Loading details…
Artist
Korpiklaani
12+ albums
folk metalviking metalfinnishmetalfinnish metal
about
Korpiklaani is a Finnish folk metal band from Lahti that was previously known as Shamaani Duo and Shaman. The project originally began with folk music influences before transitioning into metal. The earliest form of the group was Shamaani Duo, a Sámi folk music project formed by Jonne Järvelä in 1993 and initially described as an in-house restaurant band. Under this name, an album of folk music titled “Hunka Lunka” was released. After Järvelä relocated, Shamaani Duo evolved into Shaman. Shaman was formed in 1997 and was characterized by its use of traditional Sámi musical elements and lyrics in Northern Sámi. Its sound drew from the earlier Shamaani Duo material and incorporated elements such as the shamanic drum, yoik singing, and humppa influences. Vocals ranged from clean singing to harsher growling. The band’s style was distinctive, particularly in slower compositions, where a monophonic synthesizer sound contrasted with acoustic guitar, percussion, and yoik vocals to create an atmospheric effect. The first release under the name Shaman was the demo single “Ođđa máilbmi”, which was also included on the debut full-length album “Idja” released in 1999. A second album, “Shamániac”, followed in 2002. In 2003, Shaman changed its name to Korpiklaani, with only Jonne Järvelä and drummer Samu Ruotsalainen continuing from the previous lineup. At this stage, the musical style shifted toward a more conventional form of folk metal, replacing yoik-based vocals with folk and thrash-
