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Finntroll > Nattfödd > Reviews
Finntroll - Nattfödd

Great fun, if brief... - 88%

Dr_Funf, January 24th, 2023

In the world of metal, being a 'fun' band (i.e. something you'd stick on at a house party that's on its way to getting messy) is often a ticket to a certain degree of success irrespective of actual quality, particularly for folk metal acts, as that particular sub-genre can otherwise get very samey, very quickly. But while all that would explain how a band as God-awful as Tyr ever got anywhere, Finntroll is thankfully one of the folk metal bands that brings both a unique sound - a unique fusion of Scandinavian folk, black metal, and humppa (Finnish polka, basically) - and songwriting quality, backed up by solid musicianship.

Given everything that happened between Nattfodd and their previous studio album, Jaktens Tid, it's a minor miracle that Finntroll were able to keep going at all, even with a couple of EPs released in between). The band sadly lost both its founding members - Katla (vocals) and Somnium (guitars); the former due to a throat-based tumour preventing him from singing again, and the latter tragically suffering a fatal fall from a bridge whilst drunk. But the band elected to continue, replacing both members with Wilska (best known for providing guest vocals on a couple of Nightwish releases) and Routa on vocals and guitars, respectively, whilst remaining members Trollhorn (keyboards), Tundra (bass), Skrymer (guitars) and Beast Dominator (drums) had virtually been in the band since the beginning.

A good thing they did continue, too, as the resulting Nattfodd (Nightborn) proved to be Finntroll's strongest record by that point, still ranking among their best albums as of this date, and remains the best starting point for new listeners. Stylistically, it's closer to their debut album, Midnattens Widunder, than Jaktens Tid, dropping the more epic and war-like feel of the latter. But it is more refined and improves upon Midnattens Widunder and is more focused than Jaktens Tid. From the opening track, 'Vinfard / Manniskopesten', it's clear that the band mean business, full of catchy hooks and keyboard melodies while Wilska growls and snarls away in troll-like fashion. This is then followed by the blistering 'Eliytres', one of the standout tracks on the album, which exemplifies the blend of black metal, folk metal and humppa.

Remaining strong from the opening, Nattfodd continues to churn out a number of classics, including fan-favourite 'Trollhammeren' and the stunning title track. The only real point where the album loses a little momentum is at the seventh number, 'Marknadsvisan', a two-minute piece largely comprised of sounds effects where the only music is a brief 20-second black metal freak out. It disrupts the flow of the album a bit too much, but 'Det Iskalla Trolblodet' quickly brings the focus back, before the album finishes strongly with 'Grottans Barn' and acoustic closer 'Rok' (called 'Routas Vaggsvisa' on some versions).

Perhaps the main issue with Nattfodd, however, is that for all its quality, it's a bit on the short side. Lengthy albums have never been Finntroll's thing, and that's more than appropriate, but this outing feels like it could have done with a song or two more. It's something that the band appears to have acknowledged, as all subsequent albums have generally been in the 40-45 minutes range, which is just right for this particular style of music. But even so, what's on offer here is very good.

As far as Finntroll's albums go, when considering the best starting point for newcomers, Nattfodd immediately springs to mind. It's the most focused and refined of their early work, before the darker atmosphere of the Vreth-era began, and you can hear in the record what a good time the band had recording it.

Recommended tracks - 'Eliytres', 'Nattfodd', 'Grottans Barn'.

Polka and black metal? No thank you - 0%

Briman72, September 7th, 2020

I first heard of this band in 2006 when they opened for Sodom on their first american tour. I never heard of this band so I went into the show without hearing any of their stuff. So I thought I might discover a new band that I might like. They came out and started to play and after a few minutes I sat there saying what the actual fuck???? Black metal mixed with polka and folk music and I wanted to fucking puke. You've got to be fucking kidding me with this. If this was a joke band I'd laugh out loud but this is not my friends. This is a serious band and they have put out albums and play all over and have a following and I'm asking serious questions about that. All of their albums seem to get great reviews mostly on this site...I can't believe it myself. Those people that love this band probably will tell me that I'm close minded. Actually I'm not that much closed off to something different but this? It just sounds so stupid and childish and it's not funny.

Since this was the latest album at the time I decided to try to listen to it and it's still bad news. I do give them points for originality but come on man. I don't know if they were thinking this would be funny or silly but it's not. Not to me anyway...I know that people like this style of black metal with folk mixed in and they think it's genius. Well here's a quick lesson for you....there are certain styles of music you dont mix with death or black metal ever. Period. It's just dumb to try to have polka beats with black metal vocals and thrashy guitars that make it sound so stupid and pathetic. I don't care if these guys are talented that's not the problem. It's like trying to mix James Taylor with black metal and polka beats on top it's so bad that I have no words to describe it. I just don't.

