Kev Rowland
2015’s ‘Noita’ is quite a confused release from the Finnish folk metallers in many ways, as they often seem to have far more in common with the Viking Metal or Pirate Metal movement than for the one for which they are more well-known (in many ways I guess these are sub genres of the sub-genre of folk metal, so sub-sub-genres). They even include a cover, here called “Jouni Jouni”, which is actually “Mony Mony” (originally by Tommy James and the Shondells, I still like the version by Billy Idol). Like the rest of the album, it’s not bad, but it also isn’t what I really expect from the band. This is their ninth studio album so would have expected something a little better than this.
The most positive thing that can be said about this album is that it is decidedly average, with a distinct lack of consistency and an impression of a band both going through the motions and losing their way. Once can only hope that the next one would be better.