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ISSUE 16 JAN ‘16
D! UND! SOUN UR SO YOUR YO FE!! YO LIFE UR LI YOUR
G!! F ING RIN UR TU AT EA FE
VORNA S IN WS IEW VIE RV ER TE INT
P S!! US LU PL
FROSTTIDE NORTHERN SOLITUDE GRIMNER
LATEST CD REVIEWS LIVE REVIEWS TOP TIPS & MORE
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CONTENTS 4-5 TOP TIPS FOR 2016! WHO TO LOOK OUT FOR!
25 BLOODBATH LIVE IN CAMDEN, LONDON
6-9 INTERVIEW WITH GRIMNER
26-27 THE LATEST CD REVIEWS: CENTIPEDE, PARADISE LOST, WOLFHORDE, DENDRITIC ARBOR
10-11 SPOTLIGHT ON NORTHERN SOLITUDE 12-17 HUGE INTERVIEW WITH VORNA 18-21 INTERVIEW WITH FROSTTIDE 22-24 LIVE REVIEW OF VORNA IN HELSINKI
28-29 CD REVIEW BEST OF: VORNA, MY DYING BRIDE, GLITTERTIND, FROSTTIDE 30-31 THE SOUNDSCAPE TEAM GIVE THEIR TOP FIVE SHOWS AND ALBUMS OF 2015
It’s been a while since our last issue but here it is, our sixteenth edition! Hope you guys had a great 2015 and here’s to the upcoming year - we hope it’s as full of great music as the last one was! Editor: N. Humphries
CONTRIBUTORS A-Z Nadine Ballantyne, Natalie Humphries, Sallis Lindqvist, David Oberlin, Cornelius Vernon-Boase
TO PS!! TIPS P TI TOP
TIPS FOR
2 0 1 6!
WELL, 2016 HAS OFFICIALLY GOTTEN UNDERWAY, SO WHAT CAN WE EXPECT OVER THE NEXT TWELVE MONTHS? WELL, LOOK NO FURTHER AS HERE ARE SOME OF OUR TIPS FOR WHAT YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2016! WORDS: NATALIE HUMPHRIES
Grimner
With one full-length album and two EPs under their belts, 2016 will see this Swedish folk metal outfit release their second album Frost mot Eld and if the tasters we’ve had from this album are anything to go by, we’re all in for an absolute treat when the album drops on March 26.
Kuolemanlaakso
In a recent post on the band’s facebook from guitarist/ keyboardist Laakso, he alluded to a potential recording session, so we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed for something just as good as the band’s last album, Tulijoutsen, to come from it!
Rusty Shackle
It’s only been about a year and a half since Rusty Shackle’s last album, but it feels like a lot longer so it’s just as well that they’re going to be releasing their third album in March!!!
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Katatonia
The band are currently in the studio working on their new album and to say we’re excited for new music from Katatonia would be an understatement!
2 Wolves
After a couple of line-up changes, 2 Wolves are ready to get to work on new material so it’s going to be interesting to see what the new members bring to the table!
Wolfhorde
& Upming We were really impressed by Wolfhorde’s co
debut - our review of which can be read in this issue - and the future looks bright for this incredible up and coming band.
BEARTOOTH
With lead singer Caleb Shomo teasing us with
snippets online we truly can’t wait for the new album. *headbangs to teaser*
BRING ME THE HORIZON
We’re predicting 2016 is the year BMTH will take over the universe. If not, we suppose their biggest headline shows to date will suffice enough.
Whispered
2016 is also going to be a year where we get a new album from Whispered, a band that blends melodic death metal with Japanese folk elements, and if it’s anything like 2014’s masterpiece Shogunate Macabre, it’s going to be one of the year’s highlights!
Thyrien
Well, they’ve been teasing us with new songs in their set for at least a year now, so hopefully 2016 will see the band heading to the studio to release their followup to their debut album, Hymns Of The Mortals.
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WORDS: NATALIE HUMPHRIES PHOTOS: RICKARD MONÉUS
Interview
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e were recently in Finland where we caught all three of Grimner’s performances in the country! We sat down with them in Tampere ahead of their section show to have a chat and find out more about their upcoming album as well as their acoustic EP, the band’s origins and power metal! How did the band get started? Henry (drums): Ted and I had been playing together in different projects since...when? Ted (harsh vocals/guitar): About fifteen years?
Henry: And then in 2008, it all ended up with Grimner, with people coming together from various different projects. Ted: And then it gradually evolved into folk metal. Kristoffer (keyboards): It started off more as death metal. Henry: Yeah, and then we became more and more folkish...and then we were a folk metal band! So where do you draw your influences from? Henry: From the beginning, it was maybe bands like Týr. Ted: Yeah, and Thyrfing, Finntroll,
Ensiferum. But now we’ve added a bit more... Johan (flutes/mandola): Power metal? Ted: A little more everything, I’d say! We’ve been drawing inspiration from all kinds of stuff, but still rooted in the folk. Henry: Yeah, our influences are quite diverse. I mean, I don’t think any of us only listen to folk metal - we all get our influences from different music styles. What’s been your best experience in the music industry so far? Marcus (clean vocals/guitars): We
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had a good time in Holland, and we had a great time at Hörnerfest in Germany. David (bass): I think playing wellorganised festivals in general is always a treat. Henry: Playing with Korpiklaani was great. Ted: Yeah, it’s so hard to get a gig at Sticky Fingers so that was really nice. Markus: But playing live in general is always the best. What’s the most difficult thing about the industry for you? Marcus: I guess just getting the music out there to as many people
as possible. Henry: To reach out to audiences and convince them that we are the best band in the world! Well, of course! (everyone laughs) Johan: And finding the time for everything! Marcus: Yeah, that too. So, you’re currently in Finland on a three-date tour. How’s it all going so far? Henry: Really well! Everyone is very friendly and everything is going smoothly with no problems. The
logistics are a bit unorthodox because we are traveling by public buses, but it is working perfectly. What can fans expect from a Grimner show? David: Everything! Kristoffer: A fun time and a lot of energy. Johan: And a lot of dancing! David: A lot of beer. Henry: Yeah, you have to get drunk in 45 minutes whilst watching Grimner! But seriously, we like to bring as much as we can to the stage. We like to be very joyful when we play, and try to show that we like what
IN W IEW RVIE TERV INTE we’re doing - we don’t like to just play well, we also like to show that we are genuinely having a good time onstage. Marcus: I think it’s very easy to get a Grimner crowd to have a good time because it’s very easy to get involved. David: The music isn’t too hard to take in, so it’s easy to get people to dance! So what would you say has been the best show you’ve played? Kristoffer: I’d say the Sticky Fingers show in Gothenberg. Marcus: Yeah, that one or the one in the Netherlands. Kristoffer: It was actually two tours that were ending! One in Gothenberg when we were the support for Korpiklaani - the atmosphere was awesome. And also on our European tour last year, the Netherlands show was the last one too. I don’t know why it’s always the last show! To be honest I reckon tomorrow’s show in Helsinki will probably wind up as the best of these
“EVERY SHOW IS ALWAYS OUR BEST SHOW.”
three, too! Johan: Ah yes, of course! Ted: Every show is always our best show! Good call! What about your strangest or weirdest show? Marcus: I was maybe thinking about that show in Belgium. Henry: That one at B52? Marcus: Yeah, that one! Kristoffer: Yeah, we drove for like 800 kilometres all night and we were all just so tired - but of course excited at the same time to play in Belgium since we’d never been there before. So we drove to this small club that was in a village in the middle of nowhere. Johan: It was just a street with a few houses on it and in all directions there was just fields. We had no idea where we were! Ted: And when we started the show, everyone was stood three metres away from the stage. Henry: It had such a low ceiling too. Marcus almost had to crouch.