The production on this album is good though. It's well produced I guess they went to a good studio because it sounds good. That's the only thing I thought was positive though. When it comes to the songs you have mostly 2 to 5 minute songs that aren't too long and are quick. But even at that time length I couldn't get through most of it because of the stupid polka beats that like I said sound so stupid. They could've fixed that problem easily though that's what gets me. Are these guys just doing this to piss people off intentionally? Maybe they thought they'll be a black metal band but decide to throw in a style of music that's so far out of left field and we'll see what happens. Bad choice my friends! What the shame is that these guys are talented enough to play their instruments but look so foolish playing polka and folk mixed in it's like oil and water. Sometimes you can infuse different elements into metal but this is just ridiculously sad and pathetic to hear.

All you fans of folk metal are going to dislike my review so be it. At least I'm giving you my honest opinion on this...Finntroll are talented but need to lose the stupid polka and folk styles that's it in a nutshell. Doing something original these days is very hard and I gave them credit for that before but it just sounds so bad. And I might try to listen to it again because sometimes albums can grow on you. And I could change my mind but after hearing this album once I seriously doubt that I'll change my attitude towards this. I wish that this band were like Anal Cunt who were crazy funny and made you laugh most of the time especially in the 90's before they got to be too much with the political and race insulting stuff. If they were doing this as a spoof on polka and folk and made fun of it I would have been laughing but this sadly isn't folks. A big fat zero!!!!!!

It really makes you want to dance - 100%

damejro, October 17th, 2012

Finntroll is a great folk metal band, no doubt about it. Since Midnattens Widunder, they released a few lps, but the one I'm going to review here is Nattfodd. Why? Because it is absolutely awesome. Period.

Every time I play through the Nattfodd cd I get the feeling that this was the time when Finntroll was the "ultimate Finntroll". Not that the other albums are bad, no, far from that. They are great, but it's just that Nattfodd gives you the most complete troll-experience from the beginning to the very end.

The intro which fluently changes into the first song is a mix of winds blowing, distant shouts, and something resembling the sound of steel that's being forged. After that we get aggressive troll metal at its very finest. Awesome growling, fantastic drum work, and the guitars...all is in the right place. But wait, Finntroll wouldn't be Finntroll if hey didn't throw in some humppa/polka into their songs. Almost every song on Nattfodd has polka parts and they really fit in. The whole cd gives you this evil-trollish-magical feeling, but I believe all of the songs could be danced to (and I mean dance, not pogo).

It's really hard to pick the highlights of this album, but if I must they would be Manniskopesten, Nattfodd, Iskalla Trollblodet, and of course, Fiskarens Fiende with Trollhammaren. The accordions and chorus parts in Fiskarens Fiende, the ultra-catchy melody in Trollhammaren and Iskalla Trollblodet, and the dark atmosphere of Manniskopesten and Nattfodd - it all makes me pick and play this cd anytime anywhere. The album ends with slow Grottans Barn and acoustic Rok. I believe you will want to hit the replay button after Rok...many times.

For me, Nattfodd is the best folk metal album I've ever heard and I can't really imagine anything else taking its place as no. 1. Are you a fan of folk metal? Go buy Nattfodd then! Now!

Pump up the polka. - 88%

woeoftyrants, April 14th, 2007

Most folk metal bands will simply combine acoustic guitars, synths, and some soundscapes into more melodic-textured metal; some may use violins or flutes, but it never exceeds anything beyond the instruments I just mentioned. Finntroll, on the other hand, use a wide array of folk instruments to meld their hammer-wielding, ale-gulping, and ultimately danceable brand of black/folk metal. Now, when I say "array," I don't use the term lightly; the music here is very much based on the folk instruments, and this is one of the only metal albums that you'll hear using accordions. Yes, accordions. You see, the thing that sets Finntroll apart from their folk metal brethren is the fact that they go a step up with the folk influence. Not only do they use the traditional folk sound, but they combine their fine-honed metal with a polka-type music called "humppa," which I guess is native to their homeland. Regardless, it makes for one hell of an entertaining listen.

I'll start with the metal aspects of the band's sound. What you'll find here isn't too different from what you'll hear with bands like Korpiklaani and Asmegin; charging power-chord passages with mid-paced shuffles, occasionally leading into faster and more aggressive sections. The most aggressive this album gets is "Marknadvisan," which is only a snippet of song; the first half is entirely sounds of trolls and battles, the second half a ripping maelstrom of blastbeats and grunted vocals that lasts for a matter of about 40 seconds. I would mention "Urswamp," but its folky happiness is a far cry from the battle-invoking rage of trolls; the tempo, I will say, is through the roof. (Definitely the fastest song on the album.) The music could survive on its own fairly well without the use of keyboards, but then Fintroll would be just another metal band with a folkish sound. "Det Iskalla Trollblodet" shows the less folk-oriented of the band, up until the mid-section of the song. Most bands in this genre abuse keyboards for the sake of covering up uninteresting music, but things are different here. Each member is a confident musician, and the drums in particular stand out. There's a dynamic balance between blistering 2-step beats with flying double bass, obviously polka-influenced beats, and fresh, consistent passages that never overstep the boundaries of the music. The guitars are also fairly good on their own; though 90% of the compositions here are based solely on chugging palm-muted power chords, they hold their essence quite well through the album's course. Some acoustic guitars also make an appearance, and help to propel the band into more atmospheric and seemingly "serious" terrain. It's clear to see that some time was spent behind the structures and making sure that no instrument overshadowed the other, and that pays off in the end.

