Metsatöll – Karjajuht (2014)

With the whole Folk Metal craze finally dying down, it is time to see who the real players in the genre are; and Metsatöll is one of the surviving ones. With “Karjajuht” they continue their legacy of crushing releases with just enough Folk elements surrounded by pouncing guitars and heavy melodies. Showing their strengths are no gimmicks, this release delivers 12 head banging anthems that will not be forgotten.

Opening with great energy, “Külmking” nicely blends an acoustic opening with pummeling guitars and a heavy dose of melody. The band’s sound is intact and they even sound a bit more aggressive than on their previous release. The metal foundations are strong Scandinavian Death Metal pillars that nicely blend in with the ingenious instrumentation of Lauri and Atso’s percussions. Songs like “Lööme mesti” and “See On See Maa” are perfect examples of this.

For the more typical Folk Metal fans that look for partying anthems, “Must Hunt”, “Öö” and “Terasest Taotud Tee” are your must-have high-intensity songs in any release. Things turn a bit more somber in the excellent “Tõrrede kõhtudes” a very lush song with perfect instrumentation. Mostly singing in Estonian, the band’s vocalist delivers a very solid performance with a deep and serious tone that makes the songs very effective. Picking up the intensity with crushing tracks like “Mullast” and the album’s title track, the band continues to steamroll their competition with every track.

As a whole, “Karjajuht” is a very powerful release filled with crushing riffs and lush acoustic instrumentation. Hailing from Estonia, the band has very rich and unique themes behind their songs, greatly enhancing the experience of the listener that decides to investigate further than just the music. If you like bands like Korpiklaani, Tyr, Turisas, that have stronger Metal foundations and use the Folk elements to enhance their sound, look no further and check out Metsatöll.

Label: Spinefarm Records

Release: May 27th, 2014

Genre: Folk Metal

Country: Estonia