Ever since the release of their debut album “Spirit Of The Forest” in 2003, Finnish traditional folk metal pioneers KORPIKLAANI have continuously made their way to the top of the scene. Whether you take their early works such as “Voice Of Wilderness” (2005), “Tales Along This Road” (2006) and “Tervaskanto” (2007) or listen to the records of their Nuclear Blast era – namely “Korven Kuningas” (2008), “Karkelo” (2009) and “Ukon Wacka” (2011) – you’ll always conclude: KORPIKLAANI have established their very own style! It is the unique mixture of time-honoured folk tunes and incomparable party anthems à la `Vodka´, `Beer Beer´ or `Tequila´ that makes it impossible for every connoisseur of high-class handmade music to elude their almost magnetic attraction.
Now, about one and a half years after the release of their last album, the workaholics return from their secret hideaway within the Finnish woods to take us on a fascinating trip to netherworld. Together with new band member Tuonas Rounakari, who replaces former violinist Jaakko Lemmetty and is all set to impress the listener with his amazing fiddling skills, KORPIKLAANI proudly present “Manala” – the 8th studio album of their career. One can get a first idea of the album’s white-knuckle concept when reading through Jonne’s summary of the storyline: “`Manala´ is the realm of the dead - the underworld in Finnish mythology. This place is best known for its appearance in the Finnish national epic Kalevala, on which many of our new songs are based. In the 16th poem of Kalevala, Väinämöinen, a shamanistic hero travels to Manala in search for knowledge about the dead. On his journey he meets the ferrywoman - a girl, Tuonen tytti, or Tuonen piika (Death's maid), who takes him across the river of Tuoni. However, on the isle of Tuoni he is not given the spells he was originally looking for and he barely manages to escape the place. After his return he curses anyone trying to enter the place alive.”
As a special present for all of their fans outside of their home country, KORPIKLAANI will release the original Finnish edition of “Manala” together with a bonus CD, containing an English version of the album. Get your head torches out – on the 3rd of August 2012 we’ll set forth for the underworld!