Now for the folkish elements. Without a doubt, the keyboards are the essential key to this album; not that the songs would sound underdone without them, but they add so much to the music that it's hard to imagine Finntroll without them. You'll find a little bit of everything here: accordions, pianos, string sections, brass, flutes, and so on. The accordions are especially fun and carefree, especially on "Trollhammeran" and "Urswamp." "Grottans Barn" takes a slightly more atmospheric approach to things, where accordions are backed by proud brass and strings. The keyboardist has plenty of skill to boot as well; his ability to keep up with the band's faster tempos and play flurries of notes may go by unnoticed by some, but he does carry a lot of the band's weight in the songs.

The vocals uphold the... trollish (?) essence of the music. The rough, gutteral shouts are exachanged with some black metal shrieks, and there are plenty of sing-along chants of "Hey!" in the vast majority of the songs. I can't say too much about lyrics because they're all in Swedish. (Which is weird, considering the band are from Finland.) But if you look at the layout and artwork, there seems to be a central story based around revenge: man invades troll territory and kills troll brethren, trolls fight back and win. Stereotypical, but when used in the context of the music, it works very well.

Nattfodd's production is another high point; the use of soundscapes and samples are well placed, and the instrumentation is flawless. The guitars have plenty of crunch to them without overpowering the keyboards, and the bass drum in particular is pretty ballsy. The rest of the drums use a very polished black metal sound, but without resorting to sterility or triggering. The keyboards somehow balance perfectly with the guitars when they need to in order to avoid a wall of noise, and the chunky bass rounds out the mix enough to add some extra power to everything. Nattfodd as a whole is only a little over 30 minutes, acoustic outro included, so it doesn't wear itself out too quickly.

So, if folk metal with a fun, careless flair sounds like your type of thing, grab some European beer and dance along to this.

Favorite tracks: "Trollhammeran," "Urswamp," "Det Iskalla Trollbloodet" "Grottans Barn."

Polka Metal! - 92%

TheStormIRide, January 30th, 2006

Finntroll has done it once again: given a breath of fresh air to a stale metal scene. Just when you thought everything had been done before, a band comes to crush all preconceptions. Humpha, a type of polka, mixed with black metal. An odd combination indeed, but it simply must be heard. The talent with which Finntroll meshes two separate genres is incredible.

The elements of black metal are undeniable. The harsh vocals in Swedish are, perhaps not as raw as early-day Mayhem, but still as raw as many black metal bands. The guitars are excellent, almost having a punky tone to them. The use of keyboards are phenomenal, as they carry the emphasis of the polka with them. The keyboards create an almost, dare I say it, fun atmosphere. The drums are rather standard for the genre. Each song on this album is a winner. The production is clean and crisp. Every instrument seems in its place in the mix. It is very difficult to describe clearly what the music sounds like, it simply must be heard to be believed.

Now, although the instruments are played expertly, one may ask, does it sound choppy or hard-to-follow at places? No! This album actually puts all the pieces together for an excellent metal album, and then adds in the polka keyboard tracks. Nothing is out of place in the music. The top highlights of this album would have to be the album opener, "Vindfärd - Människopesten", with it's eerie intro and victorious feel towards the end, as well as Trollhammaran, which to these ears sounds like a dwarven drinking song, or trollish rather.

This album is recommend to all fans of metal, especially those looking for something different. Also recommended to black metal fans (who aren't afraid of change). This band has some fresh ideas, and there aren't many bands out there capable of melding two genres this convincingly. Finntroll have become a force in metal to be reckoned with. Nattfödd is a brilliant album that every metal head should listen to at least once. Check it out and decide for yourself!

