TROLLFEST: 'Karve' Video Released

"Karve", the new video from Norwegian "Balkan metallers" TROLLFEST, can be seen below. Created by Manskow Productions, the clip was filmed in Super 8 and shows scenes of the band performing at a neighbourhood barbeque in the company of family and friends, including members of PANTHEON I and DEAD TROOPER, as well as fans who had heard about the filming and turned up to enjoy the fun. As Manskow himself is actually TROLLFEST's accordionist, Oslo-based Romanian photographer and writer Andrea Chirulescu assisted with the making of the video.

"Karve" comes off TROLLFEST's latest album, "En Kvest For Den Hellige Gral", which came out in April via NoiseArt Records. The CD was made available as a limited-edition digipak with a bonus track. The title "En Kvest For Den Hellige Gral" can be roughly translated to "A Quest For The Holy Grail", and is a play on the word "quest" in both the accepted sense and in the sense of the Norwegian word "kvesting," which refers to the crushing of the crusaders which is something the Trolls are doing throughout the album.

With a lineup that includes musicians from bands as varied as URGEHAL, PANTHEON I, UNTIME, MELCH, HALLUCINATIONS, POWERSWORD and SARKOM, TROLLFEST's members bring with them not only a wealth of experience and the skill to make use of instruments like the accordion, the banjo and the saxophone, but also a sense of diversity that allows the band to create a sound that is distinctly its own. Whilst "true Norwegian balkan black metal" goes some way towards describing the TROLLFEST sound hinting, as it does, at the extreme end of metal, with a good pinch of local traditional folk it doesn't really go the whole way towards capturing the sense of fun and sheer exuberance with which the band tackles everything it does, whether it involves playing in the studio or performing live.

Commented the band: "Just like our second album 'Brakebein', 'En Kvest For Den Hellige Gral' is also a concept album, which this time centres on the story of five Trolls who set out on a quest to find the Holy Grail that will reputedly deliver all the Trolls from a horrible famine. Exactly how it will do this is not by some heaven sent miracle, but by providing an endless food source in the shape of the hordes of Christians who will come searching for the Holy Grail themselves! As you can imagine, this rather 'unholy' quest is a somewhat beer-fuelled, blood-filled adventure in typical Troll tradition! And if you want to know what happens next to the brave questers, there is an epilogue in the form of bonus track on the digi pack edition.

"When it came to actually illustrating the story of our five brave and adventurous Trolls for 'En Kvest For Den Hellige Gral', there was only one choice we could possibly make, and that was Jonas Darnell. Ever since he created the evil Iron Duck for our 'Villanden' album, Jonas has been bringing the characters of the TROLLFEST universe to life through his art. It then falls to Terje Johnsen to design and put together all of Jonas' wonderful creations into a spectacular package. Terje has been part of the TROLLFEST crew since 'Brakebein', and his work has earned him the honorary title of 'Andy WarTroll'."

For more information, visit www.trollfest.com.

Photo by Polina "Helvete" Kulikovskikh