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Myth demeanour
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What the hell does metal have to do to get some notice again? Yammering on about Beelzebub is just cartoonish after two decades and no one is really going to “bat” a lash if you bite the head off winged vermin. Among metal’s strangest trends raising eyebrows of late, however, are Viking and pagan metal. Although neither Vikings nor pagans themselves, Finland’s Korpiklaani (roughly translated to “forest clan”) are considered leaders of the newly born pagan-metal subgenre, having merged traditional pre-Christian folk melodies, lyrics and instrumentation with modern metal blast. Singing in both their native Finnish and English, Korpiklaani evoke simpler times when mead flowed freely, pillaging was on most people’s to-do list and tanned animal hides were the bullet belts of the day. “I wouldn’t want to draw any comparisons with Satanism to paganism or Finnish mythology,” says bassist Jarkko Aaltonen, “but I will say that the transition in the metal world from Satanism to mythology has been quite easy. Bands using traditional folk music and metal is happening a lot now, but sadly, it’s a lot of people jumping on a bandwagon. I find it kind of weird that Viking metal bands are coming from places like Brazil, but it’s happening.” With the majority of North Americans looking forward with a glint of hope for the future and North American bands constantly pushing the musical envelope to appear contemporary, it’s no wonder that a form of music caught peering over its shoulder would eventually earn a place of distinction on our shores. “I don’t know about in America, but in Europe, we are in a European Union and people are searching for a national identity. When you study your past, you’re going to stumble upon this kind of music, and then people discover us. I think in America, the current society has alienated a lot of people and this kind of music resonates with those people that are looking for their real home. “It’s also good music to listen to when you’re drinking beer.” WITH PRIMORDIAL, MOONSORROW, |
