In the days when Korpiklaani is enjoying their resurgence with Noita (and I am sticking to this statement) it is nice to see the next generation of some Finnish bands to use the famous humppa partiers as influence. Not that Vetten Aparat entirely copies Korpiklaani on their single Sydantalven Viha, but the questions will remain about the band’s individuality after this release.

To be entirely fair, it would be boringly difficult to just play fast rhythms for the whole of 7 min that this single lasts. Instead Vetten Aparat weave an epic story in the song. From the opening folky motif, to the powerful melodic death conviction of old Insomnium, to some intense double bass sections to, what else, signature Finnish dancing thrash, Vetten Aparat is trying to cover a lot of ground, and are doing it quite competently. Given the traditional dresses, hairstyles, makeup and the pointy ears the bandmembers wear in the picture, Vetten Aparat are quite a bit into the epic and legends side of things. The section around 2 min though sounds like a dead on Korpiklaani. The singer’s vocals move from something rather youthful and naïve to a harsher variety (the beast is still quite tamed, however).

A legitimate entry into the Korpiklaani, Ensiferum, Haive crowd, Vetten Aparat still has a lot of work ahead of them to either cut out their own niche, or burrow further into the established one.