...zum Tode hin

If you read a review of any of this band’s albums from …zum Tode hin forward, the odds that the name “Moonsorrow” will come up approaches 100%. A few other bands may also be mentioned, Bathory, Equilibrium, Windir, and Caladan Brood perhaps foremost among them.

I’d like to posit another influence: Genesis, especially their ’70s work. Hear me out – the acoustic guitar passages have a very warm tone that feels influenced by the 12-string guitar work of Anthony Phillips, Steve Hackett, and Mike Rutherford on the Trespass to Wind & Wuthering era. If I close my eyes, I can practically imagine some of these passages being airlifted in from “Stagnation” or “Blood on the Rooftops”. The synth work, meanwhile, sometimes sounds straight out of Tony Banks’ ’90s playbook. Moreover, any metal band that constructs ten-plus-minute epics with this many time and key signature changes is bound to have done its share of listening to the ’70s prog rock classics – if you want to learn modulation, it’s hard to imagine a better example to follow than Banks.

In any case, Finsterforst may wear their influences on their sleeves, especially on this album, but it would be immensely glib to dismiss them as merely “Moonsorrow with an accordion”. For one thing, there’s no law saying Moonsorrow are the only folk metal band allowed to write long songs. For another, if any others have managed to perform this style of folk metal as effectively as Moonsorrow and Finsterforst have, I’ve yet to hear them. Perhaps most importantly, I find …zum Tode hin to be in many senses more enjoyable and memorable than anything Moonsorrow has released since 2008’s Tulimyrsky. I can’t blame Moonsorrow for getting less ambitious after releasing three tracks in the 25-to-30-minute range within the span of a year – it’s got to be exhausting to write songs like that, much less play them live – but I also just don’t find the songs on Moonsorrow’s later albums stick with me as much as the five here do. Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa and especially Jumalten aika are, to be sure, wonderful albums, but this one edges them out for me – even if it’s close in the latter case.

The only real weakness I find in this album (and to be honest, the one thing that knocked its score from a 95% down to a 90%) affected most of Moonsorrow’s material either: the mastering. Unless we count demos, Moonsorrow’s 2016 Jumalten aika is basically the only album by either band that was mastered with room for the instruments to breathe. This album constantly clips whenever the drums enter, which makes it less enjoyable than it should be on a good pair of headphones. This problem may be ubiquitous with metal released in the past twenty-five years (unless “mastered by Colin Marston” appears somewhere in the packaging), but it’s one of my pet peeves, and I consistently feel compelled to mention it in the hope that a band will listen and fix it in their later releases (and maybe, if we’re lucky, even release full-dynamic-range remasters of their old material).

Regardless, …zum Tode hin is otherwise a fantastic album, and if you enjoy any of the metal bands I’ve mentioned above (or if you like Genesis and don’t mind harsh vocals), you owe it to yourself to check it out. Finsterforst have released three albums of comparable quality since, which are consistently enjoyable and showcase further development in the band’s musical and lyrical maturity (in particular, “Ecce homo” has some of the best lyrics I’ve read from a metal band not named Deathspell Omega, Pyrrhon, Ashenspire, or Jute Gyte in the last decade – it's a scathing indictment of hatred, war, and humanity's pillage of the environment). Also worth a listen is the side project/spin-off band Cryptic Forest; the only major differences are the absence of the accordion, the somewhat shorter songs and thrashier riffs on the full-length, and the English lyrics, and if you enjoy Finsterforst, you’ll probably also enjoy Cryptic Forest.

I've never felt the need to review any of the metal that I listen to, but as of recently I feel as though ...zum Tod hin deserves my praise in written form. It would only do this album, band, and my own thoughts a disservice if I did not to submit my opinion to the viewing of others.

The praise I mentioned above is shown through every single aspect of this album. The guitars are slicing, yet melodic, the drums are powerful and demanding, the vocals and keyboards cement the album's themes and lyrical pulse, and the folk instruments more than sufficiently whisk me away to a crowded warrior hold or a deep and ominous forest. ...zum Tode hin is masterfully performed in all of the aforementioned departments, and the clean and slick production only aids in the immense experience Finsterforst has created; an experience unparalleled in pagan folk/black metal.

