Finnish coldness reborns with Kaunis Kuolematon.
Signed since their previous opus to Noble Demon, the band comprising Olli Saakeli Suvanto (vocals, Tomb of Finland, End of Aeon), Mikko Heikkilä (guitar/vocals, Dawn of Solace, ex-Sinamore), Ville Mussalo (guitar, End of Aeon), Jarno Uski (bass, End of Aeon, ex-Sinamore) and Miika Hostikka (drums, ex-Sinamore) announce the release of Mielenvalta in 2023.
The album opens with Surussa Uinuva‘s sweetness, broken by visceral howls and an impressive rhythm that explodes all at once before letting its melancholy join the wave of raw power. Keyboards add a touch of icy beauty to the aggressive riffs, slowed down on Elävältä Haudattu, a track with majestic haunting keys that welcome a few clean vocal parts to counterbalance the more violent ones. Oppression takes on a completely different tone on this track, interspersed with soothing passages, and is also found in different shades on Peilikuva, a relatively dark track that offers enchanting quietness in the first part before letting a wave of heaviness overwhelm us. Clean vocals keep their heads above water, however, allowing a striking duet to lead us into Mielenvalta, the eponymous track, and its incredibly calm introduction, compared to the hurricane that follows, combining jerky riffs, double kick and various vocal interventions, including a female voice. The band return to their airy tones with Nyt olet poissa, which begins in clean sound before being adorned with a melodious saturation followed by the vocal parts roaming the slow rhythm. It’s not the shortest composition, but it definitely goes by relatively quickly, and gives birth to oppression again on Maan varjoisan puolen, revealing a haunting but also rather unhealthy rhythmic pattern that nonetheless gives way to brighter harmonics, but also to that final wave that sweeps everything away. The atmosphere calms down again with Aallot, a track whose playful tones are perfectly grafted onto the slow approach that suddenly strengthens to become heavier, but the sound soon fades away to make way for Pahatar, whose background tones eventually explode to carry our minds into the asphyxiating depths thanks to its thick riffs. A few horrific keyboards also contribute to the atmosphere, before we reach Hukkunut sydän, the final composition, which lets all its elements come together and dance in harmony throughout its eight minutes, moving naturally from the purest tranquility to much more massive elements.
Kaunis Kuolematon‘s magic comes to life again with Mielenvalta, an album that may be long, but makes the most of every second to enchant us and draw us into a landscape as icy as it is intense and wonderful.
95/100