Syven - Aikaintaite

Review by Natalie Zina Walschots. Originally published here by Exclaim.


Finnish band Syven are an ambient metal collaboration between Aslak Tolonen (Nest), providing all of the instrumentation, and Andy Koski-Semmens (Ereipia), whose deep, shaman-like baritone makes the entire album play out like a druidic ritual. Aikaintaite is their debut effort, and was composed, recorded and mixed by the artists. The album is being released on the seventh of February to coincide with Finland's Independence Day celebration. Aikaintaite draws heavily upon Finnish mythology and folk music, with Syven's compositions prominently featuring Finnish string instrument the kantele.

The band have blended the sounds of the natural world with acoustic and electric instruments brilliantly. The instruments often take on the voices of animals, as a synth becomes owls hooting or a keyboard trill the ripple of a meltwater stream. The vocals are deep and echoing, and Koski-Semmens shifts between powerful, pulsing chants and soaring invocations. The guitar work is rendered almost sacred, vibrating upwards, each struck note a pagan offering. There is a solemn quality to this album – the sense of great strength carefully curbed and leashed. For those looking for a release that can become a ritual, for music that doubles as a pagan ceremony, Aikaintaite is perfect.

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Fondlecorpse - Creaturegore

Artwork by Adam Geyer

Fondlecorpse is the name a mad genius gives a death metal band, and Creaturegore could be one of those cheesy 80's horror movies like Critters, Gremlins, or Creepshow. So off course, the album features obscure samples from gore flicks (and porn) and a classic death metal sound, like so many albums before (and after) it. But Fondlecorpse does this thing really well. The riffs are very memorably - who knew that something called "Nymphomatic Zombie Rapist" could be so goddamn catchy.

In fact all the songs on Creaturegore are well written, doing a good job of mixing aggressive blasting with some melody. The album has a nice organic sounding production that lets the entire band shine, especially the intense vocals by Silvester Koorevaar. The musicianship is tight without being flashy, the guitarists add dynamics with the occasional melodic lead or squealy solo. Fondlecorpse playes death metal that I like, not by trying to be faster and more technical then anyone else, but by writing good songs and performing them convincingly. And by having fun while doing so.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

Infera Bruo - Infera Bruo

Review by Red.


Infera Bruo is a black metal band from Massachusetts. I first became of aware them while reading Autothrall’s excellent review of their initial release. At just over 33 minutes, I would be inclined to classify it as a long EP, though it is listed as a full-length on the Metal Archives.

The band inhabits an interesting stylistic middle ground in USBM. All of the hallmarks of are present; there are the rasped vocals (which are quite similar to those of Ihsahn), the tremolo-picked guitar lines, and plenty of blast beats. But then there are sections which exemplify something different. In this way, Infera Bruo reaches beyond their chosen sub-genre much like Autolatry (who are also from New England) and Ludicra.

When I hear the gallop riff that literally comes from nowhere in “A Path Unwritten” or the engaging outros of the two tracks that precede it, I know that something deeper is at work here. Speaking of those outros, “Upon Stone” ends with a fairly straightforward rock section, and “A Code of Will” slows the pace considerably, becoming quite doomy.

The highlights are at the front and back, however. “The Devil’s Eyes” incorporates clean vocals to great effect, expressing varied emotions that are not usually heard or expressed in such a way. Most importantly, there is no trace of oversinging; the expression of emotion doesn’t trump the rest of the elements at play. “A Path Unwritten” starts (and ends) with an epic-sounding riff that is almost pretty (especially when restated in the last seconds of the song on a lone clean guitar) and then breaks out the aforementioned gallop riff while a chaotic solo erupts.

As much as I appreciate this release, I look forward to seeing what this band can do. Infera Bruo seems like a jumping-off point that is indicative of any number of directions the band could explore.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]