Heavy Metal Ketchup #7: Finntroll, Extreme, Fu Manchu, more

You know what would be really horrible? If all the happy metal bands started touring with all the sad metal bands and cheering them up, so they weren't sad anymore. Fortunately, a number of the albums analyzed below suggest that, so far, that has yet to happen.

Equilibrium, Sagas (Nuclear Blast): This came in the mail accompanied by a cute press release featuring a petticoated couple from centuries ago doing some quaint parlor dance, then branding the music as "Epic Bavarian Polka! ... Bavarian Metal's finest in 13 movements!" Not sure I hear any stealing-of-keeshkas per se, but "Des Sängers Fluch" has friendly folk frills amidst its growling: "Unbesiegt" feels tough in a semi-psychedelic way, and "Snüffel" has something you'd never expect in a song with an umlaut -- a ZZ Top boogie riff!

Evergrey, Torn (SPV): Queensyrche-style fancy-pantsy prog-metal from Sweden, commendably not-too-ugly. And "In Confidence," at least, has some meat to it. No titles as zany (much less geometrical) as 2006's "Mark of the Triangle," however.

Extreme, Saudades De Rock (Open E): Don't laugh! Long before Gary Cherone did his stint in Van Halen, even before "More Than Words" hit the busker-ballad jackpot, they were actually pretty good, as not-as-funky-as-they-think white boys go. Listen to their debut album sometime if you don't believe me. As for their new one, it's neat how the title is a blatant rock en español move. And "Sunrise" sounds sort of like Led Zeppelin!

Finntroll, Ur Jordens Djup (Century Media): Literally consisting of genuine trolls who spend their days imbibing jolly beverages under a gruff billy goat's bridge in Finland, Finntroll are said to be hugely influenced by their frozen country's "hummpa" music, which sounds like "oompah" for very good reasons! They consistently fall toward the more songful end of the pagan-metal spectrum. And on this album, as usual, more hummpa-heavy tracks such as "Gryning" and "En Mäktig Här" are the obvious standouts.

Fu Manchu, We Must Obey (Caroline): Singer still too weak to carry the load, and the load's riffs still have no swing to speak of. Did they ever? Most overrated stoner-rock revival band of all time, maybe, seeing how I actually liked a Nebula song once. (Wait, do Clutch count? Pretty sure the Melvins and Mudhoney don't; they were grunge.) Skip ahead to the  Cars cover: now he's like an indie-rocker going goth.

The Funeral, From These Wounds (Candelight): Super-listenable, melancholy sloth-metal from Norway, with plenty of gravity and pretty melodies and a nicely glum moaner who doesn't sound affected. Also, tasty stretch-outs in "The Architecture of Loss" and "Saturn," among other cuts. They might be even better at being sad than Katatonia!