Angry Metal Guy

Black Sun Aeon uploaded their new video for the track “Frozen”, which is probably one of the best on the new record Routa that came out 3 days ago in the US. Check it out!

Black Sun Aeon // Routa
Rating: 3.5/5.0 — Very good
Label: Stay Heavy Records
Websites: blacksunaeon.com | myspace.com/aeonoftheblacksun
Release Dates: EU: 01.04.2010 | US: No date yet..

One of 2009′s most pleasant surprises for this Angry Metal Guy was Black Sun Aeon‘s Darkness Walks Beside Me. To say that I was slightly addicted to the album would be an understatement: I was totally addicted to that record. It’s like there’s something in the water (Koskenkorva?) in Finland that leads to the ability of these Finnish bands to build some of the most incredible melancholy into their already heavy, beautiful music. Black Sun Aeon‘s debut full length was definitely on the same level as many of the other excellent Finnish doom and melodic death bands out there. While maybe not as melodic as some, or maybe a little bit more simplistic than others, Darkness Walks Beside Me was a tremendous success.

To say that I was surprised when I found out that Tuomas Saukkonen was going to be releasing a double record entitled Routa (“Ground Frost” from Angry Finnish Translator Girl—Not sure if this just means frost on the ground or if it is talking about permafrost or something). I was surprised, but also happy, and have awaited the album with baited breath.  It is incredibly hard to live up to a solid debut album and Tuomas Saukkonen is trying to do it with this new double album. The record is indeed a double record, but it’s still only about 30 minutes more of music than was on Darkness Walks Beside Me. It is, however, differentiated into two parts “Talviaamu” (Winter Morning) and “Talviyö” (Winter Night).

Musically, it is easy to say that Routa is the audio clone of Darkness Walks Beside Me. Keyboard-laden synth over thick, downtuned guitars knocking out slightly black and death metal influenced doom. The vocals are for the most part death metal growls and there are some good clean vocals as well in a lower register. Never faster than mid-paced death metal, the record really shines when dynamic parts are thrown in, adding to that sense of dreariness and melancholy that is built on every track. For fans of the first release, the sound will definitely appeal to you as a listener—how could it not? But, the question is whether or not it will replace the first one.

Honestly, while this is a very good album, I’m a little bit disappointed with the fact that it’s not a step in a new direction at all. Hastily produced, these songs don’t seem to have had time to gestate and grow into something a little bit more than what the previous record had to offer. While 45 minutes of this probably would have been totally fine, pushing it out into two CDs—which while named Winter Morning and Winter Night don’t seem to have the differences of night and day—just pushes the length over what is reasonable to sit down and listen to in a single sitting and find enjoyable. After about an hour my mind starts to wander.

That said, I find that if I sit down and listen to one or the other, I enjoy it very, very much. The melodies are strong, evocative and emotional. The tracks have great groove, good playing and the production is very strong—something that shouldn’t go without mentioning. This record is one of the few I’ve gotten in a long time that doesn’t suffer from a loudness issue, so drums sound like real drums and not like tinny metal kegs being hit with a stick. This double record is worth your time if you’re a fan of doom or gothic metal, and if you loved the first album, you’re guaranteed to at least like this one if not have the same kind of infatuation you had with the first one. Now I think that Mr. Saukkonen should let this sit and focus on his other projects for a while so that this doesn’t get stale.

Black Sun Aeon – Darkness Walks Beside Me
Rating: 4.0/5.0 – Great!
Label: Stay Heavy Records
Websites: myspace.com/aeonoftheblacksun | blacksunaeon.com

I have often commented that Finland is really producing the best metal in the world right now.  Of course, when I say that I’m usually associating with bands like Moonsorrow, Finntroll or Amorphis, but apparently I’ve been leaving out a band from that whole list because they’re on a small label: Black Sun Aeon.  Right now I’m going to add Black Sun Aeon to the pantheon of excellent metal coming from Finland—but unlike those other bands, they’re not wandering on the folk/viking side of things, but instead they’re doing more old-fashioned mid-paced death, intermingled with a doomy goth element that I haven’t heard done well for a long time.

For the band’s debut CD (there was apparently a demo from last year, but it wasn’t a full-length), Black Sun Aeon has done an impressive job of piecing together a compelling record.  Apparently a concept album, it takes place in 8 chapters (with one bonus track), and each is named as “A Song For…”  These tracks appear to entail a man losing a war with himself and his surroundings and turning towards the path of evil—in the end, darkness walks beside him.  The music matches this concept perfectly.  It is neither hyper-technical nor simplistic and minimalistic (like a lot of doom metal), but instead the perfect blend of melody and heavy groove that are necessary for the project.

In a lot of ways this record reminds me of Elegy era Amorphis sort of mixed with Moonspell.  That is, the heaviness and the strong melody, mixed with good mid-paced/slower death metal.  The vocalist doesn’t have that same kind of tone, but he doesn’t have a particularly low voice either when he’s singing—which he does a fair amount of.  His voice is unique and takes some getting used to, but I think his clean vocals are well placed and they are slow and mourning, perfectly fitting for the feel and style of the record.

Darkness Walks Beside Me clocks in at about 44 minutes, which I think is about the perfect length for a record these days (and this one would be great on vinyl).  Everything about this record is convincing for me, even if the album isn’t overcome with ground-breaking originality.  The musicianship is very solid, the songwriting good and it brings the listener to it over and over because of the quality contained within.  I’ve really enjoyed it and if you’re a fan of Katatonia, Moonspell, Amorphis, Opeth and bands of this nature, you’ll probably really dig it as well.