good - 85%

WIndrider, January 12th, 2005

Finntroll, are arguably the most well known folk metal act going right now. With their classic 2002 release Jaktens Tid, Finntroll secured themselves a fresh chunk in the ever demanding world of metal. Combining thrashy D beat Punk rock guitar riffs, with a strong folky dance feel (polka), Finntroll are back with their third full length album Nattfodd.
Nattfodd, while still the Finntroll we’ve all grown to love, sees a change in direction from it’s precedor Jaktens Tid. Finntroll have traded off 1/3 of their agro polka sound, for a more smoothed over, orchestrated sound. This change in direction is mainly found in the keyboard work done by the great Troll Horn (aka Henri Sorvali). Trollhorn also happens to play keys in the folk metal band Moonsorrow, and it’s obvious to me that some of Moonsorrow’s epic keyboard work has smeared off unto Fnntroll’s latest.
Nattfodd also has a new vocalist than they did on Jaktens Tid. Due to a Tumor, vocalist Katla was forced to be replaced by Tapio Wilska, who is known for his work with the black thrash band wizzard. Tapio does very adequate job replacing Katla, sounds a little gruffer, and I guess even a little more trollish. Yet Tapio’s pace is slower and he does not seem as able to growl as fast or agro as Katla.
The rest of Finntroll is very status quo, and just like Jaktens Tid, sounds great. Finntroll are a brilliant combination of folk music, thrash, punk, and bar music, with a layer of grim dirty trollishness, that’s just so pervasive. Anyone who has an open mind, and is willing to escape the shrouds of traditional metal medicoricy, should love this album. If you are looking for a metal band with killer riffs, insane drumming, or Power Metal vocals, your venturing down the wrong alleyway. If your looking for fun, search no further you’ve found paradise.
Not quite as good as Jaktens Tid, but still 100% worth your money.

Good Viking fun... - 81%

Snxke, December 14th, 2004

I am impressed with this rather upbeat mix of Finnish black metal, polka-thump and old-school heavy metal. The big swinging beats, cheesy-but-fun melodies and harsh Finnish vocals are all presented with fine production and excellent musicianship. These boys also love the big choruses that somehow feel "arena rock" despite being decked out in the aesthetic of folk music. These boys are obviously proffessionals and deserve some serious attention for the work that they have put forth on this release.

This record is filled with big swinging riffs and catchning overtures. The best track of the bunch is the ultra-catchy "Trollhammaren", a track that should be a good introduction to this style of music for any metal fan. The rest though, is often catchy with many big "Viking" style choruses and swinging beer chants. Many will be dissapointed by the rather "upbeat" feel but I found the polka-death-match to be nothing less than pure entertainment. Finntroll may not be the best band doing this sort of folk-metal fusion, but they may be the most dumb fun a man can have while drinking a pint.

Finntroll represent something new to poke into the mainstream of European metal. Sure, Crauchen have been doing this sort of thing for years as well as many others...but this is among the first big pushes for the genre and it's a fine album to begin with. Finntroll are the most fun one can have during a drunken beer-rampage through a foriegn community.

I say buy it...

The sons of Rivfader does it again! - 90%

Brill, December 7th, 2004

When the news hit me that Katla was leaving do to health problems and Somnium commited suicide I thought that our favorite trolls would split up and never return from under the roots that boar them. But was I wrong. When they enterd the stage at Sweden Rock Festival in the summar of 2003, with Wilska and Routa filling the empty spaces, my fears went away. Wilska may not have THAT voice that Katla had, but who did? He put his own personal touch on the band, and it was not bad at all. The question in my mind after a great consert was; how will the next record sound?
Well, Visor mot slutet wasn't really a record in my eyes, so let's skip right to what matter. Nattfödd.

The wind starts to blown and in the distance you can hear someone roar for the Northen Wind. The track Nordanvind doesn't give a hint really on what's to come. Then, from no where, it starts. A really nasty troll riff starts Människopesten (Human plauge), and there it is. The massive growl of the massive Wilska. That can't be a human, they really caught a real finnish troll and put him infront of the mic! Superb start!

Track number 2 Eliytres, and here we go again. Almost classic Finntroll here, with Wilska turning it up even more, making him self sound even madder then on Människopesten, but the track isn't really that good overall.

But then we change pace completely, and slow down as Fiskarens Fiende (fishermans enemy) and really go hummpa on this record. The keyboards are better then before. Trollhorn is a genius!

Party time with Trollhammaren (trollhammer)! Here we have great lyrics, great riff, amusing drums, superb keyboards and hummpa all the way. Bring out the mead, harras the women and party til you puke!

In Nattfödd (night born) you could really hear Trollhorns Moonsorrow influences. We go from evil mid-tempo, to slow accustic and back do a brutal blast beat finish. Brilliant! By far, my favorite track.

The shortest track, clocking at just over 2 minutes is Ursvamp (ancient mushroom). This one could have fittet right in on Midnattens Widunder, nothing fancy, just straight forward.

Marknadsvisan (market song) has the most annoying intro I have ever heard. First we hear monks walking on a road singing, then we hear trolls marching, monsk walking, trolls marching, monks walking, trolls attacking monks and THEN the track starts! After 2 minutes!! Why!? Sure, the part were they play isn't long, just under a minute, but why the long intro? Not good buys, not good at all.