Ted: And there was a brothel not too far away! Henry: We also had no dressing room, so we had to change outside in the toilets! Ted: And the toilets were broken. Henry: That’s right, there were no locks on the toilet doors! Marcus: But saying that, even though it was in the middle of nowhere, people still came and the show itself was awesome - but it was just weird! There was also signs everywhere saying ‘no smoking’ but everyone was just stood round with a cigarette. Henry: The venue was weird but the people were good. Moving onto your recorded music, you recently released an acoustic EP, De Kom Från Norr. What prompted that decision? Kristoffer: We did a street gig at Vadstena in Sweden, at a medieval fair, and there’s footage from it up on YouTube. We were playing some covers of Månegarm and stuff, and people really enjoyed it - and started
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requesting us to do a recording. Ted: It’s ended up as one of the most viewed videos on our channel! People requested that we should do some recordings of our own songs in that style so we did it for the fans. And what about the jazz version of Forna Dagar on the aforementioned EP - where did that idea come from? (everyone laughs) Ted: Well, we joke around all the time when we’re rehearsing, like “what if we did this with this song?” so we played the song like that a couple of times and then it just ended up on the EP after I did a proper arrangement of it. Johan: The saxophone was actually my main instrument before so I was just like “yeah, let’s do it!” Marcus: We just had to! Are there any plans to put out any more acoustic releases in the future, or was De Kom Från Norr a one-off? Henry: I don’t know! Maybe. Kristoffer: Even if we don’t, I think we’ll maybe include one or two acoustic songs on future releases. Ted: I think that even if we don’t do an exclusively acoustic release, but maybe a couple of songs. Kristoffer: We like playing acoustic music too. Henry: We do like to listen to what our fans want, so I guess if enough people ask for another then we might do it! Speaking of new music, you recently announced details of your new album Frost mot Eld. How did the writing and recording go for it? Henry: Really well. It was quite intensive and we did it all in two weeks.
Ted: One and a half, actually! Johan: We basically just went to the studio and stayed there for one and a half weeks. Ted: The writing went pretty well also. Marcus: You were a songwriting machine whilst I was churning out lyrics! Ted: I wrote it and we arranged the details together. It wasn’t that stressful, really. Henry: And to be honest, the songwriting is probably more stressful than the actual recording process! Ted: Yeah. We’re very comfortable with each other, both as a band and as friends, so it went very smoothly. Marcus: We had a great sound guy, also. He really knew how to work with a band in the studio. How would you say this album differs to your past releases - did you approach anything differently this time round? David: We’ve been leaning towards power metal at times with this one...! Henry: That’s the sound guy’s fault! He plays in power metal bands. David: The music has evolved and we’ve found our sound more. Henry: And this album is more of a concept one. Ted: Yeah, there’s this thread running through the album. So what can we expect from the new album - more power metal...? Marcus: Yeah, and it’s just a lot more epic too! Johan: And bagpipes. Henry: Yes, bagpipes for the very first time! Johan: For some reason, people think that we already had bagpipes in the band and I don’t know why! I actually used to play bagpipes but I sold it... but I think it says somewhere that I
play bagpipes, even though I’ve never played them in Grimner before! Kristoffer: Yeah, when we did a biography I think it was mentioned that you can play bagpipes so it’s our own fault! Ted: So... just so people don’t think they were fooled, this album will contain more bagpipes! (everyone laughs) Marcus: A lot of our fans requested more clean vocals, so we have a little more of them as well. If you could choose an animal to represent the band, what would it be? Marcus: A bear crossed with a wolverine...or a bear crossed with a dragon. Henry: That’s not even a real animal! David: I would say wolves. Kristoffer: Yeah, wolves. Henry: I think that as a band, wolves. If there was going to be a film released about Grimner, what actors would you want to play yourselves? Marcus: (instantly) Jason Momoa. Ted: Fuck you, that was going to be my choice! David: I guess Devin Townsend would be great for me if he still had his dreadlocks, because I’m balding...! Johan: That’s a really hard question. But if I could choose anyone, it would have to be Billy Connolly. And my last question - if Grimner could put their name to a product, what would it be? Kristoffer: A mead, maybe. That would be really cool. Marcus: Or an axe! Ted: Not the body spray, an actual axe! But I think I’d say mead as well.
S pot t ligh IG OTL SP W IEHT RV INTE
WORDS: NATALIE HUMPHRIES
Interview with...
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ver the past twelve or so months, Northern Solitude has played a big part in many of the overseas shows I’ve attended. As we’re also interested in looking at what happens behind the scenes in the music industry, we took the opportunity to have a chat with NSE’s founder Iiro to get an insight into the company. CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT NSE DOES? My name is Iiro Laitinen and I’m the founder/owner of Northern Solitude Entertainment. NSE is a booking agency & artist management company from Jyväskylä in Finland focusing on rock, heavy and extreme metal music. While we mostly do concert bookings (which includes booking of both domestic and international shows), we also offer artist management services to selected artists. We’ve been around for almost 2 years and during the time have been part of approximately 40 shows including concerts in Finland and outside of the Finnish borders. WHEN DID YOU GET THE IDEA TO START NSE AND HOW DID IT ALL COME TOGETHER? The idea for NSE started to come
together sometime in late 2013. At the time I was studying my second academic year in JAMK (Jyväskylä
were looking for heavy metal and folk metal bands to be part of the event. I was checking out bands online and
University of Applied Sciences) under the Music and Media Management degree programme so establishing my own business naturally meant I could actually start applying the things I had learned into practice. Additionally, I had also been putting up local metal shows together with an association I am still part of and eventually I started wondering why not do the same things on my own? I would have the total control and final word on everything, meaning I could bring and book bands I truly think should be heard of.
came across with a melodic black/ folk metal band called Vorna from Tampere. I listened to some of their songs and really liked what I was hearing so I ended up contacting them on Facebook in order to ask whether they’d be interested in taking part in the event. After a few short discussions, they were on board.
