### Finntroll: Visor om slutet

#### 14/03/04 || Statik Majik

So, what we have in our hands here is “long planned project, an acoustic/experimental cd ” (as the band´s website describes this) made by polkametallers Finntroll. Jaktens Tid kicked ass, I tell you that. And up to this point it´s the only album from Finntroll that I´ve heard. I got the “Visor Om Slutet” and “Midnattens Widunder” just recently and so far haven´t got the time to listen to them. Well, now I do. So let´s see what the latest album from these finns singing in swedish have to offer.

The intro, “Suohengen sija”, sounds cool. Kind of gloomy and dark, in a medieval kind of way. And then comes the first actual track “Asfågelns död”. I dunno… this ain´t anything similar to “Födoasagan”, the first actual track from their previous effort “Jaktens Tid”. Actually pretty fucken far from it. I begin to hear what the acoustic/experimetal description from their website means.

And this direction continues on the next track. I don´t how to describe the feeling I got after hearing these few songs. So far the songs sound kind of old drinking and/or folk songs you´d expect to be sung by the campfire with loads of people around you, kind of like after a succesfull hunting. Like in the old days, you know. Interesting, to say the least. In a good way, I might add.

Veripuu is again short instrumental track, interlude of somekind. Nothing special, nothing bad. Something that could´ve easily been left out of the cd. Well, it´s here and that´s it. The song after this on the other hand is, surprisingly, similar to the other tracks. Me likes abit. It starts beautifully, I might add. It´s slow. Well, there´s nothing even remotely fast in this album, but this is slower compered to the first few tracks of this album anyway. Well, the tempo starts to get faster after few minutes.

Then we get another short interlude kind of song here. Just to keep the moody atmosphere up or something. I don´t know. I suppose we´ll have another folk-musiclike song next.

And was I right, or was I right? Now we have an acoustic guitar and singing. Cool. I guess. Quite slow song too. Good? I don´t know. It´s not bad. And I´m still awake. What I do know is that right after I finish this one I need to listen to something helluva lot faster.

The next track is “Rov”. Eating sounds and something wierd humming in the background. Hmmm, ok then. After the eating sounds we get… hold your breath: birds! And while this sonar nature document goes on, the song even changes to Madon laulu. I just have to translate that to you. It´s a fucken “The song of the worm”. That´s right, you heard me. Now I think I need a drink.

There´s few more after this one, but as you can probably notice I am getting a little irritated here. I think I´ll proofread and correct my typos from this review while listening to the last remaining songs. Unless they´re fucken killer polkametal, then I might write something about them here.

Overall this was a interesting experience, but definatelly an album I know I won´t find myself listening to that often (ever). Well, it´s good that artists have guts to experiment, but hopefully Finntroll satisfied their experimenting needs with this one and the next cd (released later this year) would continue where Jaktens Tid left. Well, it´s probably a good thing that you don´t need my approval in order to release records.

And just in case you care: “Visor Om Slutet” was released as a mid-price album, and (don´t ask me why) it inhabited the no. 1 place of the Finnish Midprice chart for several weeks. So this means what? It means that even if this wasn´t my cup of tea, there are alot of people who actually enjoyed it. Or enjoyed buying it. The same result anyway.

Now where did I put my copy of Deicide´s “Scars of the Crucifix” cd…? Ah, here it is…

5,5 /10

- Information
- Released: 2003
- Label: Spikefarm Records
- Website: www.finntroll.net
- Band
- B. Dominator: drums
- Wilska: vocals
- Tundra: bass
- Skrymer: live guitar
- Trollhorn: keyboards
- Routa: guitar

- Tracklist
- 01. Suohengen Sija
- 02. Asfågelns Död
- 03. Försvinn Du Som Lyser
- 04. Veripuu
- 05. Under Varje Rot Och Sten
- 06. När Allt Blir Is
- 07. Den Sista Runans Dans
- 08. Rov
- 09. Madon Laulu
- 10. Svart Djup
- 11. Avgrunden Öppnas