Nattfödd Finntroll

Sometimes, even excess of personality can bring criticism from many people. For years, Finntroll have acted as a corpse-painted entertainment act more than a rock band, and some, arguing about their lack of “universal message to give to the world” (probably they were expecting something like Michael Jackson’s “Heal the World”, weren’t they?), something that was never a priority in music, in opposite to politics. Though the two subjects have frequently come at close contact between each other frequent times over the years, there’s always someone like Finntroll who is just there for the music, for the better of it.

How many rock fans would accept a late-night show-like hook like that of “Eliytres” or the frequent use of 150 or more BPM paces in order to make the music more messy, moviola-fastened and the use of Emperor/Dimmu Borgir progressions used more efficiently than any of the two bands? Not many, given that the other, contrarily to Finntroll, are “darker” and “glacial”. And Norwegian also. But how many of them would kill themselves to write a song as engaging as “Trollhammaren”? The band’s third album, Nattfödd, follows the joyous and rousing route until the end with a series of highlights, mostly coherent with the band’s style, though some with Drop D tuning. In other words, the album’s 36 minutes flow so nicely that it doesn’t even seem that long. The band finds time to include also two interludes and a short Grindcore cut in a matter of seconds.

“Grottans” Barn stomps like an Obituary march, while the title track features an unnecessary drop in the bridge: these are the main reasons why this album isn’t exactly a masterpiece. For the rest, among Ska contrapuntal rhythms and triumphant progressions, Nattfödd may be the band’s best album and ideal starting point for newcomers. Few bands in the genre can tell to be such inviting, and as long as Finntroll are able and to make a laugh out of it, they’re sure to get nothing but good times. Ours isn’t an obligation to support them: as a band once wrote in the 70’s, “Let the music do the talking”. Everything will come later.

Highlights: “Vindfärd / Människopesten”, “Trollhammaren”, “Ursvamp”.