WHO WAS THE FIRST BAND YOU STARTED WORKING WITH AND
Later in January 2014 I was starting with an artist management course as part of my studies. On one occasion, we had a guest lecturer talking about record labels and the future of the industry - the lecturer was Jaakko Tarvainen from Inverse Records. Quite surprisingly before concluding the lecture, we were told that Inverse Records had some bands that we could ‘exploit’ as part of our course assignment (which was a career plan for an artist or band). Jaakko started listing names out loud and as soon as he mentioned Vorna, I found myself raising my hand and picking
HOW DID IT ALL COME TOGETHER - DID YOU APPROACH THEM OR DID THEY APPROACH YOU? Sometime in late 2013, I was planning a two-day event for May 2014 for the association I mentioned earlier and we
up Vorna’s recently released Ajastaika album from Jaakko. Soon after the lecture was over, I contacted Vorna again and we started with the career plan.Things went so well with Vorna and the planning that in
Having an interest in entrepreneurship for a few years and being a metalhead almost for a decade, when I got the chance to start working with my first client in early 2014, the stars aligned. As a result, Northern Solitude Entertainment was officially founded in March/April 2014.
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February 2014 we met quickly at a café in Tampere railway station, where we had some coffee and a chat. At the end of our brief meeting and before I hurried back to my departing train, we wrote the management agreement which meant I was now officially their manager and would also take care of their bookings. This led to the necessity of establishing Northern Solitude Entertainment. So here we are!
own (I only have an accountant and a separate designer). As well as NSE, I have also another job and my studies so time - or the availability of it - tends to have an important role in my life.
WHAT BAND WOULD BE YOUR DREAM CLIENT, IF YOU COULD ADD ANY ARTIST TO YOUR ROSTER? It’s difficult to name one. If we think “what kind of band”, I would definitely want to work with someone whose music I personally enjoy and with whom I have unlimited possibilities with as a manager. It’s not that important about the size or the status of the band, but more about the things I could learn and achieve when working with that band. Music is all about experiences - whether it is an album or a live show, I want to be there with the band making the experiences memorable.
We do check every email we receive and listen to every band approaching us. We can’t guarantee a reply but we do our best to send an answer to all of them.
ARE YOU LOOKING TO SIGN ANY MORE BANDS AT PRESENT AND IF SO, HOW CAN BANDS GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU? At the moment I am not actively looking for more bands but naturally I will evaluate all contacting bands on a case-by-case basis. Undoubtedly there is some room in our artist roster but as I personally have very limited time resources, I need to be 100% sure whether a band is worth of using my resources for. In order to give you perspective to this matter, I can tell you that I am running NSE 95% on my
If bands wish to get in touch with us, they can send us an e-mail to info@northernsolitude.fi. Before that they should be checking out our instructions at: http://northernsolitude.fi/about-nse
WHAT’S BEEN YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR? There’s a bit of perfectionist in me so although the year 2015 was spectacular and NSE achieved a lot, I tend to think how I can raise the bar even further in the future. 2015 was magnificent in many ways, we had our first shows abroad, a few nice tours, our bands released new albums and were present in media which are all always great things. I’d say the most memorable achievement was the moment we agreed upon the manufacturing of Vorna beer with Panimo Hiisi - which is quite unordinary in comparison to the everyday routine. When we finally got the physical products and had the very first sip of the black gold, I knew we must have done something right. HAS THERE BEEN ANYTHING THAT HASN’T QUITE GONE TO PLAN? Setbacks are part of life and running a business so the answer is yes. There have been a couple show/band
cancellations which you can’t really do anything about. Usually the problem has got something to do with health, money or a human error. In overall, everything has gone surprisingly well and I’ve learned from the mistakes along the way. WHERE DO YOU SEE NSE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW? That’s a tough question. At the moment there are quite a lot of variables so giving a somewhat sophisticated guess is a tricky thing to do. I’d hope NSE is arranging approximately 50-80 shows a year (including both domestic and international shows), that our bands have excelled in the industry and we are bringing foreign acts to Finland - and to possibly work with even more bands than at the moment. So basically the aim is to enlarge the scale of actions and stabilize the status of NSE as a professional Finnish business. AND WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR? Concerning the year 2016 there are lots of plans. For now it seems the spring season 2016 will be a bit quieter than last year in terms of shows but I believe we will come up with at least a few decent shows. However we have big plans, nothing confirmed yet, for autumn season 2016 so if everything goes as planned, we are definitely taking the next step to the bigger league. Besides shows, we have already adjusted our roster and are soon bringing a couple new acts on board. The year 2016 will definitely be different than 2015 and we are excited to see how things go. In brief: new bands, new shows and new experiences.
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WORDS: NATALIE HUMPHRIES
V
A
head of their show in Lahti on December 10 last year, we sat down with our friends in Vorna for a longoverdue interview! We got the lowdown on their best and worst experiences, the making of their new album, why the perfect album to represent
O
Vorna would be a moose, and much more! So how did the band get started? Vesa (vocals): Well, Vorna got started in 2008 when I first met Henri and Arttu in Tampere, when a mutual friend introduced us to each other. They knew each other
Interview
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from childhood. Henri (guitars): Yeah, the second grade. Vesa: Yeah, and they were already playing some tunes. Arttu already had the Snowcovered Land song almost ready when we started. Where do you draw your
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influences from? Mikael (drums): No bands, ever! (whole band laughs) Vesa: Well in the early days, it was bands like Dissection and Nokturnal Mortum... Arttu (guitars): Old Satyricon. Vesa: Old Behemoth. Henri (guitars): Moonsorrow!
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Vesa: I think when we started we were definitely leaning more towards melodic black metal. Maybe today also, but especially when we started. Saku (keyboards): Also, we all have our own influences and each of us have our own favourites that influence our style. Vesa: Yeah, and to be honest at the
moment I don’t even know what we all listen to - we’re all listening to so many bands in so many different styles! So right now I guess we don’t have any big influences collectively as a band at the moment - at least, not particular bands. What’s been your best experience
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as a band so far? Vesa: For me at least, our first European tour with Thyrgrim. That was really great. Mikael: The recordings for our second album? (everyone starts laughing again) Henri: No! Fuck that! That was the worst moment! Saku: Having our own music video is pretty cool in my opinion. Niilo (bass): Yeah! That was a great moment. Vesa: Me too but I think overall, the best experience in Vorna is writing new songs - and the feeling you get when you’ve finished it and are so excited about it!
So what’s been the most difficult thing in your career so far - or have we already touched on that when Mikael mentioned the recordings for the new album? Mikael: That was easy! (several band members start protesting in Finnish) Henri: Easy for him, maybe! Arttu: I’d say the financing of it all. Vesa: Yeah, money issues! And also waiting in general. I can imagine - waiting for the album to be mixed and released, waiting to start a show, travelling...? Arttu: Yeah! We do a lot of waiting!
