Get out the broadswords and get ready to swing from the rafters! Finland's Moonsorrow is another of those chewy, gooey but oh-so-yummy folksy-symphonic gray metal bands who do nothing but ooze great epic music. Sounding a bit like a mix between their countrymen Finntroll and Throes of Dawn, Moonsorrow blends a perfect brew of "warrior" metal that makes one want to find a weapon of medieval nature and slay a few gila monsters.

Using the bouncy rhythms of folk, mouth harp and melodies that ooze eons of tradition, Moonsorrow crafts Suden Uni into a masterful piece of work. Their sense of polka-ish rhythms is nowhere near as Tigger-like as Finntroll's manic, frenzied approach, as Moonsorrow chooses to stick to mid-tempo pacing (with an occasional blastbeat to remind people that this isn't Finland Folk Festival music, but metal, dammit). The keyboards are never overpowering, rather adding an undercurrent of melody and smoothing out the music to create a mesmerizing flow. Vocally, there are little surprises to be had here with the raspy gray metal styled vocals and occasional clean chanting. The band's finest moments are found in what are truly simple passages that do nothing more than minutely move the entire song just a few notes. The enveloping atmosphere of the music is very rewarding.

Suden Uni is a successful venture in folkish, epic metal. It never crosses the line into the Warriors of Cheese, unlike far too many of their brethren. While fun and enjoyable to listen to, Suden Uni also comes across as a serious work that entices further listens. Maybe it's too pretty at times for the crustier of metal fans out there, but for the rest of us, Suden Uni is a fantastic piece of work.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 02/2003

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