Seven years have raced by since blackened folk metal rogues Finntroll last released a studio album. Before their Blodsvept record, no more than three years passed between LPs. I’m not a troll expert, but I’ve consumed enough fantasy media to know it’s entirely possible trolls require an occasional hibernation period to recharge their creative forces. Crawling from the wreckage of a pandemic, Finntroll’s members have emerged from their mossy caverns to release their seventh LP, Vredesvävd. Translated from Swedish, the title means “Wrath-woven,” so you know they’re going to bring the fury. Finntroll’s sense of impish antagonism has always distinguished them from black metal’s grim monochromatic forests. On September 18, Finntroll’s new record will be roaring from the wilderness by way of Century Media Records. With their slumber behind them, Finntroll’s melodic menace is on display in the hallucinatory new video for their upcoming single, “Mask.”
At just a shade over three minutes long, “Mask” is a feral lunge for the jugular. Well, if the predator had a mind deranged from feasting on Psilocybin mushrooms. The keyboard blasts are a precursor to the bloodthirsty riffs rampaging across crags to hunt their prey. Meanwhile, drummer MörkÖ finally has a chance to bash out punchy rhythms on a studio record after joining in 2014. Before the video hits the halfway mark there’s already an eruption of sorcery from a woodland mage and snarl-along gang shouts. Beneath the glow of chartreuse magic and dim moonlight, Finntroll bring pointy-eared playfulness back to black metal. Raise a goblet to Finntroll’s return and prepare for trollish antics in the near future.
Stream the video for “Mask” below and welcome back a pack of trolls from hibernation. Press play and enjoy before Vredesvävd is released from Century Media Records on September 18th.
Pre-order Finntroll’s Vredesvävd from Century Media Records HERE
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