So speaking of shows, you’re playing in Lahti tonight and Helsinki in two days. What can one expect from a Vorna gig? Vesa: Well, at least for these two shows we will be playing lots of new material because these shows are the release shows for the album. I think we’re in quite good condition, live-wise, so I think we’ll put on a great show. Will we be getting any incense burnt this time? At the last three shows I saw you, you burnt two sticks at the first gig, one at the second and none at the third - did you run out?
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(everyone laughs) Saku: That was actually a coincidence! Niilo: Yeah, we’re still using incense! Vesa: It depends a lot on the place because we’re not always allowed to burn stuff. Arttu: Some places are like “OF COURSE, OF COURSE YOU CAN!” Mikael: And then others are like “No no no no no!” Vesa: Some places are just afraid of the fire alarm going off! Saku: I think that maybe we can use them tonight though. Mikael: But of course we still have to make the regular request of “is it okay?” Henri: “We have these little things we want to burn...” Vesa: Tonight we even have some new sticks! Oh, so we’re being treated to a new smell? Mikael: Yup, that’s right! It’s a whole new pine smell, completely different to our old pine smell! (laughs) What’s been the best show you’ve ever played? Saku: I think the answer will differ, depending on who you ask. Henri: I think we can all agree on On The Rocks and Oberhausen. Vesa: I’d say that all of our top three shows have been played this Autumn. Hevimesta in August with Frosttide was good, and the three shows in October that you came to were also great - Varjobaari in particular was surprisingly good! (everyone laughs)
“THE BEST EXPERIENCE IN VORNA IS WRITING NEW SONGS” Vesa: And as Henri mentioned, the first show we played in Germany - in Oberhausen - was great, as was our last show in the Netherlands with Thyrgrim at Winschoten. Niilo: How about Linköping? Vesa: And Linköping! Henri: Linköping, as a venue, was probably the best place we’ve ever played in. Ever! Mikael: Ever! Vesa: By far! What made the venue so good? Henri: The staff were excellent. Saku: The staff, the stage, the technicians... Vesa: Everything was just so well-organised and the backstage was great. Arttu: And we got lots of beer, too! Vesa: And also kebabs. But yeah... the backstage was just right next to the stage and it just worked flawlessly for the whole night. Mikael: We also had a bodyguard at the backstage! Really?! Mikael: Oh yeah! Well, that’s it - you’ve officially made it if you’ve got bodyguards! So what about the weirdest show you’ve ever played? Vesa: It was in Selviytyjät...
(Vesa is instantly interrupted by all five of the other members laughing) Mikael: That’s the one...! Vesa: It was maybe our fifth show ever...it was in 2013, before we released our first album. It was a private festival and there were many bands from Inverse Records on the lineup - Joni from Inverse is one of the organisers. Saku: No, it was last year. Henri: Yeah, it was 2014... Vesa: 2013! Henri: 2014! (several members start having a lively ‘discussion’ in Finnish) Saku: ...Well, you can check that out on our Facebook page! Henri: We played Yksin at that gig! It wasn’t 2013. Vesa: Okay, okay, maybe you’re right...but anyway! Mikael: One of the objectives was that you had to drink a bottle of Jallu during the gig so I guess that’s why it’s a bit hazy for us! Vesa: And I almost did it by myself so I was quite wasted! Saku: We were also the last band to play and we were so fucking drunk since we’d had to wait for like ten hours or something to play! (everyone starts to laugh again) Henri: By that point, we had already drank two cases of beer. Vesa: And we also had a violent
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“SOME DRUNK GUY FELL INTO MY PEDAL BOARD AND THEN EVERYTHING FELL APART” interruption during our show. Dare I ask what happened? Arttu: Some drunk guy fell into my pedal board and then everything fell apart from there! Vesa: He got onto the stage and he was so excited and drunk...and he wanted to sing along to absolutely everything but he was just growling in the microphone. At some point, I thought that maybe he had sang enough, so I took the microphone - and then he flipped, so a security man came on the stage and tackled him. Niilo: I think they both fell, didn’t they? Vesa: Yes, both! It was during the song Ikuiseen iltaan. Arttu: Oh, so you remember that? Vesa: Just about! And well, it was an experience. Henri: It’s possible the gig never happened, because nobody remembers anything about it. Arttu: Maybe we all dreamt it! Henri: It was good though! Moving onto your new album Ei valo minua seuraa, how did the writing and recording process go? Did you do anything different compared with your debut Ajastaika? Vesa: I’d say the writing process
was pretty much the same. Mikael: I think I did a bit more work on this one and the drum recordings were so much better this time round! Henri: I’d say that Mikael and me switched places on composing with this album. Vesa: And of course this album was written in a much shorter time compared to the last one. We also wrote a lot more material so we have a few songs in our pockets still, which we didn’t use. So will they perhaps appear on album number three? Vesa: I don’t know! They just didn’t quite fit, so I guess we’ll see when we come to working on the next album. But maybe! Henri: They are quite good songs, I think. Were there any songs that were more of a struggle to get right, or did everything go quite smoothly? Vesa: The writing process in particular was really easy for this album but I think the schedule was a bit tight towards the end! We still had a few unfinished parts and arrangements when we demoed it all in April and we started the drum recordings in May! But everything all came together in the end.
You also released a video for your song Yksin - how did the recording of that go? Arttu: Quite well, I think! The band part was done two days before we left for Germany. Vesa: Yeah, it was filmed right after those three shows in Finland. Arttu: It was three long days but it went pretty well. Vesa: We did fifteen hour-long days for shooting. Arttu: It took a while. It also took about a week and a half of editing, too. Vesa: But I think it went quite well overall. We didn’t have any big struggles in the end - we’re all really happy with how it came out. Mikael: Actually, it was pretty funny - in the place where we recorded the band part, I had school there the next day. I went home after the shoot, slept for like two hours and then came back again! It may have been easier for you just to sleep there! Mikael: To be honest, I didn’t really sleep much anyway, so I maybe should have stayed there! Moving on to a couple more random questions, if there was going to be an animal to represent Vorna, what would it be? Vesa: Well, it would definitely be a forest animal...a Finnish animal. It could be a bird...? Henri: Hell no! Vesa: What about a raven? Henri: A raven is too gothic! Too generic.
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Niilo: Yeah, everyone uses the raven. Vesa: An owl? Niilo: An owl is too “Harry Potter”. Henri: A fox? A wolf? A lynx? Vesa: But is there just one animal that represents the whole band? Mikael: How about a weasel? (everyone starts to laugh) Vesa: A moose! Niilo: I like that answer. Vesa: It’s definitely a moose! (everyone starts laughing again) Henri: A massive moose. Vesa: And very gentle and beautiful on the inside. Yeah, it has to be a moose.
well say incense - then you can burn your own incense onstage! Arttu: Yeah, that could work! Vesa: Or perfume! Henri: Yeah, smell like Vorna all the time...! (everyone laughs)
You’ve already released your own signature beer - but if you could release another product, what would it be? Vesa: I can see Henri smiling, he has something in his mind! Henri: Yeah, I was thinking that I don’t have anything on my mind! (there is a long pause) Mikael: Firewood? A big bag of firewood with the Vorna logo on.
