Korpiklaani | |
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Background information | |
Also known as | Shamaani Duo (1993–1997) Shaman (1997–2003) |
Origin | Lahti, Finland |
Genres | Folk metal |
Years active | 1993–present |
Labels | Nuclear Blast, Napalm |
Members | Jonne Järvelä Kalle "Cane" Savijärvi Jarkko Aaltonen Sami Perttula Samuli Mikkonen Olli Vänskä |
Past members | Maaren Aikio Juke Eräkangas Ilkka Kilpeläinen Tero Piirainen Samu Ruotsalainen Janne G`thaur Hosse Latvala Veera Muhli Toni Näykki Henri "Trollhorn" Sorvali Matti "Matson" Johansson Jaakko "Hittavainen" Lemmetty Toni "Honka" Honkanen Ali Määttä Arto Tissari Juho Kauppinen Teemu Eerola Tuomas Rounakari |
Website | korpiklaani |
Korpiklaani (Finnish for The Backwoods Clan) is a Finnish folk metal band from Lahti that was formerly known as Shamaani Duo and Shaman.
While other folk metal bands began with metal before adding folk music, Korpiklaani started with folk music before turning metal. [1] The roots of Korpiklaani can be traced back to a Sámi folk music group under the name of "Shamaani Duo", [2] an "in house restaurant band" created by Jonne Järvelä in 1993. [3] An album of folk music ( Hunka Lunka ) was released under this name before Järvelä relocated and "Shamaani Duo" morphed into "Shaman". [4]
Shaman was the second incarnation of Korpiklaani, formed in 1997 which is notable for the heavy use of original native Sámic music elements and lyrics in Northern Sámi. The band's music was based on the folk music of Shamaani Duo. [5] The most widely used elements are the shamanic drum, yoik and humppa. Besides yoik, the vocals vary from clean to rather aggressive growling.
The musical style of Shaman is quite distinctive, especially in the slow songs, due to its entrancing atmosphere created by the monophonic, "narrow" synth sound making the deep contrast to the spacious sound of the acoustic guitar, the shamanic drum and yoik singing.
The first recording released under the name of Shaman was the demo single Ođđa máilbmi (New World in Northern Sámi). The video clip shot for the song featured a wolf breaking free from its cage and running into the forest. Besides the single CD the song was included on the band's first full-length album Idja (Night in Northern Sámi, 1999) as well.
The band underwent another evolution in 2003, and "Shaman" became "Korpiklaani" (with only Järvelä and drummer Samu Ruotsalainen remaining from the last "Shaman" lineup), with the music style to a more conventional folk metal with folk/thrash vocals instead of yoiking. Shamániac had already featured a strong resemblance to the future Korpiklaani style. In fact, the song, "Vuola lávlla", has the same music as the Korpiklaani song, "Beer Beer".
The change in name was accompanied by a change in the music. The traditional yoik vocals and the use of the Northern Sámi language were dropped while the synthesizer was replaced with real folk instruments. [6] Jonne Järvelä credits his work with Finntroll as the catalyst for the shift in emphasis from folk to metal. [7] Their song lyrics are often related to alcohol and partying. In their first three albums, most of their songs were in English and only a few in Finnish. However, in the following releases this changed, with most of the songs in their latest albums being sung in Finnish.
According to Jonne Järvelä, Korpiklaani's music would be seen as "old people's music with heavy metal guitars" [8] in Finland.
There has been some collaboration between Korpiklaani and Finntroll, as Samu Ruotsalainen of Finntroll provided session drums for their debut album Spirit of the Forest and Järvelä provided the yoiking for the title track of Finntroll's album Jaktens Tid .
Juha Jyrkäs has written some Finnish lyrics to Korpiklaani and from 2011 lyrics are written by poet Tuomas Keskimäki, who writes lyrics in the old Finnish "kalevalametre". [9]
The name Korpiklaani means "Backwoods Clan" in the Finnish language. [5] In spoken language "korpi" means dark old forest. In biology it refers to boreal forest appearing on moist moraine soils, characterized by dense growth of spruce and a deep layer of moss as undergrowth.
In September 2011, Korpiklaani announced that Jaakko "Hittavainen" Lemmetty would be leaving the band due to personal health issues which made the constant touring and recording impossible. First his replacement was violist Teemu Eerola and later, Tuomas Rounakari until 2022, where he was replaced by former Turisas violinist Olli Vänskä. [10] In 2013 accordion player Juho Kauppinen left Korpiklaani and the new accordion player is Sami Perttula. [11]
Current lineup
| Former members
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Folk metal is a fusion genre of heavy metal music and traditional folk music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. It is characterised by the widespread use of folk instruments and, to a lesser extent, traditional singing styles. It also sometimes features soft instrumentation influenced by folk rock.