Such an experience as is shown in ...zum Tode hin is only benefited by the stellar song writing and the members' ear for the hook. Every segment starts and ends when best it should, never leaving the listener inattentive. The performance that most keeps the listener's attention comes from the beast behind the set, Cornelius "Wombo" Heck. His style has become one of my favorites, inspiring me in my own drumming ventures. Cornelius balances speed and power with flair and subtlety like few others, leaving the listener rapt whenever his percussion enters the fray.

Certainly, drums and guitars are expected in a metal record, but what makes Finsterforst a unique entity is the use of the accordion. Johannes Joseph established his musical talent from the band's outset, weaving the more catchy, found on Weltenkraft, with the more somber on the whole of ...zum Tode hin, creating a unique dynamism lacking in other metal outfits. The feeling behind and atmosphere from Joseph plays an integral part in Finsterforst's sound, and is the final touch on the band's lyrical themes.

In light of my showering praise, I find it difficult to identify any facet concerning the album that I find any fault in. The musicianship is of the highest level, the production is well balanced, and the CD layout is well designed. I would without question award this masterwork a 100%, but I haven't come to a decision upon whether there ever deserves a 100% for any musical record. ...zum Tode hin, however, deserves the praise and admiration of a perfect record and should not be overlooked or ignored by anyone. This album is a magnificent piece of art and music and will be spun many a time without my tiring of it.

Ideas are borrowed and utilized by other bands all the time. A great example of this is the early development of black metal. Many of the bands had similar sounds, such as Borknagar's self titled album, Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism/ Pure Holocaust by Immortal, Darkthrone's first 3 black metal albums (not including Soulside Journey). Even if these bands used the same formula, there was that original flair, that idiosyncratic something that made you say "yeah, that's an Immortal tune," be it the vocals, drumming style, keys, or riffs. Sometimes they just have that stamp of ownership that is irrefutably theirs. Here we have a similar instance of bands having the same general sound, but this case is different.

Finsterforsts album ...zum Tode hin sounds so much like Moonsorrow's Suden Uni or Kivenkantaja that it is deplorable. This is not to the degree that Velvet Cocoon went to, where whole albums were lifted from their rightful owners. Nevertheless, there are just too many similarities for me to be able to call it coincidence. Despite the fact that Germany and Finland are a good distance away, the Scandinavian Moonsorrow's sound transmogrified itself into this creation put forth by Finsterforst.

Vocally, they are almost identical. Sure, the lyrics are in different languages, so I couldn't be able to compare those as well, but I have a sneaky suspicion they are pretty damned close to each other in subject matter. Going back to vocal styles, Finsterforst features higher pitched screams, that are sometimes coupled with clean vocals. There are also clean vocals by themselves, as well as operatic epic vocal passages. The operatic ones usually come after a softer acoustic or folky interlude. Sound familiar? Yeah, Moonsorrow does the same thing.

Musically, there are just as many plagiarist similarities. Both Moonsorrow and Finsterforst feature hazy tremolo passages, that have a keyboard induced epic atmosphere. Every once in a while, the tempo picks up, but it is predominantly mid-paced, driving melodies. Coupled with the guitars, are the keyboard elements. These are completely stolen, not melody but in sound and presentation. For one thing, Finsterforst uses the same exact settings for the epic background keys. It is a hazy symphonic sound that is not in itself discernible, but completes the wall-of-sound that makes the epic feel complete. Also, they use the same electronically produced hurdygurdy accordion-like sample, as well as the pan flute that is found in almost every Moonsorrow song. Because the keys are such an integral part of both bands, as well as introducing the majority of the "folk" in the metal, the parallels drawn are obvious.

The guitars are, again, identical in their sound with very little exceptions. Every once in a while, Finsterforst's tempo picks up, and there is some good double bass and palm muted crunchy riffs, but for the most part, they are single chord progressions that have no discernible strum pattern. There are also interludes due to the overbloated track lengths (again, same as Moonsorrow), which are flute/acoustic in nature, and usually come after a good 5 minute chunk of epic metal. This acoustic fingerpicking style is also used sometimes in the introduction to the songs, and are usually around a minute or two in length and are slowly integrated in with the distorted guitars.

