I’ve never been a fan of Finnish folk metal outfit Turisas.
In fact, there’s not a single Turisas track in my playlist, and the one time I
watched the video for Battle Metal I really
didn’t think much of it. However, the free CD on my latest issue of Terrorizer magazine contained a new
Turisas track called Ten More Miles.
It’s a new song from the latest album in the Turisas discography – also called Turisas funnily enough (I just don’t get bands that release
self-titled albums that aren’t also debuts).
While the track still didn’t blow me away, the chorus nonetheless
had an insidious ear-worm quality that meant I finally ended up giving Turisas’
brand of Finnish folk metal another try.
A quick look on last.fm
showed that the track Rasputin is their
most listened to song, exceeding even the track Battle Metal with which Turisas has become synonymous.
I looked it up on Youtube, thinking it must be some epic
folk song about revolution or desperate winter battles in Imperial Russia.
No sir. This was none other, in fact, than a cover of the famously
maligned Boney M. disco hit.
Rasputin knew how to party.
While it sounds like an incomprehensibly awful idea, I actually
think this is nothing short of pure awesome. Fist-shaking “Hey! Hey! Hey!” sing-alongs?
Check. Unspeakably catchy chorus? Check. Disco beat that also works for head banging?
Check. Dancing girls? Check. Animal skin-covered Finnish folk metallers covered
in black and red war paint getting the party started in what was until five
seconds ago a boring Russian nightclub? Check.
Like so many great tracks it’s essentially a gimmick (note:
I love gimmicks, which is why I love so much industrial music). And while I’m
probably the last metal head in the southern hemisphere to discover this track,
please listen to that chorus and try to tell me this isn’t the funnest thing you’ve
heard all week.
*Sigh* If only this got played at all those metal clubs I
used to go to back in the day.
Try not to break out in instant fun.
