Korpiklaani

History

Korpiklaani (or "Forest Clan") emerged out of the ashes of Shaman, when the band opted to change its name, along with its musical and lyrical expression. The goal was to move away from Shaman’s trademark use of the Sámi language's strong, impulsive folk metal, as heard on Idja (1999) and Shamániac (2002) and opt for a stronger and more widely accepted sound.

Jonne Järvelä imaged the change of style to be characterized by both a heavier influence of the traditional Finnish folk melodies and of metal. He began to search for musicians able to produce the results he was after.

The first addition to the line-up was a young violinist named Jaakko Lemmetty, better known as Hittavainen. It became clear to Jonne after only the first audition that Hittavainen was a perfect match for Korpiklaani. Matson (drums), an old friend Jonne, a superb drummer, and the natural choice for the new line-up soon joined the band, bringing with him the talents of his former bass player Arto Tissari and guitarist Toni Honkanen, a.k.a. Honka, into play. Honka knew a skillful percussionist, Ali Määttä, who had previous experience in the folk music scene and he too, was quickly recruited.

Shaman was Jonne Järvelä's way to express his musical insanity, and that has not changed in Korpiklaani. The madness continues.

Many of Korpiklaani's songs come directly from the annals of the Finnish folk archives, but are activated with a fierce twist of metal. This constitutes the major difference between Korpiklaani and other folk metal bands, which usually use folk music only as the impulse in metal.

Korpiklaani's music is very Finnish and the band does not fear to be labeled "yokels", living in the middle of the forest. They prefer to draw their inspiration from it, as they have so skillfully done on their Napalm Records debut, 'Spirit of the Forest', scheduled for a 10 Nov 2003 release.

'Spirit of the Forest' presents an indisputable folk metal achievement. Its musicality, varying from the mysteriously charming instrumental compositions to the "humppa" melodies that immediately invite the listener to dance along and reflect the entire spectrum of the Finnish folk metal art. Traditional instruments such as the flute, jouhilkko, and accordion, as well as the more modern guitars and drums, transform the tracks found on this recording into a unique, and quite catchy, auditory experience. 'Spirit of the Forest' is without a doubt an impetuous release from a band that stands for quintessential Finnish music.

With the recording of 'Voice of Wilderness' complete and awaiting its 24 January 2005 release, the members of Korpiklaani concentrated on finding a permanent accordion player. Juho joined the band in the fall of 2004 enabling them to more easily transfer the energetic melodies and folk metal atmosphere to the live stage.

But the line-up changes didn't stop there. Arto began his military service and decided to not continue with the band. As such, Jarkko Aaltonen replaced him in the summer of 2005. Likewise, Ali and Honka parted ways with Korpiklaani, as they did not feel they could adequately devote themselves to the band due to personal commitments.

Nevertheless, the forest clan returns in 2006 accompanied by violins, flutes, the accordion, and once again, the expertise of Samu Oittinen of Fantom Studio. The bleak days of winter can be finally left behind because Korpiklaani does not falter in providing the perfect successor to 'Voice of Wilderness'. With breathtaking speed, 'Tales Along This Road' took the band on the road again.

The fourth strike, 'Tervaskanto', came out in 2007.

(source: the official Korpiklaani website, September 2007, with last chapter added by AM)
(Discography incomplete)