Tonight: A Little Slice of Finland in Somerville

Finnish band Varttina will be at the Somerville Theater at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $25.

Lord of the Rings fans, Finnish music fans, and those of you just looking for something different might like Varttina's performance tonight. Varttina is the same band who provided the tunes for the Toronto musical production of Tolkien's book.

The band is more than a novelty – they've been spreading the sounds of Finnish folk music for over 20 years. The three female vocalists of Varttina sing in the Finnish dialect of Karelian. They are backed by six musicians who play a range of instruments, including bouzouki.

The description might suggest that you'd be in for a painful Finnish take on Celtic Woman. But Varttina twists the formula with dark sounds and even darker, downright twisted lyrics. The Herald quotes the lyrics from one of their songs: "My loathing drips blood, my pain slashes, curses, drenches with pus.” Forget kitschy folk-lite – this is music for nightmares and hobbits, and it's perfect for a chilly, depressing winter night.

WBUR's "Here and Now" has an interview with some clips of the band's music.

Image of Varttina's latest album, Miero, from allmusic.com.