Finnish Metal

Desolate Realm – Legions Review

By Steel Druhm on March 15, 2023 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, 19 comments

“Formed by two members of Finnish death metal act, Decaying, Desolate Realm is an old school trve metal project firmly rooted in the classic sword and sandals style. Their self-titled 2021 debut was quite the pleasant surprise and made its way onto my year-end list with its strident, uber-macho blend of Manowar, The Gates of Slumber, Argus, and Visigoth. It was riff-forward, burly, beefy stuff that made my back hair angry and I still return to it when I need a good kick in the ass plate. 2023 sees the project’s twosome return to our realm with sophomore entry, Legions, and little has changed with their battle plan.” Realm whelmed.

Läjä Äijälä & Albert Witchfinder – Ordeal and Triumph Review

By Dear Hollow on March 10, 2023 in Reviews, Drone, Electronic, Noise, 57 comments

“Läjä Äijälä and Albert Witchfinder are both veterans to the Finnish music scene, the former best known for his time with punk band Terveet Kädet, while the latter is renowned as vocalist/bassist of Reverend Bizarre – although their collaboration has nothing to do with either. Like 2021 debut Centuries of Youth, Ordeal and Triumph offers three tracks and an hour of a polarizing blend of power electronics, industrial, analog noise, dark ambient, and spoken word.” Enter the Ordeal.

God Disease – Apocalyptic Doom Review

By Carcharodon on March 9, 2023 in Reviews, Death Doom, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 59 comments

“The follow-up to 2019’s Drifting Towards Inevitable Death, this is the second full-length from God Disease. The band’s early work, beginning with 2014 EP, Abyss Cathedral, was very much death metal oriented. But, over the band’s three subsequent EPs and Drifting …, the trio increasingly embraced doom in its sound.” Faith infection.

Tramalizer – Fumes of Funeral Pyres Review

By GardensTale on February 25, 2023 in Reviews, Death Metal, 22 comments

“Names are hard, man. As a dungeon master. I find myself faced with this quandary all the time, and that’s for made-up people and places, not for a band whose moniker I would someday hope to see plastered across T-shirts and battle jacket patches galore. With Tramalizer, though, I feel like they’re trying to pull a fast one on us, not only attempting to convince us that tramalization is a thing, but also that a person or object exists whose hobby or career is tramalizing.” Trauma opportunities.

Insomnium – Anno 1696 Review

By Steel Druhm on February 22, 2023 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 132 comments

“1670 A.D. through 1700 was not a good time for Scandinavia. Famine put large swaths of the population in the ground and religious fervor led to horrific witch hunts with scores of women executed in gruesome ways. It is these especially dark times that Insomnium turned to for the inspiration for ninth album, Anno 1696. The concept revolving around the clash between Christianity and paganism, ruthless religious persecution, and the supernatural all plays out to Insomnium’s signature blend of melodeath, doom, and dark folk/goth.” The bad olde days.

The Abbey – Word of Sin Review

By Maddog on February 20, 2023 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 26 comments

“The Abbey of Thelema was a commune in Sicily run by Aleister Crowley. Home to the wild hedonism and magick of his cult, the Abbey met its unceremonious end in 1923, when Crowley’s shenanigans convinced Mussolini to boot him out of Italy. Finnish psychedelic doom outfit The Abbey aims to carry on the Abbey’s legacy. ,b>The Abbey’s debut Word of Sin draws inspiration from occult organizations and their mystical practices.” Nuns DO have fun.

Oceanhoarse – Heads Will Roll Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on February 20, 2023 in Reviews, Groove Metal, Heavy Metal, Metalcore, 12 comments

“Heads Will Roll sounds like an idea sparked after a rekindling of enjoyment for In Flamesߵ infamous Reroute to Remain. Now that’s a hoarse of a different color. Defend whatever album you want, but In Flames at their most alternative and least melodeath is not the act you’d expect to see aped in 2023—even In Flames agrees. Yet, here we are, Oceanhoarse in full Björiff meets Breaking Benjamin territory, partying like an 80s arena rock hero got stuck in Sounds of a Playground Fading.” Old flames.

…and Oceans – As in Gardens, So in Tombs Review

By El Cuervo on January 28, 2023 in Reviews, Melodic Black Metal, 40 comments

“2020 saw the overdue restoration of Finland’s …and Oceans, lost to the wastes for nearly 20 years despite their earliest music releasing in parallel with such peers as Emperor and Dimmu Borgir. Cosmic World Mother was a strong return to their original melodic black metal, tinged with symphonic and electronic elements they had acquired over subsequent releases. It featured a couple of my favorite black metal tracks from recent years which set up expectations for a successor. As in Gardens, So in Tombs has arrived but does it deliver?” Surf’s up.

Sammale – Sammale Review

By Carcharodon on January 23, 2023 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Folk Metal, 10 comments

“Sammale—not to be confused with Sammal, which I also reviewed—is the brainchild of Zannibal, the guy behind Paisaunt and the guitarist, and primary songwriter, for Marrasmieli.” Sam’s club.

Brymir – Voices in the Sky [Things You Might Have Missed 2022]

By Dr. Wvrm on December 18, 2022 in Things You Might Have Missed 2022, Melodic Death Metal, 24 comments

“Sometimes, the music doesn’t click. On paper, it should be halfway up your alley before the first song is over. It’s the right genre, right ideas, right pace, but the shit thrown against the wall still slides off into the ooze of a thousand less-deserving records. Heretofore, that was Brymir. I wanted to like them; I should have worshiped them. But their first three entries of symphonic melodic death escaped me like self-awareness from your favorite black metal band. So why, oh why, should a tired wvrm limp out of the doldrums of exile to dump on a band he doesn’t really like?” Early Brymir gets the wvrm.