What about dream lineups - if you could choose any band to play with, who would it be? Henri: Maybe Thyrfing and Moonsorrow. Saku: Yeah, bands in the same genre, really. Niilo: I think those two are quite a good choice. Arttu: It would have to be Moonsorrow. Mikael: I’d like to play with Moonsorrow and Dissection. Vesa: And Bathory. One can dream! It might change if we manage to play shows with those bands and they turn out to be assholes! But I don’t know. Thyrfing would be nice, Moonsorrow would be nice, Nokturnal Mortum would be nice... and so on!
If you say firewood, you may as
And my last question - what’s in
store for Vorna in 2016? Henri: Another recording, perhaps. Vesa: Hopefully some more shows abroad. We have some plans already. Henri: And hopefully in more countries this time. Mikael: More festivals. Vesa: Yeah, more festivals would be good. We just confirmed one festival for the summer in Tampere at Saarihelvetti, and the one thing that I am looking forward to the most is to start composing new songs! I think we might start writing right after the shows in January and I think it will be different to the last album again. I think that’s good - there’s no point in making the same album again because things would quickly get boring. Henri: And we always want to release a better album than the last. Saku: Yeah, we don’t want to go back on ourselves after all. Ei valo minua seuraa is out now . You can also check out our review of it and a review of their Helsinki gig in the issue!
Vorna’s full length album EI VALO MINUA SEURAA (Eng. No Light Follows Me) is out now and can be purchased from the Inverse Records webstore, or Recordshop X. www.vornaofficial.com www.facebook.com/VornaOfficial www.twitter.com/vornaband
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WORDS: NATALIE HUMPHRIES
Interview with...
D I T T S O FR Before their live performance with Vorna and Grimner (the review of which can be checked out in the live reviews section), we sat down with the lovely guys in Frosttide in Helsinki to talk about best shows, fantasy lineups, and whether bears or eagles are the superior animal!
So we’re here in Helsinki for Frosttide’s final show of 2015 - what can we expect from tonight’s gig? Lauri (Bass): Sweat...and blood. Felipe (Keyboards): Sweat and blood?! Joni (Vocals/Guitars): Lots of sweat and energy. And epic metal! Felipe: It’s going to be a retro show because we’re not going to be playing many songs from the new album. Is there any reason for that, or are you just wanting to switch up the set a bit? Felipe: We have two ‘handicaps’ in the band at the moment, which is me and Joonas, our drummer. For me, I guess it’s not that problematic to play the songs from the new album but for Joonas the change between the two albums was quite radical. Even though the songs on the first album are complex, they’re not as complex as the second album. On the second album he went really nuts, and right now it’s important for him to take care of his legs!
SOUNDSCAPE 19
DE
RE E H W G IN H T IS H T “WE HAD S SOME OF THE GUYE DW WERE EAGLES, AN ARS” BE WERE MORE LIKE
IN W IEW RVIE TERV INTE
ST IR F E H T O T D E R A “COMP TA ALBUM, WE LEARN LOT OF THINGS” Juho (Guitar): Yeah, and another thing is that we’ve been in Helsinki so many times this year and we’ve already played the new stuff here a lot so that’s why. Lauri: It’ll be nice to have a bit of variation, too. We need to play something else for a change! You’ve played on some fantastic lineups over the years - but which show would you say has been the best? Felipe: To be honest I think everyone has their own personal opinions on which show has been the best, so... Lauri: The last show on the Paganfest tour in Berlin...that was the best. Juho: I’d probably say the show we did this year in Lutakko with Ensiferum. It was so nice to be on home ground, the audience was crazy and everything went well! Joonas (Drums): Maybe Nosturi this year with Ensiferum, and Vienna on the Paganfest tour. Felipe: At least for me, it’s the same as Joonas but I think if I had to choose, I’d go with the Nosturi show with Ensiferum. It was just...we didn’t know what to expect from it. It was our first time in Nosturi and we were wondering whether people would come to see us. I just remember when the lights shut down and the intro started to play, the audience started to shout and it was...I’ve just never felt such a good feeling for a while, so for me that show takes the cake. Joni: I have three options and I’m
going to say them all! The first one is the weekend we played shows with Ensiferum in Nosturi and Lutakko. Both of them were really great. Also this year for example in Oulu, Hevimesta. Somehow it was really nice...there wasn’t that many people in the crowd but the crowd was great and we had some nice feedback from the crowd. And also Bataclan in Heidenfest because the audience was just amazing. It was really weird for us, it was our first big shows and there was crowdsurfing and constant mosh pits! Felipe: And that was on a Monday at 5pm! It was crazy! So what about the craziest show, then? Joonas: Probably Leipzig, on Heidenfest. Joni: For me, it would be when we did that tour with Ensiferum in France. It was the last show and Lauri hit me in the face with his bass so I actually don’t remember much from that show! All the other guys were like “that was a fucking amazing show!” and I was just like “...okay!” (laughs) Felipe: Everybody thought it was staged! We were playing this long song that went into a piano interlude and I was just doing my thing. Then everybody left, leaving me alone on the stage, then suddenly they came back and the gig was over! They were saying that Joni got hit on the head, and I didn’t even know! And then I saw him with this bloody towel on his head. However the weirdest for me, I’d say every single “first day” of a
tour isn’t the best, so I’m going to go with Leipzig too. It was our very first show abroad of that scale tour. Joni: I was also so tired that I don’t remember anything of it. Felipe: We were awake for something like thirty hours... Joni: It was about two days in a row. Lauri: For me, it was Leipzig too because it was the first day of the tour and it was a big show for us. First day on the first Europe tour. We didn’t know anything about anything! We played like shit but there was moshpits and people just went nuts and I was kind of like “why are they doing that? We don’t know anything about what we’re doing right now!” But they were still liking us, which was great, but it was definitely the weirdest one! What about your dream show lineup? Lauri: Slipknot? Felipe: Frosttide warming up for Slipknot...! Joni: I think it would be really nice to play with Nightwish. We are not that kind of band, but still... Felipe: I think we’re linked in a small way. I agree with Joni, I would also like to open for Nightwish. That would be quite cool. Joni: I guess Nightwish played with Children Of Bodom in the past, and they’re currently on tour with Arch Enemy and Amorphis, so maybe! Moving on, earlier in the year you released your album Blood Oath - how did the writing and recording process go? Juho: The writing went...well, I just wrote some stuff, demoed it and sent it to the guys. I don’t actually know that much about it - it just sort
SOUNDSCAPE 21
of happens! As for the recording process, we decided to save money and do most of the stuff on our own, very DIY. We only recorded the drums in a real studio and the rest of it we did at home. Felipe: Yeah, Juho did most of the songs and Joni wrote the lyrics for them because we wanted a continuation of the first album - Juho wrote most of the songs on that too, so we thought it would be good to take the same approach. We took the songs to our rehearsal place and we practised the album as a band. Then, as Juho said, we mostly recorded it on our own to save our budget. And I think compared to the first album, we learnt a lot of things from the previous recordings. Things were much more smooth this time, and the album was a little cleaner. The first album was really packed but the second got a little cleaner. It somehow feels a little more ‘organised’, if that makes sense? Juho: Yeah, it does. We had so much more time to arrange everything. Felipe: And we learned from the previous process too. When we did the first album we were all like “let’s do this and that!” and then had a huge mass of keyboards. Joni: “More is more!” Felipe: Yeah! So now we were more strict about that and I also think that the guitar arrangements and guitar sounds are much better. Juho: We were focusing on things like “where do the keyboards need to be heard?” and “when do the guitars need to be heard?” and we arranged it that way. And like I said we also had a lot more time, so it was easier to do.
