Ur Jordens Djup

Infobox Album |
Name = Ur Jordens Djup
Type = studio


Artist = Finntroll
Released = March 28, 2007
Recorded = October 2006
Genre = Black metal, folk metal
Length = 55:56
Label = Spinefarm Records
Reviews = * Metal Hammer rating-10|8

* Allmusic Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hpfwxzw5ldfe link]
Last album ="Nattfödd"
(2004)
This album ="Ur Jordens Djup"
(2007)
Next album =|

Ur Jordens Djup ("From the Depths of the Earth") is the fifth full-length Finntroll album. It was released on March 28, 2007. The album is the first to feature vocalist Mathias Lillmåns, who replaced Tapio Wilska in 2006. Unlike in Nattfödd, the lyrics for this album were written by the band's original vocalist, Jan 'Katla' Jämsen [http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showinterview.php?id=1665] .

This and other factors appear to contribute to a darker, more trollish black metal feel.

A music video for Nedgång was released in April.

Concept

The band approached the founding member Katla about writing the lyrics for this album. He chose to continue a semi-mythical saga which has been touched upon throughout Finntroll's career. The "kingshaman of the trolls" character Rivfader ("Ripfather" or "Scratchfather") was first introduced in their first demo, fittingly titled "Rivfader" (re-recorded for "Midnattens Widunder"), but Katla has said that the story truly originated in the song "Födosagan" on the second album, "Jaktens Tid". The song "Elityres", from "Nattfodd", also makes reference to the Rivfader.

Aside from this, the lyrical concept for this album was based on Nordic myths, the Kalevala (the Finnish national epic), history and stories of Katla's own creation. He has stated that the focus has moved from conflict between pagan and Christian beliefs, to being more concerned with the nature of myth, symbolism, and the origin of all mythology. This is meant to compliment the old-and-new dynamic of the musical aspect of Finntroll, which mixes traditional folk music with very modern metal music.

The narrative of the album itself concerns a struggle between witches and troll-shamans, the death and resurrection of the Rivfader, the "journey and odyssey of the shaman" and the "great war against one-self".

Track listing

English translated titles in italics.

# "Gryning" ("Dawn") – 3:31
# "Sång" ("Song") – 4:40
# "Korpens Saga" ("The Raven's Tale") – 3:26
# "Nedgång" ("Downfall") – 3:44
# "Ur Djupet" ("Out of the Depths") – 4:59
# "Slagbröder" ("War-brothers") – 4:31
# "En Mäktig Här" ("A Mighty Horde") – 4:19
# "Ormhäxan" ("The Serpent Witch") – 4:39
# "Maktens Spira" ("The Scepter of Might") – 3:28
# "Under Två Runor" ("Under Two Runes") – 5:36
# "Kvällning/Trollvisan (Hidden track)" ("Dusk/The Troll Song") – 13:02

See also

* Finntroll
* Folk metal
* Black metal

External links

* [http://www.finntroll.net Finntroll Official Site]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1vumjWdqYQ Nedgång music video on YouTube]

ources

* [http://www.imperiumi.net/news_2.php?id=3814 Imperiumi Press Realase] "In Finnish"
* [http://forum.finntroll.net/viewtopic.php?p=86585#86585 TrollHorn Post on Finntroll Forum]
* [http://www.spinefarm.fi/showband.php?id=29 Finntroll on Spinefarm]