The only reason this album didn't get a big fat zero is, despite it's uncanny similarities with another band, was still enjoyable to some degree. Every once in a great while, throughout the hour-plus long album, there were original sounding riffs, and passages where it actually sounds like the band got together and tried to come up with a formula all on their own. Thus, I figure that there was probably about 2 minutes of original work per song. That makes it 10/70, or 14%. Take that and halve it, is the only portion that made any impression on me. If you are a fan of Moonsorrow, or other epic music such as Nocternity, or Summoning (not the same style but they have that epic feel), you will like this. I would have liked this album a lot more, if I wasn't thinking to myself "damn, haven't I heard that on a Moonsorrow album before?" the whole time.

On occasion the rabid folk metal fan just wants something to kick his feet back to and drink a frothing mug of beer, lager, mead, or whatever the particular poison might be. Finsterforst provides the right soundtrack for such an activity, for the light hearted pomp of its simplistic, almost power metal feel is catchy and well produced.

Now, this is not a joke band; far from it. The snarling vocals are those of a true Viking black/pagan metal band, and even the use of accordion is well placed amidst the flowing power chords and the tasteful acoustics. The album is well over an hour but with only 5 tracks...these range from the 10 minute mark to the epic album closer "Untergang" at about 21 minutes. On the plus side, it's a journey you might like to take aurally while you're reading a fantasy yarn or playing your favorite MMO or videogame. On the downside, the songs can often grow tiring. While solid in their delivery they don't offer quite enough memorable material to justify their length. You may just wish to take in "Urquell" or "Das Grosse Erwachen" on their own, because they both offer the full range of Finsterforst's capabilities. However, if you are a fan of epic bands like Turisas, Thyrfing or Equilibrium, this band should easily appeal to you.

...zum Tode Hin sounds quite positively sparkling, from its dainty and delicious acoustic segments to the keyboards and accordion. The bass is folksy and playful and when the band turns up the rage they deliver atmosphere aplenty, taking you back to the days of European heritage and battle. You know, when we white folk had actual cultures and didn't sit on our duff all day watching rap videos and sports. I haven't heard the band's debut to compare but this would be welcome in the collections of many folkish/pagan metal fans who value simpler melodic writing and the whole 'epic' vibe. This band knows glory.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

I still consider Weltenkraft to be the best debut album of a folk metal band of all time. The intro of Des Waldes Macht was quite simply mindblowing, with the inclusion of the accordion as a lead instrument. So now we have “...zum Tode hin” (Till Death), and the accordion is still there... but what has changed?

Right from the off, the same intensity and power is still there, and the intro of Urquell captures the listener in the same way that Des Waldes Macht did. The inclusion of the tin whistle is immediately noticeable, but not jarring. In fact, as we have seen from bands like Subway to Sally or Svartsot, the whistle does add that epic feel to the music. The accordion still leads the music in most songs, although the aforementioned tin whistle and some new acoustic guitar sections make an appearance, especially in the quieter sections of each song, of which there are plenty. The vocals are solid as always; I’m not a massive fan of lead singer Marco Schomas’ voice, but it is at least fitting. The drums and guitars are never an issue; they stay in the background for the most part, although a section of Untergang stands out in memory as a particularly good piece of drumming, as does the middle of Sturmes Ernte for its heavy guitar riff. The only time the guitars really shine is in the aforementioned acoustic sections. My only problem with the accordion is that there are only so many melodies to get out of it before they start sounding similar. Sections of Das Grosse Erwachen in particular are very similar to Lauf der Welt and Weltenpilger from the previous album, and I’m afraid it might continue in future albums as well. Not that this is a massive fault, the accordion’s sounds are still very enjoyable.

This album is still quite different than Weltenkraft, and this is as it should be, since no band should stagnate. It feels as if zum Tode hin is a lot less playful than the previous one; gone are the shorter, more bombastic songs like Traumwald or Rauschende Nächte... enter longer, more complex tracks of over 12 minutes, with multiple sections and different melodies. One feels as if they could have split some tracks into shorter, tighter songs. It is almost as if they tried to channel Moonsorrow in this album, with the decreased focus on guitar, longer songs and more “epic” feel... some of the parts even sound similar to earlier Moonsorrow. Indeed, in one section of Das Grosse Erwachen I was all but waiting for the chorus at the start of Kivenkantaja. They did not fail as such to create a similar, more cohesive album, but Moonsorrow has been doing it for longer and better, and one feels that they could have stuck to their original formula.

