Folk metal - more successful than ever
Finnish folk metal has been the flagship product of Finnish metal music for years, and at the moment it seems to be more successful than ever. Ensiferum’s album Unsung Heroes, which was released through Spinefarm Records on August 24 in Finland and Germany and August 28 in the UK, landing third spot on Finnish charts. A few weeks earlier, Korpiklaani’s new album Manala reached number 47 in the German charts, making it the best German chart entry in the band’s history.
The rest of the world loves Finnish folk metal as well. As Ensiferum are getting ready to start their “Bearers of the Sword” -tour in Europe, Korpiklaani headed to North America to entertain the American metal fans with another Finnish folk-influenced metal band Moonsorrow as their support act. Battle metal heroes Turisas were lately featured in a Japanese prime-time TV-show Sekai Banzuke’s episode about Finnish metal. After the show, Turisas went on Twitter’s Japanese trending topic list and their latest album Stand Up and Fight went to #1 on Amazon’s rock chart. Within the last years, Turisas have been touring Australia, the USA and Europe, doing over 150 gigs during 2011 and 2012.
Ensiferum’s founder and main songwriter Markus “Mahi” Toivonen told the latest issue of Inferno-magazine that being a Finn has always been a major inspiration for him. Ensiferum’s music is inspired by Finnish folklore, nature and traditions set in a fantasy world: a combination, which is fascinating and exotic. Audiences all over the world are enchanted by Finnish folk metal not only because its uniqueness but also because of the energetic and intensive live shows these bands have to offer.