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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Moonsorrow| image = Moonsorrow MTR 20110617 23.jpg| caption = Moonsorrow performing at Myötätuulirock 2011| image_size = 250| landscape = yes| background = group_or_band| alias =| origin = Helsinki , Finland | genre = Folk metal , pagan metal , melodic black metal , progressive metal | years_active = 1995–present| label = Spinefarm , Sagittarius Productions, Plasmatica Records| associated_acts = Amoral (band)|Amoral , Ensiferum , Barathrum , Finntroll , Barren Earth | website = http://www.moonsorrow.com/ www.moonsorrow.com| current_members = Ville Sorvali Henri Sorvali Markus Eurén Mitja Harvilahti Marko Tarvonen Janne Perttilä| past_members = Moonsorrow is a pagan metal band formed in Helsinki , Finland , in 1995. Musically, the band incorporates elements of black metal and folk metal in their sound. The band call their sound "epic heathen metal" http://www.moonsorrow.com/moonsorrowcom/biography.html Biography of the band. Retrieved 2008-04-29. and try to distance themselves from the term " Viking metal ".
History
The group's earliest formation consisted of cousins Ville Sorvali (vocals and bass) and Henri Sorvali (guitar and keyboards; also keyboards for Finntroll , Barathrum , and session member of Ensiferum ) who released various demos that were much more characteristic of melodic black metal than future releases.
Their debut album, Suden Uni , recorded in early 2000, was released in 2001, along with Tämä Ikuinen Talvi ("This Everlasting Winter"), a re-release of a 1999 demo. Suden Uni ("A Wolf's Dream") combined Finnish paganism and folk music|folk elements.Citation needed|date=March 2009 After recruiting Mitja Harvilahti and Markus Eurén , Moonsorrow started playing live, releasing Voimasta Ja Kunniasta ("Of Strength and Honour") in late 2001. However, the real takeoff for the band is generally held to beWeasel-inline|date=March 2009 their 2003 release, Kivenkantaja ("Stonebearer"). In 2005 the band followed it up with their fourth full-length album, Verisäkeet ("Blood Verses"). The album was also their first to use ambient sounds such as birdsong and crackling fire in between tracks.
In January 2006 the band played their first United States|US show at the Heathen Crusade Metalfest in Columbia Heights, Minnesota|Columbia Heights , Minnesota|MN . On March 7, 2006, Moonsorrow announced a 2-album contract with Spinefarm Records , and that their next album was slated for release in late 2006. On June 19 it was revealed that the upcoming album would feature guest vocals by Thomas Väänänen, the former vocalist of Thyrfing ; Viides Luku - Hävitetty ("Chapter five - Ravaged") was released in January 2007. The album contained only two tracks and displayed more overt influence from progressive rock .Citation needed|date=March 2009 An Extended Play|EP called Tulimyrsky was released in 2008. The EP is over one hour long and contains one new song (the title track), two remakes of old songs, and two cover songs. http://www.moonsorrow.com/moonsorrowcom/cdtulimyrsky.html Moonsorrow.com: Information to "Tulimyrsky EP". Retrieved on 2008-04-29. It was released worldwide by Spinefarm Records, and in May the German label Drakkar Entertainment released it in Germany , Austria and Switzerland . http://www.drakkar.de/de/index.php? bandid=35& content_band=discs#393 Moonsorrow at Drakkar Entertainment. Retrieved on 2008-04-29.
In Fall 2010, Moonsorrow entered the studio to record their sixth full-length studio album, Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa ("As Shadows We Walk In The Land of The Dead"). The album was released on February 21, 2011 through Spinefarm Records .
Lyrics
Moonsorrow's lyrics draw inspiration from Finnish mythology , legends and poetry; since Tämä Ikuinen Talvi they have been written exclusively in Finnish language|Finnish . For instance, the song "Sankaritarina" from Voimasta Ja Kunniasta features lyrics directly translated from Hávamál . http://www.moonsorrow.com/moonsorrowcom/lyricsvoimasta.html Moonsorrow.com: Lyrics for "Voimasta Ja Kunniasta". Retrieved 2008-04-29
Politics
In April 2008, Moonsorrow and other performers on the folk metal festival Paganfest were accused of being Nazism|Nazis , Racism|racists , and Fascism|fascists from the German organizations Antifa and BIFF (Berliner Institut für Faschismusforschung). Ville Sorvali of Moonsorrow and Heri Joensen of Týr (band)|Týr issued a joint video statement to refute these accusations, noting that the bands are in no way connected to fascist groups and actually are against fascism.cite video |people= Ville Sorvali of Moonsorrow and Heri Joensen of Týr |title=Statement on behalf of Moonsorrow, Týr and Eluveitie |medium= |url= http://uk.youtube.com/watch? v=3Xr1iWvL4A0 |publisher=Youtube.com |date=2008 |accessdate=2008-05-05 Guitarist Mitja Harvilahti told the German Feindesland webzine that the band has nothing to do with fascism, and Mitja personally "strongly despises racists and Nazis." http://www.feindesland.de/interviews/_17_Interview_Moonsorrow2005.html Feindesland.de - Interview mit Moonsorrow
Members
Henri Sorvali – rhythm guitar|rhythm , lead guitar , Keyboard instrument|keyboards , Singing|vocals
Ville Sorvali – bass guitar , lead vocalist|lead vocals
Lakupaavi (Liquorice Pope in Finnish) is a grindcore sideproject of the band. http://www.moonsorrow.com/2005/lakupaavitop.html Lakupaavi on Moonsorrow.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-29. The project started as a joke: when Moonsorrow were recording their 2005 album Verisäkeet , they said in an interview that the album would be named Raah Raah Blääh and it would be very different stylistically than their previous releases. Although this was just a joke, many people took it to heart. Later they stated that it had been a joke, but they then decided to actually record one of the songs, called "Kuolema Taidehomoille... Ja Muille" (engl. "Death to Art Faggots... and Others"). It didn't end there, however: the band ended up actually recording the whole Raah Raah Blääh album and released it on the internet under the new moniker Lakupaavi.
References
reflist
External links
commons|Moonsorrow|Moonsorrow
http://www.moonsorrow.com/ Official Moonsorrow home page
http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php? id=89 Moonsorrow at Encyclopaedia Metallum
discogs artist|artist=Moonsorrow
Moonsorrow Category:Finnish black metal musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1995 Category:Finnish folk metal musical groups Category:Musical sextets
