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5 May 2010

Vreth from Dark City Magazine

Translation of the Finntroll article from a Russian magazine Dark City, issue May-June 2010:

Translated by Lotta.

Translator notes:
Mistakes in names and titles as in original.
Some notes:
*We have a not metal band called "Mummy troll", so maybe it was a throwed stone in their garden.
**Maxim Galkin (gosh..) and co it's a popular pop stars who are everywhere on TV and shows.
***DDT is a rock band, but it's strange association I think. No folk line, no mythical creatures in their lyrics at all.

Originally posted on the Finntroll Forum.



Since 17th February in their native Finland, to 22th February is already all over Europe, and on 9th March even in the United States of America.
So by this wide-range attack trolls have signalized release of their new album "Nifelvind". And this is not any Moomintrolls*, they don't look like hippos.
These are the most common, known to every schoolchild, Finnish trolls. Aren't you believe me? Look for it on Wikipedia for example... So, let's meet a new work of FINNTROLL band. 8th place in Finnish charts, by the way.

Every time get wonder how cool to be a metalhead in Helsinki, where is Ville Valo instead of Maxim Galkin**, Tarja Turunen instead of Alla Pugacheva, instead of band "Lubeh" is Lordi. Finntroll, perhaps, there on the rights of our DDT***... Here, even in Germany, where the position of heavy music is a little worse, new album of Finnish trolls reached already 31th place in charts. But let's start about everything in order...

Initially album must be called "Mot Skuggomas Vaerid", what can be translated into Russian like "On the road to world of the shadows".
But in terms of military tactics, new name "Hellish wind" is suitable for the next troll's attack much better.
Vreth, frontman of the band (real name is Mattias Lilmans), comments situation with title changing in the next way: "Nifelvind", in our opinion, is really suitable for that our fans are waiting for in music of new album." "From "Mot Skuggomas Vaerld" we have refused for the reason that this combination of sounds too hard, if you aren't Finn or Swede. We did not want that everyone called the new album simply "the new album." And it is in the best case ... "
New straight title in many ways reflects the trend that was appreciable on the previous album "Ur Jordens Djup" - Finntroll started to sound a bit furiously, extravagant... Darker. As if by chance started to return to their Black-metal roots.
"And not only this, - acknowledges frontman. - from one side, we really had a wish to do much more aggressive arrangement of material, but from the other one - we did not want to refuse from many typical stylistic elements of Finntroll. So that's how we reached those changes, which hovered around us in recent years. From the Black metal past through the troll-folk to the latest album - just the way that we have done and which is important for us. " Sounding of "Nifelwind" turned much more monolithic and menacing than the sound of his predecessors
So that's how, probably, should sound close-knit crazy crowd of armed to the teeth trolls who are crossing the edge of the forest. "We certainly did not run the full of fury in the forest, - argues vocalist of the band, - but we've tried to turn new tracks to be more straightforward and archaic. Cohesion? Trolls are very amicable people, you should know it.
Amicable trolls were not squeamish to use bizarre and strange folk elements, is as indispensable part of the album "Nifelvind", as the worried Finnish mentality. For example, "Galgasaeng" - is a completely acoustic work.
"Many of these folk elements emerge spontaneously, when we work together in the studio - says Vreth. - This really has something of the old sagas and legends, where men were seated together near the fire and played the music. Of course, folk motives are essential for our creativity and again play a big role within our latest release.
A significant role also has been given to the choir parts. If you had a creep because of song "Blodmarsch", then you, in general, know what it is talking about.
"The album in some degree bears some Voodoo atmosphere - continues frontman - and this intro, we just wanted to pass it to the fullest. All these shamanistic chants we perform ourselves. On "Nifelvind" we are more the narrators, and the music is designed to expel people from the land of trolls. And if people are frightened already having heard just the intro, so much the better. As for the stories, then, like the narrator of antiquity, we are dealing with eternal themes of human existence.
Elementary questions of our being, our roots and values of our existence. Lyrics aren't so gloomy as it can be assumed judging by the name of the album. There are many issues raised which worry humanity through its existence and will excite it for a long time. Nature. death, co-existence on this earth ... From the immemorial times these stories were told, and messages were hidden among the trolls and other dark creatures of the ancient sagas. I find this very wise and entertaining."

Unfortunately, Mattias grew up with his family just in a couple of hundred kilometers away from Helsinki, where these ancient tales of trolls do not have such a wide distribution as in the province.
Nevertheless, as any more or less interested in their roots young man, though he knew the folklore of his people: "Of course, I no matter what, being the child has already learned some stories that are instructive, but do not suffer from unnecessary moralizing ".
Very much in the work of group was predetermined by enchanted landscapes of Scandinavia in only which under these conditions may raise such stories about the cunning trolls, spirits of nature and the dark creatures.

Notice that frontman does not deny similar geographical backgrounds: "Here are no any questions! In southern Italy, of course, is simply meaningless to talk about forest trolls. But they have their own legends, which had absorbed the aesthetics of the region. When I stay with my family in north, I'm almost not see the sun in winter. And in summer, conversely, couldn't be dark. "
Most of the interviews in support of new album, frontman gave in January of this year, and that's why he could not recall when he last time saw the sun.
When the material is ready and will be released (it's about this magazine), in Moscow, hopefully, already will be prevail a sunny weather.
But if the exemplariness of the legend is valuable in itself, then because of weather is not many changes. So listening crazy songs and the dances of the dark forest creatures with a beer is possible at any time of a year!