In all though, zum Tode hin is a bombastic, epic folk metal album; definitely a must-listen. In its entirety it is non-repetitive, wonderfully original and a fitting follow-up album to Weltenkraft. If you enjoyed Finsterforst’s previous work, or are even a fan of Moonsorrow, you won’t be disappointed.

Finsterforst is a band that likes to write long songs. On this album every song is over ten minutes, however, for the most part they keep the songs interesting and you want to listen to the whole song. Now for …zum Tode hin the songs are more heavier, epic, and still maintain the same amount of folk as to Weltenkraft.

What I like about this album is that every instrument is crafted nicely into each song and that nothing sounds too goofy in the mix. Guitars, drums, flutes, even the accordion all mix nicely into each song and nothing feels like it was tagged on at the last second. The accordion seems to be one of the main focuses to the first track “Urquell”, and the acoustic guitars, which are used in every track, seem to be one of the main focuses on the final track “Untergang”. Flutes are used sparingly, usually during a chorus or along with a long scream by the vocalist.

The lead guitar seems to not be that audible at times, usually with all the instruments over it. The rhythm guitar is louder than the lead, and when the accordion is playing the accordion tends to take the spotlight over the guitars making it hard to hear the melodies being played by the guitars. The guitars tend to shine during the slower passages of each song, but that’s also when the acoustic guitars come into play. All the acoustics in this album help to move each song on by introducing a slow passage before the song gets going again. Without all the acoustic breaks none of the songs would even make it past the five minute mark.

My only real problem with this album is that the songs sometimes feel as if they could all be broken down into two other songs. “Urquell”, or the closing track “Untergang” are both examples of songs that could be broken down into two or three different tracks. The last two minutes of “Urquell” feel as if they were tagged on to make the song longer. It’s just a repetitive riff played over and over, and when the guitars fade before the part comes up that feels more like the closing of the track.

Basically what we got here is some epic folk metal, but not epic in the sense that they use a lot of folk instruments. It’s epic in the sense that every song is fast and aggressive, and calming, with booming choruses, acoustic guitars, and the right mix of folk instruments. Folk enthusiast should seek this out for you won’t be disappointed.

I have to confess, everytime there is a new folk/pagan metal album, I have to get my hands on it. Unfortunately during last few years not many managed to grab me and make me listen to them for a second time. There was just not enough atmosphere in the epic passages, no playfulness in the folky parts and that's how I felt about the last Finsterforst album as well. Now I'm holding their new CD .. zum Tode Hin and all I'm expecting is another portion of generic German folk metal, but already the look at the total time tells me something could be different. Five songs in 70 minutes that's quite something, which presented by Moonsorrow or Drudkh wouldn't really make me worry and I'd probably enjoy the CD a lot, but here I really didn't know what to expect.

Fortunately already the first song Urquell – Wellspring caught my attention and didn't leave it until the end. Joyful accordion, majestic feel, that's how one is supposed to write a song. They could hardly choose a better intro song that this. Quite a challenge for the other songs to beat, but I was really looking forward to what will come next. Das grosse Erwachen – The Great Awakening is a good atmospheric song, acoustic guitars, accordion, flute with good metal backing, maybe a bit disappointing after the first thing on the album, but it is still an original piece of folk metal, which are so rare nowadays. Seines Glueckes Schmied – The smith of one's own luck follows in the same vein, wilder guitar passages, soothing acoustic parts, changing moods and totally charming ending, gradual, majestic, life is just so good at the moment. Sturmes Ernte – Storm's crops is an epic, variable, catchy and in the end plainly perfect. The acoustic part in the beginning is something I could listen to forever. Finally Untergang - Doom .. the longest track on the album – 21 minutes, it is heavy, atmospheric, definitely not monotonous and overally it has all the good elements of the other songs, but as a whole it doesn't come out that strong, although there are plenty of good moments in it.

What should I add, something like that was missing in my folk metal collection. Heavy electric guitars, playful acoustics guitars and the accordion with the flute and particularly a lot of great ideas make .. zum Tode Hin an excellent pagan metal album and a real challenge for all upcoming releases this year.

Originally written for http://www.metalzone.info