Were any songs more of a challenge to perfect, or did everything go quite smoothly? Felipe: Personally for me, many of the songs had their parts written but also I did my own parts and I tried to push myself a little more to the edge so compared to the first album, it’s more demanding for me. What about you guys, do you have anything to add? (there is a very long silence) Lauri: I think all the songs are more challenging - but just a little bit! Joni: Just a little bit, but with the vocals...in the first album the guitar rhythms are like “ta-ka-ta-ka-ta-kata-ka” so it’s easier to sing, but on this one they’re more like taka-ta-tatata-ta-ta-takata-trrrrr” which is a little more difficult! Joonas: The rhythms are more technical. Felipe: Yeah, there’s just more variation to the rhythms in general for the vocal lines and I think that’s one of the things that has progressed the most from the last record. Plus we just paid more attention to detail. The guys paid more attention to the guitar rhythms, Joonas did all the drum patterns in a way that he felt comfortable with and everyone put their attention to the vocal rhythms. If you could go back and change anything, would you? Felipe: With regards to the song writing and arrangements, I’m very happy with it and wouldn’t change a note. Lauri: Personally, I’m not quite happy with the bass sound, I would change it a little. Juho: Yeah, I’m really happy with the songs themselves but I think the mix could be a little better.
Felipe: It can always be better! If you could choose an animal to represent the band, what would it be? Joni: Would it be bears...or eagles? Juho: We have this thing in the band where we split into two parts. We have bears in the band, and also eagles. Felipe: In Heidenfest, we had this thing where some of the guys were eagles, and we were more like bears. Joonas: The rhythm section is eagles...but these guys are something else. Lauri: We don’t need a third guy, we’re more powerful. Joni: We’ll eat you! Joonas: No, no, we’ll fly away! Felipe: Run away, more like! If Frosttide could put their name to a product, what would it be and why? Joni: Toothpaste. Because, you know, we’re frosty! Felipe: Well I’d rather go with beer, but...! Lauri: I think it would be more of a long drink. It could be in a blue bottle with some menthol or mint. Joni: Blue Carillo would be nice! And finally, what’s in store for 2016 for Frosttide? Juho: We’ve not got too many plans to tell but we’d like to play as many shows as possible - and maybe start work on a new record. Felipe: Slowly but surely, the songwriting process is beginning but first we’d like to play a few more shows for this album. Joonas: We are always cooking up something. Joni: So stay tuned!
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WORDS: NATALIE HUMPHRIES PHOTOS: SALLIS LINDQVIST (AT VORNA’S LAHTI SHOW ON 10/10)
VORNA PLUS GRIMNER, FROSTTIDE BAR BÄKKÄRI, HELSINKI. 12/12/2015
E
xactly a year to the day that I travelled to Jyväskylä, Finland to see Vorna live for the first time, I found myself in Helsinki to see the band again - and to say this show was incredible doesn’t even come close to describing how good the show was as a whole. Something that really helps to make a gig great is when it features a strong lineup, and with the show also featuring two more top quality bands in the form of Frosttide and Grimner, it was always destined to be good before any of the three bands played a note! Opening proceedings was Swedish folk metallers Grimner, a band that is always a pleasure to see live. Grimner is such a visually engaging band that has clearly put a lot of work into their stage outfits and coupled with a good amount of movement onstage and some damn catchy songs, it makes for such a fun show! From their engaging opener of Blotet, to the insanely catchy Bastu (which had practically the whole room dancing as soon as Grimner informed the Finnish crowd that the name translated to ‘sauna’) and the ever-memorable closer Forna Dagar, the show was wild and engaging from start to finish. The highlight of the show, however, was the inclusion of a brand new song from the six-piece, a track entitled Midgård Brinner. Somehow even more energetic than their older
material, which is surely no mean feat, and the main melodic idea was just so damn catchy that it’s still rattling about my brain two days after last hearing it - which is testament to some utterly great songwriting. Up next was Frosttide, who picked up right where Grimner left off with another fantastic show. After suffering from a few technical difficulties with their intro track cutting out a couple of times as they came onstage, they didn’t let it affect their performance and instead went straight into their opening track of Blood Oath with a tremendous amount of power and ferocity from all five members - it really is a fantastic choice for a set-opener as it packs such a punch. With this performance, Frosttide focused more on their first album Awakening, and it was great to see them play an old school set. Last time I saw them, they focused mainly on their excellent new album Blood Oath, so being able to witness such a different set was a treat, with high points including the title track Awakening and also their song Ruins Of Defeat. They closed their set with a cover of One Night In Bangkok, which was a fantastic rendition - the high-pitched vocals in particular were nothing short of a work of art! Bringing the night to its conclusion was Vorna and it was yet another
SOUNDSCAPE 23
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WORDS: NATALIE HUMPHRIES PHOTOS: SALLIS LINDQVIST (AT VORNA’S LAHTI SHOW ON 10/10)
10/ 10
breathtaking and emotive performance from the six-piece. After the incense sticks on either side of the stage were lit and both band members and audience members alike drank in the ambience, the set got underway with one of their new songs Itsetön, and it was a perfect opening song for the set. There’s so much to take in, so it makes for a massive entrance, with the two different styles of vocals and the intricate keyboard lines being two of the best elements. As the show was also serving as one of the launch shows for Vorna’s brand new album Ei valo minua seuraa, the set mainly focused on their newer material and although as
a whole the new album didn’t leave a humongous impression on me, seeing the songs live was a whole different story, with the album’s opener Harmaudesta being a particularly good example of this. The raw emotiveness of the track really sent shivers down my spine and the passion behind the band’s performance was moving, to say the least. It felt more meaningful, somehow, and it felt like such a treat to hear it performed live - it sounded absolutely perfect and it was a pleasure to witness. Seeing the new songs live is really something else. Another set highlight was the inclusion of older track Ikuiseen
iltaan, a song that always packs a real punch live. The opening guitar line, backed up by the drums, really leaves an impression on you due to how striking it is and the sheer urgency and momentum behind the song is something to behold - it’s an unforgettable and timeless track. The show came to a close with an encore of their track Muisto, and it brought the performance to an incredibly satisfying close. This was a night that showed that Vorna is a band on top of their live game, as they delivered in every single way and there is no doubt in my mind that this band will take 2016 by storm!
