Initial Thoughts On The New Moonsorrow Record, Anyone?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock or you accidentally stumbled across this site while looking for weird porn you should know that Moonsorrow has a new record, titled Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa, out now. Since I cannot type out the title without using copy/paste, Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa shall hitherto be refereed to as a) VKKM and/or b) bad ass and/or c) sweet baby Zeus this record is perfect.

While I fully intend to make a proper and full review of this album, I wanted to take a few lines of text to give you my thoughts, see what you, dear reader, thought of it, and encourage those who haven’t already, to pick it up.

>>Firstly, I simply couldn’t stress it enough; this record is HUGE. 

>> This thing plays like an epic journey through ancient and snowy lands (a notion added to by excellent short clip interludes of a man walking through the snow). VKKM translates to As Shadows We Walk In the Land of the Dead and tells the story of earth's last inhabitants struggling to find a final place to settle. Best enjoyed in darkness. Or, as I did, on a snowy walk in the woods.

>>The instruments are, as usual, spot on and the meaty folk melodies will stick to your ribs long after the journey is over. In addition to the typical instruments found in metal, you probably know Moonsorrow employs choirs, accordions, recorders, mouth harps, keyboards, and tin whistles, all of which are executed perfectly and add to the record’s breadth.

>>The vocals, be they the black metal screams of Ville Seponpoika Sorvali or the choral chants of the entire band are superb.

>> This record is HUGE!!!

>>The album’s absolute high point is the track Hutto, that’s not the say that this album has a low point because, believe me, it does not. But don’t even think of listening to this album any other way but all the way through, from start to finish.

>>There is absolutely nothing that I’ve heard like this, or most of last year that is so beautiful, so epic as this record is. Truly, it is a masterpiece. If you don’t already have a copy, I recommend you remedy that immediately.

So: What did you think? I’ve only had a chance to listen to it a few times through and I’d like to listen a few more before getting too in depth but, damn, this record amazed me. I could praise its virtues all day and as many of my friends will attest, I have. Shoe in for a spot in the auspicious “Best Of 2011” list? You bet your ass. Is it a perfect 100 out of 100? I’m thinking it is.