Det iskalla trollblodet (the ice cold trol blood) is much like Människopesten, with even more great keyboards. Trollhorn gets alot of space on this record and I say thank you for that.

Second last we have where Mästaren Aldhissla ended with Grottans barn (chidlren of the caves). Slow, melodic keyboards gives a sweet intro and then it grows into a slow, heavy, evil tune with Wilska growling cleaner and with more feeling then on the other tracks. He is that damn good!

Last but not least we have Routa with his accustic gituarr with the track Rök (smoke) wich makes me think of Somnium. May he rest in peace..

So, there you have it. This is superb, this is great, this is all that and much much more. Sure, to lost members that meant alot to t he band, but what replacements! If this line up sticks, Fiintroll will be next big thing in the scene of extreme metal. More trolls for the world!!

Not as good as Jaktens Tid - 80%

Symphony_Of_Terror, November 19th, 2004

Century media has a tendency of signing horrible bands. As I see it, every century media band blows because of mainstream influence couphIcedEarthcouph. So its surprising to see a band that is no only good, but great, Finntroll. This album is another fine example of what makes Finntroll such a great band, fusing polka influenced folk into “black” metal seamlessly and tastefully. Although this album has its fair share of cheese, such as many songs about trolls and battles with axes and pirates! It still manages to produce some great polka influenced folk metal that almost lives up to Jaktens Tid.

All of your favorite elements and trademark sounds of Finntroll are found scattered through out Natteford. Tacks like Trollhammen and Fiskarens Fiende are examples of what this album does best and what this band does best, fusing polka/folk keyboards with choppy and fast metal riffs. Fiskarents Fiende opens with a memorable “pirate” like keyboard that resembles a accordion that becomes fused with a fast and choppy guitar to make a riff that is the albums most memorable moment. Other great moments are the general feeling this album can create. On Trollhammen (especially if you watch the video) the song sounds like something you want to sing along to, drink beer with your buddies, and harass women while in your favorite wolf skin clothing, basically it’s a polka jam. Another aspect that makes this album good is its involvement with other genres. The song Vindfärd / Människopesten features some powerful horns that play with victory and triumph, something to be found on a power metal album. It adds power to a song already made great. An album that can transcend multiple genres(power metal, folk metal, black metal, heavy metal) is unique and creates often a memorable experience, Natteford does exactly that.

Natteford starts out with four great tracks in a row, then two good ones, then the album tends to fall into mediocrity. Songs towards the end of the album do not hold the same power as their predecessors. Grottans Barn, although a good track, doesn’t have any memorable moments or offer anything new on the album. Natteford loses its power and impressiveness as the album progresses. It doesn’t become bad to the point where I want to turn it off, but it fails to keep my attention and I find myself changing the album or going back to the earlier tracks of the album. Overall Natteford offers some great moments and some great songs. it’s a good record that fails to keep consistency. It also lacks the power that Jaktens Tid possesses. Overall this record would be much better if the songs on the seconds half of the album were as good as the songs on the first half. It would definitely get above a 9 then.

Perfect harmony - 96%

Druj, September 17th, 2004

Finntroll has always been one of the "odd" bands. The idea of mixing black metal with polka is almost demented, and to succeed some serious artistic talent is needed. Luckily for us, Finntroll has what takes, and more.

Nattfödd is the greatest release by Finntroll so far, in my opinion. It's almost uncanny to listen to an album that can be dark and heavy at one time and then instantly switch over to be happy and catchy to an almost bizarre extent. But the true highlights of Nattfödd isn't the heavy black metal or the catchy polka, it's when these two things are merged into a perfect harmony. The result is a sinister and bizarre sound that is perfect for a band that is so hung up on trolls.
That is what makes this album so incredible. Finntroll takes masterful control over the muscial aspect of their chosen and distinctive sound and creates something unique with it. Finntroll has always had this talent, but with this release they have taken it to another level.

This album has pretty much everything a Finntroll album should have, a few faster and thrashier songs (Vindfärd / Människopesten and Det Iskalla Trollblod) a few slower and heavier tracks (Fiskarens Fiende and Nattfödd) and a lighter song that just screams "party!" (Trollhammaren). The rest isn't just filler though, they are ingenious combinations of the previously mentioned moods, often switching speed and melody mid-song to keep things interesting.
Tapio Wilska does an excellent job on the growling vocals, his rasping singing style complements the melodies very well. They give the general trollish mood the last dot over the i and thus completes the immense greatness that is Nattfödd.

