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Moonsorrow - Verisäkeet review



Reviewer:
7.5

576 users:
8.66
Band: Moonsorrow
Album: Verisäkeet
Style: Viking folk metal
Release date: February 25, 2005
A review by: Undercraft


01. Karhunkynsi
02. Haaska
03. Pimeä
04. Jotunheim
05. Kaiku

Moonsorrow is back with their fourth full-length album, the chances that you don't know this band are very rare, because these Finns have obtained quite a share of popularity in the past years with their Blackish Viking/Folk Metal. This time things are a little different, while they still hang out in the Viking genre and they still sing in Finnish, the approach of the music is more Dark, and at the same time, Progressive and mostly of all, Epic.

I think this band lives under the permanent shadow of "Kivenkantaja" their third album, a masterpiece if you ask me. To try to top that album, and do something different here, Moonsorrow decided to sound more Epic, and composed extremely long songs, only 5 songs graces this album which last 70 minutes, you do the math.

While the band members are very talented with each instrument, folk and non-folk, their songwriting talent doesn't holds the creativity to maintain the listener interested during a 10-15 minute song, and of course, now try 5 of them!
While each song has its moments, only one caught my attention from the get-go and maintained me interested during its 14 minutes "Pimeä" (Dark) is a great song and definitively the one that stands from the rest. Then, some other sections of other songs also stands, like the fast parts in "Haaska" (Carrion), the acoustic intro from "Jotunheim" or the campfire song "Kaiku" (Echo) sadly, the rest of this song is just ambience sound, one hint guys, if you leave the campfire and all of you go to your sleeping bags to rest, shut down the tape recorder.

Definitively this is Moonsorrow at the Epic peak of their career, but not musical, this is a harsher Moonsorrow, filled with heathen hymns and a wide array of instruments, but I rather prefer 9 normal songs from these guys rather than 5 long ones. Next time, leave long songs for Doom Metal.

Written by Undercraft | 17.02.2005




Comments

Comments: 16   Visited by: 228 users
05.10.2006 - 17:11
Vaeril
Account deleted
I think Verisäkeet is their best album to date. The songs seem to have more depth than on their previous releases (which I do rate very high aswell). I don't think the songs suffer from their lenght at all. They have such strong atmosphere and great structure. And I particularly enjoy the darker approach they've taken. Loosing interest here just doesn't happen - though I must admit there's a good dose of doom fanatic in me...
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05.10.2006 - 18:39
Southern Wind
Account deleted
7,5 is a fair review, this album is not bad at all but kind of failed on its attempt to create something crushingly epic.
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21.10.2006 - 02:56
Rating: 8
Talvi
Fair review, but a bit low rated. The problem isn't the music, but the silence between songs. If it weren't for that, this would be another Moonsterpiece
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My account on other musical pages:
http://www.last.fm/user/Pozito/
http://rateyourmusic.com/~Talvi
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08.12.2006 - 19:28
Rating: 10
Major
Not a good review. This is clearly the best Moonsorrow album and the album of the year. It is deep, very atmospheric, dark, epic and bombastic. This equals masterpiece.
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19.05.2007 - 00:01
SnowSword
Account deleted
Bad review, Verisäkeet is a masterpiece! the rating is a low bit.
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19.05.2007 - 00:08
Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
Staff
Written by [user id=23910] on 19.05.2007 at 00:01

Bad review, Verisäkeet is a masterpiece! the rating is a low bit.

Good review actually, he explains why he gave it the rating he did, and did it well. And 7.5 isnt that low, its like getting 75% on a test, its not low.
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19.05.2007 - 01:43
Lucas
Mr. Noise
Elite
People should remember a 7.5 is quite HIGH, as it is inbetween 'good' and 'very good'.
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SLUDGE. DOOM. DEATH. Wait, what?

"The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." - Barack Obama
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03.01.2008 - 23:40
Visioneerie
Urban Monster
I just got this album for christmas this year, and i must disagree with the review, i find this album extremely good, and of course EPIC. Unlike Undercraft i enjoy pretty much every minute of every song, the only exception is the long epilogue which seems to go on forever. Nevertheless, Moonsorrow offered us a brilliant, kick ass piece of work here. I think their long songs suits them very well. Id give this a 8.5 , 9.
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Any man can stand adversity, but to test his character give him power - A. Lincoln
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16.12.2008 - 11:48
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Elite
The review is SPOT on both in terms of classification and the rating.
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Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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09.01.2009 - 20:02
Feng
Verisäkeet works for some people, and for others maybe not. To be honest, if you are a Moonsorrow fan, you should like long epic songs, but it is true that some bits don't have much variety and some listener's may be bored...
However in my opinion this is Moonsorrow's best effort. The song arrangements are fantastic, and this album really immerses you. It feels like it is telling a giant story (and knowing Moonsorrow it is :-)).
I gave this a 10 myself, loved it from the first listening. Some may say 10 is a bit too high, but I think it deserves it.
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30.12.2009 - 19:52
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
Quote:
While each song has its moments, only one caught my attention from the get-go and maintained me interested during its 14 minutes "Pimeä" (Dark) is a great song and definitively the one that stands from the rest.

Thats very true. This song kinda saves the album.

Good review.
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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19.02.2010 - 00:16
Rating: 10
caimanjosh
This album seems to be the start of their more polarizing albums. For me, this is their best album yet (well, or perhaps a tie with the also-godlike Voimasta ja Kunniasta). But clearly it doesn't have the same "curb appeal" at first as something like Kivenkantaja. It really rewards repeated listens, though - the songwriting here is just incredible. A few minutes less of nature sounds might be nice, but I still couldn't see this rating any less than a 9 (and I'd give it a full 10).
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19.02.2010 - 13:19
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
I like it, but think those songs are a bit too long to create really "crushing" atmosphere and bind listeners attention like on their first two albums (demo Talma Ikuinen Talvi and album Sudden Uni)
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My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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26.05.2013 - 17:27
Rating: 10
Written by Ellrohir on 19.02.2010 at 13:19

I like it, but think those songs are a bit too long to create really "crushing" atmosphere and bind listeners attention like on their first two albums (demo Talma Ikuinen Talvi and album Sudden Uni)

Agalloch have too long songs.
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27.05.2013 - 14:41
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
Two? either you consider "long" song some 10+ minute ones, then i am almost sure they have more than just two...or longer than 20 mins and then i only know "Faustian Echoes" - and that one really managed to create damn crushing atmosphere and totally bind my attention

also please dont forget i wrote this comment more than 3 years ago, since then my preferences and tastes may changed a lot
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My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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11.11.2019 - 18:53
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
If you mean progresivve as genre no never, but a bit progress yes, they dont sound same, but same they do in way as it doesnt. Its a art, good band
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