Moonsorrow - V: Hävitetty

Published Jan. 24 2007

*=Staff's pick	Jäästä Syntynyt Varjojen Virta Tuleen Ajettu Maa

Genre	Epic Metal	Ville Sorvali	Vocals
Tracks	2	Henri Sorvali	Guitar
Runningtime	56 Min.	Mitja Harvilahti	Guitar
Label	Spikefarm	Ville Sorvali	Bass
Release	10 Jan. 2007	Marko Tarvonen	Drums
Country	Finland	Lord Eurén	Keyboard
Similar artists	---

The concept of playing epic heathen influenced metal could just well be spelled Moonsorrow. The Finnish band has since the start back in Helsinki 1995 been doing their music built upon melancholy elements of paganism together with stains of folk music, the Finnish style.

V: Hävitetty is Moonsorrow's brand new album, once again released through Spikefarm Records. And as the title (in Finnish) implies, this is chapter Five - Ravaged, in the Moonsorrowian chronology. V: Hävitetty is based upon two songs, the first one Jäästä Syntynyt Varjojen Virta which means something like 'Born Of Ice, Stream Of Shadows'. This one ends after somewhere around thirty minutes. The second one, Tuleen Ajettu Maa - 'A Land Driven Into The Fire', lasts for only twentysix minutes. Two songs. Fiftysix minutes. As you can guess this will not be an ordinary review regarding songs to recommend. There are sections in these two songs that some times, at least for me, stand out as the very essence of this type of music. The very meaning of taking older tradition and put it into metal.

It's extremely hard to try and give a definition on Moonsorrow or what its all about, I feel that I have way to little knowledge regarding the subjects and lyrical material that Moonsorrow bring forth. But I do feel the vibes that V: Hävitetty summons. In my mind I travel back and through albums like The Shadowthrone, Satyricon and the mighty Fjelltronen done by Wongraven. So it is with different eyes, or ears to be correct, that I fall deeper into the slumber that Moonsorrow create. First of all it's in one way nostalgic and at the same time it feels fresh due to innovative and skilled song writing. It's actually quite good songwriting in both songs which sure must be of utmost importance in order to keep the listeners interest on ahigh level for such a long running time. I imagine that V: Hävitetty certainly will be a must for those of you who are into epic mid-tempo metal with loads of instrumental and acoustic sections.

I admit that I usually doesn't feel too excited over these musical elements but Moonsorrow has a touch of genuine handcraft put into it. Both songs on the album could easily be recommended but I feel that the second one has a bit more material that is, in my meaning, more straight forward. Not to forget the well tasting Bathory vibes that it gives. V: Hävitetty is stuffed with melancholic anguish and at the same time well built medieval harmony, accompanied by gruesome vocals and excellent bass lines from Ville Sorvali. V: Hävitetty is more than ok for me.