The 6th full length album by the Finnish folk/pagan black metal group Moonsorrow is nothing short of a masterpiece. With each release, they continue to raise the bar for themselves (and others), and "Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa" (English translation: As Shadows We Wander In The Land Of The Dead) is just another great addition to their already epic discography. The melodies and orchestrations the band has created over years with releases like 2005's "Verisakeet", and 2007''s opus "Viides Luku – Hävitetty" are all present here.

Containing killer riffs and keys, the opener ‘Tahdeton’(Starless) kicks in the album with a blast of thunderous drumming and overall very ominous black metal feel before taking off into the folk elements Moonsorrow is known for; the roaring vocals of bassist Ville Sorvali excel as he screams his head off in their native Finnish tongue and his bass lines are terrific throughout (and the entire record). After a brief sample/instrumental track ‘Havitetty’ (Ravaged) of a man wandering in the snow, we are presented with ‘Muinaiset’ (The Ancient Ones) which has a "Verisakeet" sound to it (and very similar to track ‘Pimea’ in fact). At the 4:08 mark the band goes into the stellar choir chant they do so well and the keys are sure to raise the hairs on the back of your neck. After ‘Nalka, Vasymys Ja Epatoivo’ (Hunger, Weariness, and Despair)of the man wandering in the snow, the beautiful acoustic/ atmospheric intro to ‘Huuto’ (The Scream) begins. At this point, ‘Huuto’ is probably the most upbeat of the four as the tempos and melodies change up throughout going from light folky to heavy folky before ending the way it begin. It also contains another fantastic part where the band does the synchronized choir towards the end. I could see it in the live set.

Following the final intro ‘Kuolleille’ (To The Dead), where the wandering man apparently comes to meet his demise (judging by Ville's eerie shrieking screams heard towards the end), ‘Kuolleiden maa’ (The Land of The Dead) closes the story and is by far the best track. The black metal tremolo picking main riff and chorus is beyond words and superbly written. This very well may be the darkest track and the solo by guitarist Mitja Harvilahti towards the end was a nice addition (being one of the very rare ones heard on the album). Just as ‘Tahdeton’ started the album, it ends in a similar fashion with the Marko Tarvonen pounding on the drums.

"Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa" is without a doubt an absolute atmospheric epic journey of the soul and makes you think about what lies beyond this realm after we leave the earth. You don't even have to understand Finnish to appreciate the folk artistry and greatness of Moonsorrow. I will admit their lengthy songs and sound may not be for everybody, but as far as I am concerned this is supreme contender for album of the year. I don't see anyone coming close to what Moonsorrow have accomplished here but it's too early to tell. We shall see.