Visor Om Slutet
[Fantom Records]

After a two-year absence, Finntroll is back with a new CD, a new singer, and a new sound. For those familiar with the band's previous efforts, Visor Om Slutet may come as a bit of a surprise, and a bit of a disappointment.

This is an acoustic project, with a decidedly somber mood permeating it. Keyboards and acoustic guitars are used along with a variety of wind and percussion instruments to make an understated, melodic style of Viking metal.

Out of eleven tracks, only four have vocals on them. New singer Tapio Wilska sounds much like former vocalist Katla, who left the band due to throat problems. In this context, I felt the vocals just didn't quite work with the music at hand. I would have liked to hear a more melodic style of singing. While the production as a whole is quite good, the vocals are placed a little too far back in the mix. The instruments are well recorded and have good separation.

The seven non-vocal tracks are either short interludes or song-length instrumentals. A standout among these is "Under Varse Rot Och Sten", which is a short, rousing tune that sounds like a drinking song.

As a big fan of their previous efforts, I was a bit let down by Visor Om Slutet. Even with a couple of solid tracks, I just don't see this finding its way into my CD player very often. However, it is encouraging to think how their next full-length will turn out if they decide to mix their familiar black metal bombast with this new acoustic style. All we can do is wait and see.