Korpiklaani – Rankarumpu
Release Date: 5th April 2024
Label: Nuclear Blast
Bandcamp
Genre: Folk Metal
FFO: Ensiferum, Turisas, Eluveitie.
Review By: Kira L. Schlechter
Just recently, Finland was named the happiest country in the world. That might have just a little to do with bands like Korpiklaani, who’ve brought headbanging delights to that land – and the world – with their fun-loving take on folk metal for over 20 years.
With their latest, “Rankarumpu” (their 12th release and the follow-up to 2021’s “Jylha”), singer and acoustic guitarist Jonne Järvelä strove for faster tempos, “like the old Korpiklaani,” as he noted in the album bio. He also wrote most of the nature- and mythology-inspired lyrics.
He also said that the folk instruments “have never been such an essential part of our sound,” and the rest of the band – accordionist Sami Perttula, violinist Olli Vänskä (their newest member, late of Turisas), bassist Jarkko Aaltonen, guitarist Kalle “Cane” Savijärvi, and drummer/percussionist Samuli Mikkonen – make that abundantly clear throughout.
That faster tempo shoots right out of the blocks with the opener, “Kotomaa,” with its lively accordion and guitar melody, crazed (but excellently precise) drumming, and tastefully layered harmonies. The vocals could be louder in the mix, but Jonne is in full gritty growl and the chorus is super catchy. Finnish is a diabolically difficult language, and to hear someone spit out its words with such ease (and speed) is mind-boggling. The highlight comes when the music drops out and Jonne delivers the main line of the chorus alone before a frenzied instrumental breakdown. More of Samuli’s awesome drumming (including a quick solo) takes us into the final chorus, which hurtles along before coming to a stop-on-a-dime halt.
“Tapa sen kun kerkeet” is described by Jonne in the bio as the “anti-war track,” and indeed it starts with a suitably military-esque marching tempo before the double-kick blast beat takes over in the angrily spat-out verses. A meditative interlude, led by Sami’s accordion and Samuli’s emotional drumming, leads into each verse. The chorus, with its chanted refrain, is set to an airtight bouncing groove, reminiscent of hip-hop or nu-metal. They move between each of these tempos with almost mocking ease.
“Aita” is also marked by heightened speed, with Sami’s accordion again taking the lead on the main melody – it’s so fast but also wonderfully light. The title means “fence” in English, and through a provided set of translated lyrics, the song tells of a wandering hobo, hounded into isolation by his poverty and ill treatment. The chorus alludes to this with the fence metaphor: “The fence will fall if its stakes are too high and tall/A fence of brushwood is better than no fence at all,” that is to say, it’s fine to protect yourself, but only so much. The final verse is the moral of the story: “So even a poor man has something to give to you/Perhaps nothing else but at least his love.”
“Saunaan,” written by Olli with lyrics by Samuli, barrels along with vigor as it depicts (again through translated lyrics) a long, hard day of felling trees that’s ultimately rewarded by a hearty party in the sauna, where “we shall have a good time,” where “your worries will burn like a pine.” “More fire to the hole,” Jonne exhorts, “Wasted is our goal!” Olli’s violin takes center stage in the modulated solo section before a last runthrough of the cheerfully boozy chorus – it’s a blast.
“Mettaan” has a pretty metal start with its big guitar riff until the accordion snatches it out of its hands. It, too, is super fast and energetic, with a guitar scream punctuating each couplet of the verses. A cool hitching stop-start groove, reminiscent of hip-hop, gives the chorus punch and swagger. It eases out to almost a crooning vocal from Jonne – tender with lots of gritty vibrato – and more of Samuli’s stellar drumming before it picks back up into a joyous swing. A guitar solo backed by thundering drums heads into an accordion-heavy whip-fast section that gets incrementally faster with each part. After another verse and chorus, the metal and folk sections swap frenzied places again before it blasts to an end.
“Kalmisto,” also with lyrics by Samuli, takes a break from the speed with a slithering metal groove dripping with sexy accordion (yes, you read that right). Jonne’s gravelly purr echoes the earthy vibe of this stomping grind. A low-throated accordion solo with lots of low-end drums heralds the slightly faster chorus. When the verses pick up again, the original stomp has become just a wee bit faster, but is no less appealing. Solos from Sami and Olli are backed by that punchy halting guitar riff before that slow trod gets going again. Loads of double-kick drumming mark the final choruses and the dramatic instrumental end.
Jonne said in the bio that the title track is about the band itself – we’ll have to take his word for it on that. But that might be because it so perfectly combines both the folk and the metal facets of Korpiklaani. It too is slightly slower, with pummeling drums and guitar and more of that low-end accordion, and the earworm of a chorus has a breathless, headlong feel. They seem to especially love the pairing of drums and accordion, which makes up most of the end section, and a series of hearty “hey”s drive it home.
We’re back up to speed with “No perkele” despite its mid-tempo start. Take particular note of how the accordion plummets downward through the scale and gets all minor key after the verses – it sounds positively evil. The song’s title is hollered out in the rousing chorus. The thing about folk instruments is they require just as much skill, if not more, than any electric one, and Olli and Sami are just stellar – speed doesn’t faze them, nor do key changes. Another round of “hey”s are added to the final chorus, just begging for a crowd to join in, and one more round of that intro tidily winds it up.
A mournful accordion and violin melody and a crushing, guitar-driven groove begin “Viikatelintu,” then it powers into a juicy swing. Jonne sings in a lower register here, backed by beefy drumming and a chunky main riff in the verses and pre-chorus. The chorus gets sprightly with percolating accordion; Jonne’s voice rises to his higher scream, and the title is delivered with a shout at the end. The same pattern is then repeated, and Samuli’s tasteful tom drumming gives the pre-chorus even more airiness and lift.
“Nouse” lives a bit more in the metal camp, with guitar dueling apace with accordion and fiddle. It, too, darts through tempo variations before settling into that barrelling rush they enjoy so much. As noted earlier, I wish the vocals would be a little louder or more delineated in the mix – there’s so much going on musically that Jonne’s little vocal tricks (like his appealing croon in the chorus) get a little lost. The midsection is a potent metal groove that the soloing accordion enhances marvellously – at the end, that same accordion mimics a screaming guitar almost exactly, and it’s great.
The punchy syncopated rhythm of “Oraakkelit,” led by guitar and accordion with fiddle commenting, is such fun, especially in its big, swinging, bouncy chorus. Jonne is excellent here, alternating between his phlegmy purr and his rippling croon. Sami’s accordion is just irresistible before a solo section dominated by Olli’s fiddle, which takes its own shot at miming Kalle’s electric guitar.
“Harhainen hoyhen” is the emotional ballad that finishes the album. While it boasts lots of wailing guitar, it adds a forlorn whistle to the mix. It’s a bit more insistent in the second verse, Jonne’s voice deepening and growing more harsh. The lovely chorus has a bleak, poignant sadness to it. A solo section is a masterful blend of whistle, accordion, fiddle, and metal power. Another verse and chorus, then Jonne wails wordlessly as all the instruments swirl around him. The band’s roots rise again to the fore on the outro as the electric instruments fade away, and we’re left with whistle and fiddle as final commentary.
Save for wishing for louder vocals, “Rankarumpu” is a terrific effort, one that’s kept so from start to finish – those last two tracks are just as solid, maybe even more so, than any other. The consistency and commitment of the band to maintaining excellence on both sides of their coin — the folk and the metal – are apparent.
Catch Korpiklaani this spring as they venture to the U.S. with Visions of Atlantis and Illumishade.
(4.5 / 5)
