In early October 2024, the announcement was made that Korpiklaani would embark on a co-headlining tour with Ensiferum. This tour, Folkfest of the North, also includes performances from Trollfest and Nini.
The weeks leading up to this tour have drawn a lot of anticipation from fans all over North America. As an update, many tickets have been sold, and the first four shows of the tour had a sold-out status.
The tour’s opening night takes place in Boston, MA at Brighton Music Hall, which has a capacity of 500. The show was sold-out, and the line to get into the venue was so long that it wrapped around the whole building. One highlight to note is the wardrobe of the concert-goers, some of whom had outfits one would wear during the Medieval Times. Upon entering the venue, the first band to perform was Nini. The whole venue was packed, shoulder to shoulder, but the enthusiasm and excitement emanating from the crowd was contagious.
Nini
Nini is a folk metal musician from Taiwan. Over the last twenty years, Nini has mastered the techniques of traditional Chinese folk instruments. In 2024, the band was formed. What makes Nini very intriguing and unique is the combination of instruments such as Liuqin, Ruan, and DaoYu, and fusing them with heavy metal, EDM, and rock music. The style is eclectic and innovative, proving that music within the heavy metal genre can still be inventive and ground-breaking in today’s modern world. The top tracks that were played include “Homeland”, and a surprising rendition of the track “…Baby One More Time”, which is a Folk Metal cover of one of the top hits from pop singer Britney Spears. Below is a short video from Nini giving an example of that performance.
The overall crowd was very receptive, open, and intrigued by Nini’s performance, and they were thrilled to welcome the next opener, Trollfest.
Trollfest
The next band to perform after Nini was Trollfest, a Norwegian Folk Metal band. Upon entering the stage, one couldn’t help but notice the bright, pink, flamingo outfits tailored to each band member. The band has eight members, and what makes the band interesting is the addition of the saxophone and the accordion instruments. Another fun fact is the implementation of the fictional language Trollspråk, a mixture of Norwegian and German found in the band’s lyrics. The atmosphere was very party-centric but also humorous. At one point during the show, some of the band members left the stage and started a single-line parade with the fans. Most of the songs performed were from their latest full-length album, “Flamingo Overlord”, which includes “Dance Like a Pink Flamingo”, “Flamongous”, “All Drinks on Me”, “Twenty Miles an Hour”, and “Piña Colada”.
Out of all the bands from the Folkfest of the North Tour, Trollfest was the most entertaining judging by their comedic side and fun costumes. For someone who isn’t familiar with the band, Trollfest transformed the atmosphere dramatically and the fans couldn’t help but take their lead. The party was just getting started. The first headliner, Ensiferum would perform right after Trollfest.
Ensiferum
Ensiferum, an Epic Folk Metal band founded in Helsinki, Finland and one of the headliners of Folkfest of the North Tour, graced the stage after Trollfest. Alongside Korpiklaani, it is safe to say that Ensiferum is one of the pioneers of folk metal based in Finland. During the show, the party might’ve started with Trollfest, but the energy would continue with animation and glee following the performance from Ensiferum. In 2024, the band released their latest full-length album, “Winter Storm”, and songs such as “The Howl”, “Winter Storm Vigilantes”, “Victorious”, and “Fatherland”, were performed. There were many crowdsurfers and the mosh pit was glorious. Out of the four bands that performed, Ensiferum was the most metal-based but had folk elements related to their instrumentation and lyrical content. After their set, the crowd couldn’t help but be prepared for the ultimate Folk metal experience soon to be completed by Korpiklaani.
Korpiklaani
The last headliner to close the evening was Folk Metal band Korpiklaani, formed in 2003, and would since then bring the essence of traditional Folk music to the masses. In addition to the use of the accordion, instruments such as the fiddle, mandolin, and violin were used. Themes related to Finnish Folklore are very common, as the band talks about mythology and prominent Finnish traditions in their lyrics. In 2024, with over twenty years of existence, Korpiklaani released their latest full-length album, Rankarumpu. Notable tracks such as “Happy Little Boozer”, from their 2006 album “Tales Along This Road”, and “Saunaan”, the latest from Rankarumpu were played. Out of the four bands that performed, Korpiklaani leans more towards Folk music but has the undertones of Metal baked in. Overall, the crowd seemed very enamored by Korpiklaani and it was a nice ending to the folk-infused environment of this tour. All together, there were four bands that each had their own unique sound within the Folk music genre. Some leaned more towards folk, while others leaned more towards metal. However, in the end, the Folkfest of the North Tour captured the beauty that lies in the genre’s progression, seeing that in today’s modern world, Folk remains powerful, strong, and prevalent.