This is without a doubt my album of the year.

polka metal!!!! - 100%

The_Emperor, July 8th, 2004

TROLLHAMMAREN!!!! Hell yeah those crazy Finnish trolls are back, and offering up yet another slab of polka-influenced black metal goodness. The band has had it’s share of bad news these last few years, not only losing their original vocalist Katla due to a tumor affecting his vocal chords but also their guitarist Somnium in a tragic fall. That right there would have made some bands call it quits right there, but these trolls bounced back with a new guitarist and a new vocalist in Tapio Wilska. In my mind Wilska does one hell of a job filling in Katla’s spot in the band, his vocals are simply amazing.

To be honest the only Finntroll album I had heard prior to this was the 2001 release Jaktens Tid, and what an amazing album that was. The first time I heard that album I was amazed at how well these guys integrated the polka sound with heavy metal, using keyboards and choirs flawlessly imo. From that moment on I was hooked on the band, and when this album was released I got it immediately and was blown away. These guys are an amazing band, very talented and they really know how to write an album that is catchy and keeps the listener interested all the way through. Each track is filled with well executed guitar riffs (electric as well as acoustic), keyboards that create some amazing melodies, tight drumming, and of course the excellent vocals of Mr. Wilska as well as the occasional group vocal with the rest of the trolls. One of my personal favorite tracks on this album is Trollhammaren, which was released as a single that included four tracks not appearing on this album. Right from the start of this song grabs you and holds your attention, and the breakdown at around the 3:04 mark is fucking brilliant. You hear the keyboards mixed with these choir vocals which make for an unbelievable listening experience.

Do yourself a favor and pick up this album, and all the other Finntroll albums. You will not regret it, this is some of the best metal out there today and makes for some great party music. If you like you Viking/Black metal, and don’t mind a little polka thrown in the mix, then you’ll love this album.

Can anything get better than this? - 100%

langstondrive, May 9th, 2004

Once again, I have broken my made promise about giving albums 100%, but forgive me. This is rather new, and I have only had the chance to listen to it recently.

Wow. The use of keyboards is INCREDIBLE! The atmosphere created is the most troll that Finntroll have ever been able to do, and the metal is among their most brutal and effective. The album opens with ambience, then into a very trashy/black type of song, which eventually molds into the typical Finntroll folky type of harmony. An excellent song which shows the band at their heaviest and fastest.

Following it is a dose of polka, before turning into a total party song (troll party, that is!). The metal contained is great, with a crunching edge and always returning to the harmony. Ellytres is the best track on the album, with the perfect amount of everything. Both folky melodies, troll singers, chanting and some of their heaviest metal and vocals. The next song sounds a lot like Jaktens Tid, read my review for it and discover that this is NOT a bad thing. The remainder of the album is a real mixed bag, full of pleasent surprises. Some parts are very heavy, but Finntroll manages to fit in their own bits of ambience that they are famous for. To say about this album: there is a lot more "troll" stuff than in any of their other albums, it's basically every song!

A remarkable album and a true modern classic, if you don't buy this, you're really missing out!

Something for everyone... - 90%

electric27, May 6th, 2004

I came across this album entirely by chance. Prior to that, I had never heard of Finntroll before, and now I'm so glad that I have. This album is totally nuts. Alternately heavy 'n' fast and upbeat-let's-get-a-stein-of-mead polka. Hell, sometimes it's both at the same time.

I'm aware that Finntroll's old singer had to leave because of a tumor. I've obviously never heard his vocals, but I can tell you something about the vox on this album. The vocals remind me a bit of the guy for Bestial Warlust, but deeper and more refined, mated with Alexi from Children of Bodom. Despite the fact that this is music heavily influenced by polka, the vocals are quite fitting somehow. I can't really comment on the lyrics because they're in a different language. I read something about a troll king rising up against the Christians or something. Sounds good to me.

The music is very good. The riffs are heavy and occasionally imaginative. Guitars also do a good job providing a backround for keyboard melodies. The bass is audible and provides a nice contrast to the strings and accordians and whatnot. The drums are very well done. The tone is nice and tight. The only complaint I have about the drums is they seem a tad quiet at times, especially the bass drums. It's wierd, but the drums get lost in the mix when the keys and guitars are raging.

Verdict: Finntroll presents a little bit of something for everyone. It's heavy enough for a thrash and death fan like myself, but at the same time, it's really melodic. I could defintely see my power metal-loving friends listening to this on a regular basis. This album makes me wanna get lightly toasted, grab my battle axe and and run around chopping people's heads off.

TROLLIN’ TROLLIN’ TROLLIN’ !!! - 80%

PowerMetalGlory, April 14th, 2004

You know this band. Don’t pretend that you don’t. They stand for heavy drinking, heavy battle axes, heavy lynx fur and heavy fucking polka metal! I’d like to do nothing better than to praise this collective, but regretfully I have a bone to pick with this release. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely a good disk and if you’re a Finntroll fan, it should be in your collection if it isn’t already. Yet, it lacks something that the first two releases did not. Using my advanced logic skills I have determined that it might be the two musicians that are no longer within the band. It’s no secret that Somnium was a significant creative force and that Katla also had a say in the direction of the material. Personally, I think that it is the departure of the former, which has had the most impact on the songwriting and the slight change of direction of the Finntrollers.

