Rauta

“Rauta” (English-language title: “The Steel”), the brand new Markku Kirves-directed video from Finnish traditional folk metal pioneers KORPIKLAANI, can be seen below. The track comes off the band’s eighth studio album, “Manala”, which will be released on August 3 via Nuclear Blast Records. The cover artwork was created by Finnish artist Jan Yrlund and can be seen below.

Commented KORPIKLAANI vocalist Jonne Järvelä: “On the album cover, our band mascot Vaari represents Väinämöinen, who is one of the main characters in the Finnish national epic ‘Kalevala’.

“As most of the lyrics on ‘Manala’ are based on the ‘Kalevala’, Jan Yrlund decided to draw his inspiration for the cover artwork from the beautiful but yet brutal depiction of the underworld in Finnish mythology.”

The limited digipack edition of “Manala” will come with a bonus CD containing the entire album with English lyrics.

Limited digipak CD:

01. Kunnia
02. Tuonelan Tuvilla
03. Rauta
04. Ruuminmultaa
05. Petoeläimen Kuola
06. Synkkä
07. Ievan Polkka
08. Husky Sledge
09. Dolorous
10. Uni
11. Metsälle
12. Sumussa Hämärän Aamun

Bonus CD:

01. Honor
02. At The Huts Of The Underworld
03. The Steel
04. Soil Of The Corpse
05. Predator’s Saliva
06. Dark Side
07. Ieva’s Polka
08. Husky-Sledge
09. Dolorous
10. Dream
11. Off To The Hunt

Jonne Järvelä previously stated about KORPIKLAANI‘s new album, “‘Manala’ is the realm of the dead — the underworld in Finnish mythology. Tuonela, Tuoni, Manala and Mana are used synonymously. This place is best known for its appearance in the Finnish national epic Kalevala, on which many of our new songs are based. In the 16th poem of Kalevala, Väinämöinen, a shamanistic hero travels to Manala to seek for knowledge about the dead. On the journey he meets the ferrywoman (similar to Charon), a girl, Tuonen tytti, or Tuonen piika (Death’s maid), who takes him across the river of Tuoni. However, on the isle of Tuoni he is not given the spells he was originally looking for and he barely manages to escape the place. After his return he curses anyone trying to enter the place alive.”

“Metsälle”, a new song from KORPIKLAANI, can be downloaded for free at NuclearBlast.de (e-mail sign-up required).

“Metsälle” was originally recorded late last year when the band was competing to represent Finland in the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest. The track will appear on KORPIKLAANI‘s forthcoming eighth album.

Commented Jonne Järvelä: “‘Metsälle’ can be seen as kind of a prayer to the ancient gods to ask for luck for the tough hunt deep in the woods in cold winter time. Not only is the old man in the song praying for success but — even more importantly — for a safe way through the dangerous frostiness.”

KORPIKLAANI previously stated that “Metsälle” “is about the hunt on Hiisi’s magical moose in the Northland. He (Lemminkäinen) puts on his charmed ski’s and takes off for a prolonged hunt through forests and meadows, marshlands and woodlands, rapids and rivers. This song describes part of the Kalevala story, the national epic of Finland.”

“Manala” will mark the recording debut of the band’s new fiddler, Tuomas Rounakari.

KORPIKLAANI‘s latest CD, “Ukon Wacka”, was released in North America on February 25, 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records.