Heavy Metal Ketchup #11: Korpiklaani, Kosmos, Khold, more

Not all four of the fine bands below come from Europe, but the one that doesn't still comes from a place where people talk French a lot -- and you can tell. I'm not gonna say metal is only any fun these days outside the United States. But it sure does seem that way sometimes.

Hundre Ǻr Gammal (Candlelight USA): Gutterally accented foreign-language Euro-gunk chuggers in the too-ignored line of France's great Treponem Pal or Noir Desir, even though Khold come from Switzerland (same country the likewise comparable Young Gods came from, come to think of it, so there you go). Needless to say, this one makes my day. "Der Kulden Rar" starts the album with an actual blues-based hard-rock riff; the title track reminds me of Voivod when they were young and nuts; "Villfaren" speeds tempos to punk levels just when you need it to; "Bǿnn"'s unrelenting trudge would brighten any Killing Joke fan's dark night of the soul. Who cares what the words are?

Korpiklaani, Korven Kuningas (Nuclear Blast): Happy little accordion-equipped hummpapotamus-metal boozers, leading their ancient-hobbit-with-antlers mascot (he's on almost all their album covers) through the woods once more. Everybody needs a couple of Korpiklaani albums on their shelf; no question about that! Well, everybody who enjoys ale in wooden mugs, anyway. Whether you need more than a couple is another question, though. It's not like they keep breaking new ground or anything. Last year's album Tervaskanto had a number called "Vesilahden Verajilla" that tore my heart apart by swiping the melody of David Banner's favorite goth Christmas carol "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," also previously utilized by Faroe Island Viking metallers Tyr; then, at the end, the melody changed to "Fade to Black" by Metallica. And if you want a sad metal melody, that's about the saddest one you can steal. The rest of that album was a great drunken swirl, polkas round and round the campfire in the middle of the frigid Finnish forest, with your trusty wolf by your side. First song was even called "Let's Drink." The new album is more of the same, albeit with pagan chants from the abyss in "Northern Fall" and potentially dangerous heathen rituals in the climactic extended title cut. "Kipumylly" and "Runamoine" have definite alcohol-abuse potential as well. No complaints here! But life is short, so please choose your Korpiklaani wisely.

Kosmos (The End): Speaking of the greatest "true" metal band of the past two decades Voivoid (as I was just a couple minutes ago), this Quebec foursome features Voivod's Away on "drums and sounds"! And it's as good as you'd hope, especially the song they sing in French! My wife compared parts of it to King Crimson's Starless and Bible Black, which I better agree with if I know what's good for me. But Kosmos pull several species of rabbit out of their hat: fast prog ("Psycho"), Euro-space-disco ("Dream"), Middle Eastern whatsis ("Indu Kush"), speedy silly new wave ("Much Too Old"), Kraut-rock ("Krautrock"), more electronic whatsis ("Septial"), crazy French rock ("Amerique Innavouable"), space rock ("Mothership" -- actually, I can't remember what that one sounded like off the top of my head but I remember I liked it a lot and "space rock" matches its song title), Uriah Heep-style organ-pysch doom ("Messe Noire"), magic tricks galore. And those all manage to come off feeling "metal," not like they're bending over backwards to be "eclectic." Whole thing sounds totally gorgeous, too.

Kotipelto, Serenity (Candlelight USA): Finnish power metal (press bio likens them to Helloween), sometimes with riffs (see Khold above) almost verging on straightforward rock -- notably in the quite rousing "Dreams and Reality," though "Sleep Well" has guitars kicking off like "Round and Round" by Ratt then turning more Scorpions-like, along with comprehensible words about a lady who needs her rest. Mr. Know-It-All" has jaunty Jon Lord/Ken Hensley-style Hammond hooks; "Once Upon a Time" is a speedball with old-school operatics as much Heep (see Kosmos above) as Maiden. And even the obligatory AOR power ballads feel like anthems.

Comments

[Hiram]

Sorry to burst your Young Gods bubble, but Khold are from ol' reliable Norway. Still Euro tho' ;) I liked their previous album better btw.

[damon]

Chuck, Chuck- can you spare us the voivod references with every review you do; you are erasing any interest in that band I might still have. Couldn't you find a few alternate frames of reference?
Gotta concur with the previous comment Khold are from Norway not Switzerland; a little factual error for sure. A clue might have been the Khold kids' album and song titles are in Norwegian- which doesn't even look like German or French!
Don't really see young VoiVod as a good recommendation either- early voivod just isn't good- it hasn't endured the last few decades very well. Khold are better than that. Besides I thought little known Norwegians Satyricon were the black metal voivod'ers-
Finally- what's with the Young Gods comparison? The Young Gods the band that is more fun to read and write about than listen too. Music that is better than it sounds for sure-