Now, it isn’t a new revelation that this Finnish colossus has always been a good time band and was a major catalyst for bruised walls, bruised faces and bruised knees. Yet, the first two albums still had a certain rugged charm that this album seems to lack. Nattfodd is just TOO campy for it’s own good. Of course, this might as well be explained in the lyrics, but I have never bothered with them. All I remember is something about a great Troll king set on a crusade against Christendom. Gotta love it!


My favourite tracks on this album are Trollhammaren(4) and Grottans Barn(9), but I can’t say that there any particularly bad tracks to be found. Despite harkening back to the days of old, Nattfodd just isn’t another Jaktens Tid.

If for some reason, this band has still been undetected by your radar, get your hands on the aforementioned Jaktens Tid from the nearest retailer or favourite illegal online music dispenser.

Nattfodd is still recommended over a lot of music released this year and is required for Finntroll fans.

Here’s to the future re-usurpation of the Folk-Metal throne for Finntroll and many more hours of TROLLIN’ in the future. Yaaarghhh!

Finntroll, back in business. - 90%

Kanwvlf, March 22nd, 2004

Well, this is certainly what I've been waiting for. A new, back to the original style, Finntroll album, and it certainly doesn't disappoint. It may be a little short, but, Finntroll have never been famous for having long albums.

After the loss of Somnium and Katla, both which, at the time, seemed to be huge losses for the band, they fought their way back, adding Tapio Wilska to the line-up on vocals, and he certainly fits the part very well, although, he's not quite as good as Katla was. And, the loss of Somnium shall be remembered for a long time to come. But, alas, the band has managed to carry on, and still produce excellent albums.

The first track, 'Vindafärd' is in intro track, which leads into the first proper song on this album, 'Människopesten,' which opens with an excellent riff, and the vocals building on top of it. As ever, Trollhorn's keyboards are underlying in the music, but they don't truly come out until around the 2:30 mark, where we're treated to the good old Finnish polka. Around the 3:30 mark we're get a wonderful keyboard solo, which breaks back into the main riff, and then into another keyboard solo, and then the main riff again. All typical Finntroll stuff. All in all, an excellent introduction song. 8/10

The second song, 'Eliytres' starts with Trollhorn's keyboards, and how wonderful they still sound after all these years. The rest of the band breaks in, and the keyboards still lie on top sounded as good as ever. During this song, Wilska is quite impressive with his vocals. This is where he really shines, and shows he can make his vocals work for this band, and they do! This song is the type of Finntroll song that gets you moving, as its sound is almost uplifting, with the riffing, and polka-ish keyboard. Another good song. 8.5/10

Track three, 'Fiskarens Fiende' starts with some heavy guitar playing, and brings along some keyboard friends with it, which blend perfectly, and manage to sound completely silly at the same time. The chorus is filled with trumpet-esque sounding keyboards, and a sing-along vocal line, which ends in a big 'HEY!' Around 2:10, everything goes quite, and all you can hear is what sounds like an army marching and chanting some song. And, just after that, the music builds up again into a keyboard solo, and vocals over the top of the solo. And, then back into the chorus once more for another sing-along. A good song overall. 7/10

Track four, 'Trollhammaren' starts with a heart-warming little keyboard line, but then you hear the vocals, and everything kicks in, with the keyboard on top again, and builds into a riff, and then into the chorus. Throughout the song, Trollhorn shows what only he can do with keyboards, and makes the song almost dance-able with his keyboard lines. There is also a breakdown at around 1:55, underlined with keyboards, as usual, and builds into one of the strangest things I've ever heard in a Finntroll song. The high-pitched noise sounds like a guitar, but I wouldn't want to be quoted on that. 8/10

Track five, the title track, starts off with a guitar intro, and accordian building on to it. Very much a slowed down pace for Finntroll here, but it soon comes back to the tremelo picking. More trumpet-esque keyboards fill parts of this song, and Wilska's vocals sound excellent mixed in with them, and all the other instruments. A little breakdown, into an acoustic section, with keyboards, and Wilska's vocals have been toned down to a deep whisper, which suddenly builds up into an epic-sounding, keyboard filled section. 7.5/10

Track six, 'Ursvamp' is the first of the short songs on this album, but it certainly does start fast. Back into the fast Finntroll riffing of old, with wonderful keyboard over the top, and Wilska's vocals filling in the gaps to finish it all off. In this song, there is, what sounds like a banjo during some parts, but only very quiet. It's a shame this is such a short song. 7/10

