschismusforschung). Ville Sorvali of Moonsorrow and Heri Joensen of Týr
Týr (band)
Týr, , is a folk metal band from the Faroe Islands. Their subject matter revolves almost entirely around old Nordic lore, mythology, and history, taking their name from a Norse god of war. They signed a worldwide deal with Austria's Napalm Records in early 2006, while signed to the Faroese record...
issued a joint video statement to refute these accusations, noting that the bands are in no way connected to fascist groups and actually are against fascism. Guitarist Mitja Harvilahti told the German Feindesland webzine that the band has nothing to do with fascism, and Mitja personally "strongly despises racists and Nazis."
Members
- Henri SorvaliHenri SorvaliHenri "Trollhorn" Sorvali, born October 19, 1978, in Finland, is the guitarist and keyboardist of the pagan metal band Moonsorrow, and keyboardist for Finntroll, and also plays for The Wicked....
– rhythmRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Ville SorvaliVille SorvaliVille Sorvali is a Finnish musician and music journalist. He is the vocalist, bass guitarist and lyricist for the Finnish pagan metal band Moonsorrow. His cousin Henri "Trollhorn" Sorvali is the rhythm guitarist and main songwriter.He speaks fluent Finnish and English, and personally admits to...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the... - Mitja Harvilahti – leadLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Markus EurénMarkus EurénMarkus Eurén is a keyboard musician. He currently plays keyboard in the Finnish pagan metal band Moonsorrow. He is also in their grindcore side project called Lakupaavi....
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Marko Tarvonen – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
Guests
- Thomas Väänänen (ThyrfingThyrfingThyrfing is a viking metal band from Sweden. The band is named after the royal sword Tyrfing from Norse mythology.-History:Thyrfing was formed in 1995 by Patrik Lindgren , Jocke Kristensson , Peter Löf and Kimmy Sjölund...
) – guest vocals on Viides Luku - Hävitetty - Hittavainen (KorpiklaaniKorpiklaaniKorpiklaani is a folk metal band from Finland who were formerly known as Shaman.-Biography:While other folk metal bands began with metal before adding folk music, Korpiklaani started with folk music before turning metal...
) – fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, jouhikkoJouhikkothumb|right| Replica of a 19th century Jouhikko made by Simon ChadwickThe jouhikko is a traditional, 2 or 3 stringed bowed lyre, from Finland and Karelia. Its strings are traditionally of horsehair. The playing of this instrument died out in the early 20th century but has been revived and there...
, recorderRecorderThe recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple... - Janne Perttilä (Barren Earth, Rytmihäiriö) – guitar (live), backing vocals
Studio albums
- Suden UniSuden UniSuden uni is the first full-length album by Finnish pagan metal band Moonsorrow. It was originally released in 2001, and then re-released in 2003 with one bonus track, different cover art, and a 40-minute DVD.-Track listing:...
(2001) - Voimasta Ja KunniastaVoimasta Ja KunniastaVoimasta ja kunniasta is the second full-length album by the Finnish folk metal band Moonsorrow. It was released on November 26, 2001 through Spinefarm Records.-Track listing:# "Tyven" – 1:52...
(2001) - KivenkantajaKivenkantajaKivenkantaja is the third full-length album by Finnish pagan metal band Moonsorrow. It was released on May 10, 2003 through Spinefarm Records.-Track listing:"Raunioilla" – 13:37Askelmilla...
(2003) - VerisäkeetVerisäkeetVerisäkeet is the fourth full-length album by Finnish metal band Moonsorrow. It was released on February 23, 2005 through Spinefarm Records. The songs are long and epic and are supposed to be listened to all at once, as the tracks are more parts of an individual composition than individual songs...
(2005) - Viides Luku - HävitettyViides Luku - HävitettyV: Hävitetty is the fifth full-length album by Finnish pagan metal band Moonsorrow. It was released on January 10, 2007 through Spinefarm Records...
(2007) - Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassaVarjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassaVarjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa is the sixth full-length album by Finnish pagan metal band Moonsorrow. It was released on February 21, 2011 through Spinefarm Records.- Track listing :-External links:...
(2011)
Demos
- Thorns of Ice (1996, unreleased)
- Promo (1997, unreleased)
- Metsä (1997)
- Tämä Ikuinen TalviTämä Ikuinen TalviTämä Ikuinen Talvi is the fourth demo album of the Finnish folk metal band Moonsorrow, released in the very beginning of 1999 by Meat Hook Productions. It was re-released on August 28, 2001 on CD by Sagitarius Productions, with significantly remastered music and vocals...
(1999)
Side project: Lakupaavi
Lakupaavi (Liquorice Pope in Finnish) is a grindcoreGrindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
sideproject of the band. The project started as a joke: when Moonsorrow were recording their 2005 album Verisäkeet
Verisäkeet
Verisäkeet is the fourth full-length album by Finnish metal band Moonsorrow. It was released on February 23, 2005 through Spinefarm Records. The songs are long and epic and are supposed to be listened to all at once, as the tracks are more parts of an individual composition than individual songs...
, they said in an interview that the album would be named Raah Raah Blääh and it would be very different stylistically than their previous releases. Although this was just a joke, many people took it to heart. Later they stated that it had been a joke, but they then decided to actually record one of the songs, called "Kuolema Taidehomoille... Ja Muille" (engl. "Death to Art Faggots... and Others"). It didn't end there, however: the band ended up actually recording the whole Raah Raah Blääh album and released it on the internet under the new moniker Lakupaavi.
External links
- Official Moonsorrow home page
- Moonsorrow at Encyclopaedia MetallumEncyclopaedia MetallumEncyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives is a website which lists bands from various forms of heavy metal music...