Finntroll
Nattfödd

THE REVIEW

Nattfödd, Finntroll's fifth album, was recorded in 2004 shortly after releasing the single Trollhammaren included in the CD. The band was formed in 1997 by Teemu Raimoranta (who died in 2003 due to drunkenness, although a member of his previous band claims it was a suicide), the guitarist of Impaled Nazarene, and J. Jämsen. After releasing their first demo in '98, new members joined the band; Samu Ruotsalainen from Barathrum and Rapture, Henri Sorvali from Moonsorrow, Samuli Ponsimaa, and Sami Uusitalo.

Having said this, I believe that Finntroll is a unique metal band in the genre thanks to their ability to mix emotions and sounds. They move away from any stereotype of Epic Black Viking Metal thanks to the fusion of this genre with Folk.
At first glance, even the most famous songs on this album seem to be written and played by a group of drunks just out from the brewery due to their deceptive simplicity, because in reality, each song features repeated tempo changes, climactic passages, and various contrasting components, primarily the cheerful sound of folk accompanied by the dark growl of Tapio Wilska, the new member.

As an opener, the Finnish group chose Manniskopesten, a typical midtempo song perfect for head banging, complete with cheerful melodies reminiscent of Ska. Trollhorn does magnificent work on the keyboard compared to past albums, creating a perfect atmosphere.
Next is Eliytres, which recalls the melodies of hummpa-metal followed in previous albums. Few black metal nuances can be heard halfway through the track, and Viking choirs accompanied by a majestic keyboard also conclude this song.
Fiskarens Fiende is decidedly darker and preludes to the masterpiece Trollhammaren, released as a single notably before the album itself. Some acoustic guitars and keyboards bring Moonsorrow to mind, but Finntroll manages to maintain their originality and retain their majesty, capturing us with an incredibly engaging chorus.
Next is the title track, which allows our ears a well-deserved rest (excluding Tapio's growl), then moves on to Urvsamp, a very aggressive piece that carries a slight ambiguity before concluding with an acceleration of Tapio's words.
Marknadvisan unfortunately lasts very little but tells (well, if you understand the lyrics or read them translated) of the trolls' attack to which we have been accustomed since their first album... I would label it "evil" only if I hadn't laughed too many times reading this article on Matteo's reviews.
Det Iskalla Trollblod still deals with trolls, narrating their hidden life in the woods, celebrating with wine and revelry (all indicated by the choruses of undefined beings present in the track).
As we move to Grottans Barn, we soon realize that it is probably the most melancholic track on the album, closing with Routas Vaggvisa, an introspective acoustic piece accentuated by owl verses almost intermittently, in my opinion, a classy way to conclude an album.

For me, it was love at first listen with this album thanks to its originality, its artistic components different from any other band that sparked a strong interest in this band. The emotions it conveys are not the usual predictable ones like anger, resentment typically associated with black metal, but it manages to give a positive boost with this fusion of different genres.

An album that any lover of metal should own.

This review is to say, for what little you might care, that I've returned to debaser and I've missed it a lot (yes, I consider myself a debaser-addict). There's little left for me to say, other than THROLLHAMMAREN!!!!!!!!!!!!!