“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with pining for the olden days of yore. Retro-gaming is a lucrative, enjoyable hobby that not only fires the synapses of Those Who’ve Been There, but also introduces a new generation of gamers to legendary titles. Classic movies get remade and reworked all the time with varying degrees of success. And in metal, people romanticize about a time when being evil required more than initials-for-names and ominous hooded sweatshirts. Two of those people are Markus Vanhala, guitarist for both Insomnium and Omnium Gatherum, and his OG ex-bandmate, bassist Janne Markannen. Yearning to dive into the classic 90s wave of black metal, they enlisted members of Abhorrence, Horizon Ignited, and Paradise Lost to pay tribute to the Black Wizards via their new project, I Am the Night.” Lease the night!
Abhorrence
Undergang – Aldrig i livet Review
“Back in 2011 when Indhentet Af Døden dropped, Undergang got onto my radar because they were described as a mix of Obituary and Demilich, which is obviously a winning combination. I couldn’t wait to get my grubby mitts on that record, and when I did, they got even grubbier because Undergang plays filthy, sewer-dwelling death metal exclusively.” Septic mesh.
Lie in Ruins – Floating in Timeless Streams Review
“Stylistically, Lie in Ruins plays what someone who likes dumb music puns could call “Finncantation” – basically that weighty, doomed style of death metal made famous by Incantation played with the strange but characteristic melodicism of Lie in Ruin’s home country of Finland.” Like an everflowing cavern stream.
Ataraxy – Where All Hope Fades Review
“Where All Hope Fades is Ataraxy’s second full-length, following on from 2012’s Revelations of the Ethereal. With a promising title, and seeing Where All Hope Fades referred to as “gruesomely textured” harboring “a sense of deep-set misery, almost pushing the record into death-doom territory,” I felt compelled to check it out. What I sampled, proved an interesting nod to 90s era Finnish death metal with notable similarities to bands like Abhorrence and Amorphis.” Is the letter “A” the key to quality doom death?
Desecresy – The Mortal Horizon Review
“Desecresy is conservative by way of being aware they’ve inherited something good, to crib the excellent contemporary philosopher Sir Roger Scruton’s understanding of the term. Desecresy has inherited the Finnish melodic death-doom sound, and is obviously aware of its goodness along with its inner workings.” Inherit the icy wind.
Ruin – Drown in Blood Review
“Hailing from Who-the-hell-knows-where, USA, the generically named Ruin originally formed in 1991, only to have its membership swallowed by time in the slammer and/or sanitarium. Reformed in 2015, they’ve sluiced out a swampy sort of old-school death metal their label promises will be reminiscent of early Abhorrence and Bolt Thrower.” Out of the penal league, into the venal league.
Undergang – Døden Læger Alle Sår Review
“Prepare for a journey into a colossal hole, into the deepest chasm, into a cavern of fetid stench and ooze. Bet you thought I was going to make a “yer mom” joke there didn’t you? ” Is there any better place to listen to nasty death metal?
Cult of Endtime – In Charnel Lights Review
“If being wrong about things ranks amongst your favorite hobbies, you probably answer the question of “which country has the overall best death metal scene?” with something other than “Finland.”” Finland, Finland, Finland! It’s always about Finland.
Vainaja – Kadotetut Review
“Finnish folklore tells the tale of a small rabid cult in the 19th century, performing blasphemous actions on followers of old Finnish religions, including ritual sacrifice and burying innocent townsfolk alive. This small cult was discovered, and sentenced to die by fire on the altar in their own mansion, burned alive with most of their scriptures, save for one book which was left miraculously intact. Such is the story of Kadotetut, told by relative newcomers Vainaja. Svart Records labeled this as “one of the heaviest records ever made in the Finnish language,” and I’ll be hard pressed to disagree.” Really heavy shit about creepy Finnish murder cults. That my friends, is metal.