Vanha - Within the Mists of Sorrow

By Karen A. Mann. Though they've only been together since the summer of 2016, Swedish doom duo Vanha (which is actually Finnish for "old") offer an impressive debut with Within the Mists of Sorrow. Moving at a dirge-like pace, the album envelops the listener with multi-layered sounds, including mournful piano, blackened guitars

By Karen A. Mann


Though they've only been together since the summer of 2016, Swedish doom duo Vanha (which is actually Finnish for "old") offer an impressive debut with Within the Mists of Sorrow. Moving at a dirge-like pace, the album envelops the listener with multi-layered sounds, including mournful piano, blackened guitars, atmospheric sounds and violin. Singing in English, vocalist Jan Johansson, alternates between a clean, forlorn voice (at times whispering to great effect) and an angry growl. The result is funereal and almost oppressively gloomy, but with flashes of clear, melodic beauty shining through.

The album’s opener, “Old Heart Fails,” sets the bleak stage with a sorrowful piano melody that gives way to blackened guitars, crashing cymbals, tolling bells and plenty of lyrics about darkness and loss. From there, be prepared for a slow, dark and depressive journey through six more songs -- with titles like “Into the Cold Light” and “Desolation” -- that evoke longing, sorrow, and a deep sense of impending doom. The occasional violin riff offers the lone bit of musical warmth. The album ends quietly with the piano-and-violin-driven instrumental, “The Curse.”

Overall, Within the Mists of Sorrow evokes a feeling of being left completely alone in a harsh, but astoundingly beautiful landscape, with no resources and no hope of rescue. It’s a noteworthy achievement from such a young band.

Pijn - Floodlit

By Justin C. Pijn (the Dutch word for “pain,” pronounced "pine") is a UK group that's been tagged as "post-metal," even though I've found that to be one of the less-meaningful genre labels going around right now. That said, the closest comparison I might make is to Russian Circles

By Justin C.


Pijn (the Dutch word for “pain,” pronounced "pine") is a UK group that's been tagged as "post-metal," even though I've found that to be one of the less-meaningful genre labels going around right now. That said, the closest comparison I might make is to Russian Circles, another band that's tagged post-metal. The care in melodic lines and songcraft are what's put the Russian Circles comparison in my head--I wouldn't call them soundalikes by any means, especially since Pijn includes some minimal vocals, but I find that Pijn tickles the same parts of my brain that Russian Circles does.

A blurry press photo suggests nine collaborators on their four-track EP, Floodlit, although I've read other sources that say they're basically a trio with seven additional musicians, including but not limited to a violinist, cellist, and sax player. Regardless of exact numbers, they've created something both delicate and heavy at the same time, yet mesmerizing over all.

The band has done something a little unusual, structurally, with Floodlit. The "anchor" songs, "Dumbstruck and Floodlit" and "Lacquer," begin and end the EP, and sandwiched between are two much shorter interludes, although it's a bit unfair to call them that since "interlude" suggests something a bit more ephemeral than what these two short tracks add.

"Dumbstruck and Floodlit" comes in quietly, with some strings and a ringing guitar line. As the song starts to coalesce, you might be fooled into thinking this is a shoegaze throwback, although a very good one. But it's not long before the main riff dives in with a wailing, siren-like guitar line behind it, eventually augmented with some pretty interesting harmonic textures. The song weaves a bit more, but if you need to know the time, it's right around 5:20 when the "real" metal kicks in, with bellowed, sludgy vocals and slashing riffs. There are so many interesting parts to describe, it's hard to tell where to begin and end, but do stick around for some Jørgen Munkeby-style saxophone freakouts toward the end.

And that's just the first track. "Hazel" follows from the opener to a piano line and guitar dancing around each other. For some reason, it puts me in the mind of a seaside carnival. "Cassandra" offers a bit of dissonance and distortion before giving way to another blast of sludgy vocals in the closer, "Lacquer." I could go on about the jagged riffs, rumbling drums, sparse guitar parts, and the like, but suffice it to say that "Lacquer" matches the EP's opener in complexity.

Is this really metal, you might want to ask? Well, that's a tough question. The music is catchy, but it's demanding of the listener at the same time, and those bellowed vocals means you're not going to hear this too much in the mainstream. Maybe "post-metal" really is the best way to describe it, but either way, this is a beautiful bit of music that you should get your paws on, even if you usually prefer straight pummeling.

The Great Old Ones - EOD: A Tale of Dark Legacy

By Calen Henry. The Great Old Ones (named after the cosmic deities within the Cthulhu mythos) play Cthulhu metal the way Sleep play Stoner metal: with complete devotion. They're all in. From band name through to musical style, everything about the band is steeped in Lovecraft.

By Calen Henry.

Cover art by Jeff Grimal.

The Great Old Ones (named after the cosmic deities within the Cthulhu mythos) play Cthulhu metal the way Sleep play Stoner metal: with complete devotion. They're all in. From band name through to musical style, everything about the band is steeped in Lovecraft.

Lovecraftian horror and the Cthulhu mythos in particular have long been lyrical themes in metal. Bands as far back as Metallica have touched on them to varying degrees and the Cthulhu mythos has proven a fitting vessel through which to channel heavy metal. Metal, and black metal in particular, uses themes of cosmic insignificance, world-weary nihilism, and demon worship. All are also integral to Lovecraft's world.

Photos by Francis Bijl.

Across their three full lengths—an album of Cthulu themed songs, a concept album based on At The Mountains of Madness, and now EOD : A Tale of Dark Legacy, a concept album based on A Shadow over Innsmouth—The Great Old Ones have channeled those themes through blackened post-metal.

Through their catalog they've moved from post-metal with blackened embellishments to focus their sound on the caustic black metal sound most recently thrust into the spotlight by Icelandic bands like Misþyrming. Though rooted firmly in black metal a lot of the post-metal influence remains, albeit filtered through the lens of dissonant black metal.

Photos by Francis Bijl.

The maelstrom often breaks into slow crushing grooves but with the same dissonant chords and intervals as the black metal as well as slightly dissonant leads layered over top. This approach gives the whole record a cohesive sense of foreboding and a pervasive wrongness, another important tenet of Lovecraft and something lacking in much Cthulhu themed metal. Even the final track, a long ambient acoustic album closer oozes foreboding like an evil Agalloch.

With EOD : A Tale of Dark Legacy The Great Old Ones have delivered on every level. It's a great album regardless of one's Lovecraftian proclivities, and even better for Lovecraft fans.