SOUNDSCAPE 25
9/ 10
BLOODBATH ELECTRIC BALLROOM, CAMDEN. 18/12/2015
A
s Electric Ballroom slowly filled up for Bloodbath’s debut UK gig, there was already a great atmosphere as people waited with great anticipation to see the band on a smaller stage rather than a large festival stage, and needless to say they absolutely didn’t disappoint. Openers ANCIENT ASCENDANT, who won a competition Bloodbath had run for a band to open the show, got the night off to a good start. Although the set as a whole showcased a fairly standard performance from the outfit, it was nevertheless a strong start to the night and they warmed up the crowd up nicely. The music was nice and heavy, with a lot of power behind the songs, so although it may not have been the most memorable of performances, it was an enjoyable show all the same. Up next was ABORTED, who took
to the stage to raucous cheers from the whole room. There was a tremendous urgency to the set, with frontman Sven an incredibly involved performer who couldn’t be tied down - if you so much as blinked, he’d be somewhere else onstage! Constantly asking for the crowd to headbang and demanding circle pits, the room came alive in response and it was an absolute pleasure to witness, especially since everyone - both on the stage and in the crowd- was clearly giving it their absolute all. And with Aborted even throwing in some new material for good measure, we can all be sure that their next release is going to be an absolute cracker. Of course, the night belonged to BLOODBATH and it was both an honour and a privilege to bear witness to one of their very first ‘club’ shows. The band’s new frontman
Nick Holmes (also of Paradise Lost) was an excellent fit and it looked like he’d always been a part of the band! Peppering the set with a few jokes, such as them actually being Christians and the cross around his neck being upside down, it gave the performance another dimension and a little more variety, rather than the band simply moving from one song to the next. The set itself was a good mixture of old and new, spanning across all four of their albums, with highlights being Mock The Cross and Unite In Pain, but it was their track Eaten that stole the show - the way the crowd screamed along was truly something to behold! With an excellent crowd, excellent set and excellent atmosphere, what more could you want from a live show? A great allround night.
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WORDS: NATALIE HUMPHRIES, DAVID OBERLIN
L ATEST REVIEWS wind up being one of the top releases of 2016 - quite simply, it just has everything!
10/ 10
wolfhorde
TOWARDS THE GATES OF NORTH
T
his may be an ambitious thing to say at this early stage in the year but honestly, I whole-heartedly believe that Wolfhorde’s new album Towards The Gate Of North could well
8/ 10
Dendritic Arbor Sentient Village // Obsolescent Garden
C
lamoring with endearing riffage Dendritic Arbor’s expansively titled EP Sentient Village // Obsolescent
A strong introduction can really help to ‘make’ an album and Vegvísir, which is an ambient and atmospheric piece performed on piano, really sets the scene before Wolfhorde gets the album underway with the first full song, Fimbulvetr, a song which continues to build things up by adding more and more instruments to a repeating melody before the vocals kick in. The song itself has a great balance between the melodies from the instrumentation and the harshness of the vocals, with the two main elements of their sound juxtaposing perfectly against one another.
Garden holds itself above from just another riotous din with scores of ardent wisdom. At its core, the disharmonious cartography of the EP is a wild and expressive place with deep contours that are easy to sink into, and where the elegance of the guitar work blemishes the wailing cacophony of the vocals like a tropical storm. Musically riding on its disjointedness, Sentient Village // Obsolescent Garden has a potent and liberal synergy in anima. It’s well played and well thought out, with much consideration to the horror within the EP that plays out with surgical precision, although it’s far from clinical, and maybe that’s the horror in
Towards The Gate Of North continues fantastically from there, with another highlight being fourth track Death LongDue. The opening of the song is surely destined to rattle around your head for days and as the song progresses, you can’t help but want to tap your foot and hum along to the more melodic moments, particularly the whistle/flute line. Another strong inclusion is later song Lycomania, a highly energetic and punchy number that will surely go down an absolute treat live. It’s incredible to think that this is only Wolfhorde’s debut album and there’s no doubting the fact that there’s great things in store for this talented band if Towards The Gate Of North is anything to go by.
sounding like the result of a back alley operation. Foreboding and with an omnipresent feeling of dread this EP is like unfiltered madness. Moreover, for all the fun and attitude on display on Sentient Village // Obsolescent Garden, there is some serious consternation in the layout of the music. The effects on the guitar are used to maintain a destructive struggle between the music and the content, while the vocals tirelessly brighten the ferocious spirit within this considered element; heightened by the intense rhythms flooding through like a blistering force of nature from the drums and bass.
SOUNDSCAPE 27
Roman theatre in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, before closing the night with a more ‘standard’ set and it’s a pretty powerful listen as a whole.
8/ 10
paradise lost
SYMPHONY FOR THE LOST
T
here’s no mistaking that Symphony For The Lost, the new live album from Paradise Lost, is a special release. More often than not, live albums can feel a little stagnated if they merely feature the band performing their back catalogue in a live setting, only truly appealing to the people who attended the show - but Symphony For The Lost is different. Symphony For The Lost is a twoCD release that sees Paradise Lost performing with the Plovdiv Philhamonic Orchestra at the
The first of the two CDs features the songs that Paradise Lost performed with the orchestra and to hear both old and new songs in this style is a real treat. The songs don’t merely sound like they’ve had orchestral elements added to them; they have been reimagined and reworked, and it’s clear how much work has gone into it as every single part of the set is just so tight and together. The orchestra, choir and band move as one together and it makes for a truly memorable listen.An early highlight is Last Regret, an already-emotive song that somehow has even more emotion and feeling added to it, and the orchestration adds more body and layers to the track, but it’s the closing track Gothic that steals the show. Arguably one of Paradise Lost’s most iconic songs, hearing it performed with all the stops pulled out really does send shivers down your spine. There’s so many new elements added
with their previous EP Brazen Bull. Although the songs pack a punch, at times it feels like the album is a little lacking in substance.
