Finntroll

Finntroll offered the most blatantly Nordic and folkish set of the weekend, with white and black face make-up and pointy troll ears firmly in place (drummer excepted). The sound seemed to stumble at first but once it got going, the Finns sounded huge, bolstered up in part by their lush keyboard arrangements (Finntroll were part of the keyboard-toting minority at Heavy MTL). Their characteristic lilt (a little Celtic jig, a little polka, and maybe even a little disco) made for a high-energy set and refreshing departure from the fest's dominant sounds. And tracks like new number "Skogsdotter," shout-along "Trollhammeren," or "Jaktens Tid" stirred up an enthusiastic response. Most of the band seemed too busy playing their instruments to fully embody the energy themselves, leaving it up to vocalist Vreth to successfully stir up the crowd.