Track seven, 'Marknadsvisan' is another short song, and starts with a soundclip of what sounds like some sort of village, but with people screaming in the background. Then you hear a deep, bassy voice, the voice of a troll, and you realise that you're in a troll village, and trolls are preparing for war. The song only kicks in around 1:25, with screaming, yells and fighting under the instrumentation. Wilska does some really deep vocals in this song, and it all ends with a shrill keyboard note. 7/10

Track eight, 'Det Iskalla Trollblod' starts with a bass intro, and then Wilska yells, and everyone comes in. Again, Wilska's vocals are impressive here, as they sound really raspy. Just before the one minute mark, we get a polka section completely out of the blue. And, throughout the song we get more polka, and accordians, wanting to make you dance along. Around 2:30 starts a chant-along song in-time with the keyboards behind it, and breaks off into a keyboard solo. 9/10

Track nine, 'Grottans Barn' starts off with a quiet keyboard/accordian intro, and builds into a stop and start riff, which is new territory for Finntroll. Wilska's vocals aren't raspy, but sound more like deep growls. The song, carrying on slowly, and in come Wilska's vocals, raspy again, but then they change back to the deep growl, where the stop start riff has become less of a stop start, and carries itself. More stop start riffing near the middle of the song, with orchestral keyboards underneath, and a great scream, followed by a keyboard solo. 8.5/10

The last track, 'Rök' is an entirely acoustic guitar instrumental, and ends with the sound of thunder. Not a great deal to say about this, but it sounds great. 7/10

All in all, this is an excellent Finntroll album, although not as good as the original two. One of the reasons for this is, Wilska doesn't seem to be able to do the screams and yells like Katla could, and I believe they added something to the songs. Definately worth the purchase, though, if you're a Finntroll fan.

everyone knows trolls are hard to beat - 100%

diedne, March 16th, 2004

And so these trolls survived to all: The death of Somnium and the loss of Katla at the vocals surely were hard strikes for a band that is, over anything else, funny. And thus it was scary to think if, after all the bad times and the tragedies in the path, they would still be able to be wanting to do the wonderful stuff they did in their first two albums, after that experimental, dark and different third album. And they did it.

What we have here is, once again, Finntroll at its best: A mix of melodic black metal, death, folk music and that unique finn humppa music. It's funny, it's jumpy, and if in any other band one could start thinking that maybe some new ideas could be a good new for a fourth album, here, after all that happened to these guys, the keeping of the style is the best possible new (and after all they already changed the style in the third album). Wilska's voice suits perfectly to the music and seems a good replacement for Katla. The music sounds as fine as it sounded before, Trollhorn's weird keyboards and accordions are everywhere, giving the music that atmosphere only he can bring to a band, be it Finntroll or Moonsorrow. The only regret I can find to this album is that, being it so fast, it ends in less than 37 minutes, leaving you wanting for more... but after all Finntroll never did very long albums, did they?

In the first track, Vindfärd seems to be the intro, that in this album is merged with the first song, Människopesten, and one must wait 2 minutes and 20 seconds until he can realize that he isn't listening to any other band, when the keyboard starts to play humppish melodies and one starts thinking that it must be funny as hell to be a troll. But it goes far away when Eliytres comes, as it is a perfect song to turn anyone into the Finntroll's fanclub. It runs fast, fierce, epic and weird, and it's hard to heard it sitting on a chair and keeping the mouth closed. It's just brilliant how in the chorus the guitars change from a black metalish riff into that finn version of the polka.

Fiskarens Fiende seems, coming between the tracks it comes, a serious and slow track, in comparison. It have some brilliant chorus, and reminds the viking metal style, that after all is very close to what those guys do, and mostly the Moonsorrow-styled chorus. But that can't be strange, after all. Then comes Trollhammaren, that have one of the most catchy melodies you will find in any album ever: listen it once and you will discover yourself whistling it a week before. Nattfödd goes slower again, specialy when the solo comes, Ursvamp speeds up again (if anyone have only two minutes to be turn into Finntroll's fanclub, try this song), using weird instruments (there is something here that could even be a banjo) in such a fast way that ends being scary. Marknadsvisan reminds to Kyrkovisan in the Jaktens Tid album, as it starts with gregorian chants and a church's bell... and follows in the same way of there, after painting a scene with sounds they left 40 seconds of the track to do the fastest song of the album. Then Det Iskalla Trollblod, another track that slows down, but this time to fasten the pace soon, while Wilska laughs and the classical Finntroll rythm takes the song. The solo is a beautiful mixture of layers, with acoustic guitars, electric guitars, keyboards (how not), chants and the ever present double bass keeping the pace. Grottans Barn seems is a track that reminds to Moonsorrow more than anything else in the album, because it keeps the middle tempo all the time, and Rök is an instrumental acoustical epilogue for the album.

If you liked their previous albums, don't worry, you will like this. And if you were scared by the direction they took on the third one, don't worry: They still are them.