In traditional Sámi music songs and joiks are important musical expressions of the Sámi people and Sámi languages. The Sámi also use a variety of musical instruments, some unique to the Sámi, some traditional Scandinavian, and some modern introductions.
A joik or yoik is a traditional form of song in Sámi music performed by the Sámi people of Sapmi in Northern Europe. A performer of joik is called a joikaaja, a joiker or jojkare. Originally, joik referred to only one of several Sami singing styles, but in English the word is often used to refer to all types of traditional Sami singing. As an art form, each joik is meant to reflect or evoke a person, animal, or place.
Finntroll is a Finnish metal band from Helsinki that combines elements of black metal and folk metal. Finntroll's lyrics are mostly in Swedish, the only exception being the song "Madon Laulu" on Visor om slutet. Finntroll's original singer, Katla, decided to use Swedish over Finnish since he was part of a Swedish-speaking minority in Finland and the sound of the language seemed to better suit the band's "trollish" outfit. Despite several vocalist changes, this tradition has continued.
Pagan metal is a genre of heavy metal music which fuses extreme metal with "the pre-Christian traditions of a specific culture or region" through thematic concept, rustic melodies, unusual instruments or archaic languages, usually referring to folk metal or black metal. The Norwegian band In the Woods... was one of the first bands commonly viewed as pagan metal. Metal Hammer author Marc Halupczok wrote that Primordial's song "To Enter Pagan" from the band's demo "Dark Romanticism" contributed to defining the genre.
Idja is the debut studio album by Finnish folk metal band Shaman, who later changed their name to Korpiklaani. The album was produced by Roope Latvala, best known as the guitarist of the Finnish metal bands Children of Bodom and Sinergy.
Shamániac is the second and final studio album by Finnish folk metal band Shaman, before they changed their name to Korpiklaani. The album has been produced by the Shaman frontman Jonne Järvelä and Samu Ruotsalainen, the drummer of the Finnish folk metal band Finntroll.
Spirit of the Forest is the debut studio album by Finnish folk metal band Korpiklaani. It was released in 2003 through Napalm Records.
Tales Along This Road is the third studio album by Finnish folk metal band Korpiklaani. It was released on 21 April 2006 by Napalm Records.
Tervaskanto is the fourth studio album by Finnish folk metal band Korpiklaani. It was released on 26 June 2007 through Napalm Records.
Korven Kuningas("King of the Woods") is the fifth studio album by Finnish folk metal band Korpiklaani. It was released on 21 March 2008 through Nuclear Blast Records. A record deal was signed with the company in September 2007. The cover was painted on this album, unlike the last few album covers, which were created using Adobe Photoshop. It features the old man, Vaari, who was also present on the Tales Along This Road and Tervaskanto covers.
Karkelo is the sixth studio album by Finnish folk metal band Korpiklaani. The title is the Finnish interpretation of the word "party", or otherwise meaning loosely "having fun" or "frolic".
Ukon Wacka is the seventh studio album by Finnish folk metal band Korpiklaani. It was released on 4 February 2011 through Nuclear Blast. The title refers to an ancient pagan sacrificial feast, dedicated to Ukko. The album is sung in their native language.
Manala is the eighth studio album by Finnish folk metal band Korpiklaani. It was released on August 3, 2012 through Nuclear Blast. "Manala" translated from Finnish to English is "Underworld".
Hunka Lunka is the only studio album by Finnish folk music band Shamaani Duo, who later changed their name to Shaman, and later to Korpiklaani. This album featured the original lineup of the band, which consisted of guitarist/singer/songwriter Jonne Järvelä and singer Maaren Aikio. Aikio departed following the release of this album, and the band morphed into Shaman.
Noita is the ninth studio album by Finnish folk metal band Korpiklaani. The title is the Finnish word for "witch", but is closer in meaning to "shaman," "witch-doctor," or "medicine man."
Hildá Birget Länsman, also known by her Saami name as Ánn-Ovllá Káre Jari Hildá is a Sámi singer, yoiker, and musician from Finland. In 2024 she is releasing the first album under her own name, an electronic music collaboration with finnish artist and producer Tuomas Norvio.
Kulkija is the tenth studio album by Finnish folk metal band Korpiklaani. Released on 7 September 2018, it features themes like travelling, nostalgia and homesickness. It is the band's longest studio album at 71 minutes and 20 seconds, thus beating 2008's Korven Kuningas by almost a minute. The album reached the top 30 chart positions in Finland and Switzerland.
Jylhä is the eleventh studio album by Finnish folk metal band Korpiklaani, released on 5 February 2021. It is the band's first album with new drummer Samuli Mikkonen.
Rankarumpu("Ragged Drum") is the twelfth studio album by Finnish folk metal band Korpiklaani. It was released on 5 April 2024 through Nuclear Blast and was produced by Janne Saksa.