Date: 2020
Total Time: 46:20
Label: Scarlet Records

Finland…the Scandinavian country of the thousand lakes (in reality there are several tenths of thousands) that has given us countless bands and relentlessly continues that “production”, placing it on the podium of the biggest European metal forces. In a country where the number of bands is equal to that of its lakes, it is very difficult to stand out, so one either has to do something different or play what is commonly played extremely well.

Oulu is a region in northern Finland with a very strong metal scene for many years. SENTENCED, IMPALED NAZARENE, KALMAH are some of its bands. That is also the origin of the folk metal band VERIKALPA (“Bloody Sword” in their language). They have been officially together since 2015 but have only been releasing albums in the last three years. In 2018 they managed to impress the folk community of the country (one of the biggest worldwide) with their debut “Taistelutahto” and this year they come to settle themselves with their second album, “Tuoppitanssi”.

Here, one can find songs about folklore, tradition, superstition and mythical creatures. Battles of the past against trolls and various beliefs. And all these, of course, accompanied by a continuous consumption of beer and, generally, alcohol. If you believe that this is another folk beer band like KORPIKLAANI, you got it all wrong. There are many influences by FINNTROLL and TROLLFEST, however there are many dark parts that are reminiscent of MOONSORROW and bind beautifully with this unique enough musical endeavour.

Outstanding riffs and melodies envelop their music and folk meets on many occasions some death/black paths, while the newcomer Jari Huttunen is doing a great job behind his drumkit, sounding furious at times. All the traditional instruments (accordion mostly) are played on synths and the lyrics are in Finnish, in their local dialect. Jani Ikonen’s vocals are remarkable, with some very good brutal moments.

There are many songs that stand out from this album. “Talonvaen Teurat”, “Karhunkaataja”, “Sankari, Saatana, Kostaja” (“Hero, Satan, Avenger”), the same-titled song “Tuoppitanssi” and “Naulattujen Vaellus”, that is probably their best moment. The sextet from Oulu has given us a very remarkable album. I believe that maybe the addition of proper folk instruments will improve the band’s image, especially during live concerts. Anyway, the fans of the genre will have a very good time and the rest will find enjoyable moments.

Rate: 6,5/10
Editor: Nikos Vlachos
Related Link:  VERIKALPA – Facebook Page