Tag Archives: black metal

Finland’s folk black metallers KOUTA reveal ‘Kaarnaköydet’ album details; watch the visualizer video of ‘Häpeä’!

The Finnish folk black metal act KOUTA comes back with a new album, one year after the big success of the debut ‘Aarnihauta‘.  ‘Kaarnaköydet’ – this is the name of the band’s first full-length – will be released on April 21 and it will be available as CD, streaming, and digital download.

The 7 new songs weave a dark and intricate web of sound that is both familiar and refreshingly new. Folk elements have permeated the new sound much more deeply, while the production has become much more clear, powerful, and straight. At the heart of ‘Kaarnaköydet’ lies a gripping narrative centered around the tragic story of two brothers. Through their music, KOUTA explores the complex and often tumultuous emotions of shame, guilt, and catharsis, inviting the listener to join them on a powerful and emotional journey of aesthetically peripheral discovery.

The new single ‘Häpeä‘ is now available on the main digital platforms as well as a visualizer video on band’s YouTube channel.

‘Häpeä‘ deepens the three-part story that serves as the backbone of the new album. The song was chosen as the first single and the opening song for the band’s gigs due to its unforgiving and unconventional nature. It deepens the story of fratricide by exploring the state of mind of someone who has just killed a loved one.

‘I wanted the song to reflect this brutality and emotion, so musically Häpeä is grim and cold,‘ summarizes Eemeli Haarala.

The drum parts of ‘Kaarnaköydet‘ were recorded in a remote cabin in Lapland. Guitars and bass recorded at Pekka Posio’s studio in Helsinki. Vocals, choirs and all other instruments together with the live recording of “Äitimaan Laulu” recorded at Sonic Pump Studios, Helsinki. Mixed by Pekka Posio and mastered by Svante Forsbäck.

Line-Up:

Antti Mäki – Vocals

Eemeli Haarala – Guitar

Lauri Törmä – Guitar, Clean Vocals

Arttu Pentikäinen – Bass, Clean Vocals

Ville Vitikka – Drums

KOUTA Online:

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Spotify

Bandcamp

The Metallist PR

(review) Nakkiga/Arde – ‘Split’

Arde from Berlin, Germany were already featured on the pages of this webzine with their last release. This time, they just let out a split opus with Spanish horde called Nakkiga. This one contains three conceptual songs by Nakkiga and only one almost fifteen minute long song by Arde called ‘Basalarr’, the name of the song is offering ancient mystical plant, that has life and strength and is very important to Basque culture. The song itself starts atmospheric and slow rolling, turning into fast blast beats, aggressive black metal screams, bordering with anguish and desperate cries and guitar work not unlike nineties old school black metal riffing. Then song later evolves again into atmospheric ambiental piece with guitars, wind swipes and chimes taking you into some other dimension and delivering calm and darkness into you, but also giving you strength to close your eyes, take a deep breath and go on with your life battling your inner demons successfully. So, although it is one long song, it could easy be divided into couple of different songs but it does not get boring for a second. Nakkiga side consists of three conceptual songs about the birth cycle of life, mixing pure black metal assault with aggression and melancholic melody, but also giving it a breath of crust punk attack in both bands’ music. I love the epic guitar work for example in ‘Denbora’, love the production and the sound wall that Nakkiga creates and I can only imagine how mighty this sounds live. Hopefully I will witness it one day. Vocals are tortured screams, but not too extreme, just the way I like it. This is one hell of a mighty black metal release.

Bandcamp

(review) Unfelled – ‘Pall of Endless Perdition’ (Season of Mist)

Unfelled are relatively new band in the scene but its members are in no way new and strangers to the scene. This band consists of D.(Woods Of Desolation) on guitars and bass, Vlad(Drudkh) on drums and Mitch(Austere, Dearthe) on vocals. This debut full length opus contains seven songs of pure raw pagan black metal with lots of blast beats, old school nineties black metal influenced guitar work and screaming black vocals. But, there are couple of epic parts and melodies which make this one an interesting listen between aggression, anguish, pride and pagan beliefs to melancholy, sadness and melody. Songs like heavy hitters ‘The Opposer’ or ‘Veil of Perdition’ or my personal favorite ‘Transcendent Legacy’ are sure to win you over with tempo changes, darkness that is almost touchable in its thickness created through music. I must also commend vocals which are screamed black vocals but also harsh, yet you are able to understand most of being sung, so that is another plus in my opinion. There are couple of longer songs on this one but the opus doesn’t get boring for one single second. This is a strong black metal record with conviction and steel delivered through music. Go get this one.

8/10

Season of Mist