6/ 10
Centipede BRAZEN BULL
S
arnath is the meaty debut album from stoner metal band Centipede, picking up where they left off
There’s certainly a lot of power behind the music, made all the more impressive considering there’s only three members in the band, and it’s an all-round tight and together performance from Centipede, who presents a tremendous wall of fuzzy sound at the listener that’s not to be sniffed at. However, it just doesn’t feel like there’s
to the track whilst also staying true to the original, and it’s absolutely breathtaking. Admittedly the second CD, which just features the band themselves performing, does feel like a little bit of a comedown after the mightiness of the songs with the orchestra. However, overlooking this fact, it’s still a great mix of songs with Paradise Lost paying homage to older and newer songs alike, and when you hear the crowd chanting Paradise Lost’s name over and over, it makes for a magical moment - you can really feel how involved the audience is with the show. On a personal level, it’s not often that a live release actually interests me, so this really shows that Paradise Lost have outdone themselves with this album and although the second CD isn’t quite as memorable as the first, they have created a release that people will be talking about for a long while to come.
a great deal of substance to the music as each song seems to have the same sort of structure as the last, so after a while they merge into one track as it’s difficult to differentiate from one song to the next. It’s a shame because there’s a lot of potential within these eight tracks. As mentioned earlier, it’s a very tight performance from Centipede, who are surely a force to be reckoned with in a live environment and there’s no faulting their playing ability. - however a bit more variety would go a long way for the three-piece.
album, with the title being an especially apt choosing because you really can feel the gloom and misery being emitted from the tracks - which is arguably exactly what you want from a doom release.
10/ 10
My dying bride FEEL THE MISERY
M
y Dying Bride has always been a band that consistently puts out high-quality releases and their latest opus could just be their greatest album to date. Feel The Misery is a very melancholy and emotionally-driven
6/ 10
vorna
EI VALO MINUA SEURAA
T
here comes a time in every band’s career when it’s time to embark on making their Difficult Second Album, and after releasing such a stunning debut album in the form of Ajastaika, it was always going to be a mammoth task for Vorna to top it. Did they manage it? Well...yes and no. If you’re listening to it purely as a CD release, it doesn’t quite pack the same punch as their debut whilst Ajastaika grabbed your attention and held it from start to finish, Ei valo minua seuraa is more of a difficult listen that takes a few more plays to fully get
The masterful use of ethereal and sorrowful melodies alongside crushingly heavy instrumentation adds so much more body and substance to the music and engages you as a listener a lot more. It makes for a wholly immersive listen that will grip you from start to finish and the title track is perhaps one of the best examples of this. The clean vocals at the start are simplistic but very effective as they swiftly worm their way into your head which results in them having a bigger impact when the line is repeated with the full band behind them. Additionally, the violin on this one
is especially well-delivered, linking up each section of the song seamlessly with the last. There’s plenty of other fantastic inclusions to be contending with too, with songs such as My Father Left Forever and I Almost Loved You, a track that is is a particularly impactful listen. It sees My Dying Bride break away from the norm somewhat with a completely melodic and stripped-back piece that showcases a gentler side whilst not losing any of the emotiveness and darkness that the band is so good at creating. Feel The Misery will remain in your subconscious for long after you’ve finished listening to it, getting under your skin and worming its way into your head before you know it. This is not an album that you’ll only be able to listen to once this is something you’ll want to return to time and time again.
into as it doesn’t feature any big and memorable songs for the most part. It’s just a little lacking in direction due to not having a beginning and an end - the listener is thrown into the album with a wall of guitars on Harmaudesta and it simply peters away with the closing track Hiljaiset rauniot, which admittedly is a little disappointing. It’s certainly good that Vorna have tried new things with their sound and song structures because if they’d simply made a carbon copy of their last album, it would have made things very boring. A particularly good element of Ei valo minua seuraa is that the keyboards take more of a central role in the band’s sound this time around, and the added bit of melody really works in the band’s favour - there’s a nice bit of complexity to them yet they aren’t showy enough to detract attention from the rest of the music, so the balance is just right. They’re used especially well in third track Itsetön, which also serves the highlight of the album and could well be described as the best Vorna track ever. There’s more synthesised elements that blend in well with the more traditional piano lines that
weave in and out of the guitars, bass and drums. Additionally, the clean vocals in this track give the song a bit more body and meat, subsequently making for a great listen. However, listening to this album on CD doesn’t give you a full insight into the release - for that, you need to witness the songs live. Because whilst the songs aren’t bad on CD, seeing them live is a whole different kettle of fish. It’s like the songs have been tailor-made to be showcased in a live environment, really coming alive and packing so much more of a punch. The aforementioned Harmaudesta is an absolute joy to witness live, sending shivers down your spine and working perfectly as a midset track, and it just has so much more bite when you’re witnessing it being performed right in front of you. In fact, all the new songs do - describing the songs as tremendous in a live setting is doing the band an injustice. Listening to an album only gives you part of a picture - witnessing it live completes it. And although Ei valo minua seuraa may not have the highest score on CD, Vorna will always be a 10/10 band to me.
SOUNDSCAPE 29 nigh-on crushing heaviness.
10/ 10
glittertind
BLÅNE FOR BLÅNE
A
t the tail end of 2013, Glittertind graced us with an absolute masterpiece in the form of Djevelsvart, their first album released as a full band (and their third fulllength album overall). 2015 sees them return with their next opus Blåne for blåne, and whilst it’s a far cry from the darkness, heaviness and despair of Djevelsvart, it’s a momentous piece in its own right. Blåne for blåne is Djevelsvart’s equal; featuring light where there was darkness, hope where there was despair and gentle melodies where there was
9/ 10
frosttide BLOOD OATH
I
t has to be said that a good introduction can work wonders for an album, so hearing the
Blåne for blåne is a light and carefree folksy-acoustic album with an absolutely wonderful vibe throughout, and sees Glittertind forge a brand new direction with their music, playing melodic/acoustic folk as opposed to the folk metal of past releases. However despite the change in genre, there’s no mistaking that it’s still Glittertind - it firmly has their stamp all over the music due to the sublime vocals and heartfelt instrumentation that has always been a staple of Glittertind’s music through the years. Listening to this album gives the feeling that all your troubles are floating away; it’s gentle and soft, with an ethereal ambience to the music, and a particularly good example is the title track. The introduction to the track sets things up nicely before the vocals present themselves and although the song is a fairly simplistic one as a whole, the simplicity works in its favour - it will give you goosebumps as it’s one of the most atmospheric on the entire album and it features what is perhaps one of the most emotive vocal
introductory track of the new Frosttide album Blood Oath setting the scene so well, it gave an optimistic feeling for what could be expected with the rest of the songs on the album. Quite simply, Prologue really brings the atmosphere to Blood Oath, ever so slowly building things up and up in the most breathtaking way before things get fully underway with the title track, which is a mini epic in itself. The instrumentation is just fantastic, before you even take into account the power behind the vocals, so hearing them both seamlessly blending together and moving as one is incredible to witness. Indeed, the album continues very strongly from there, with big group
performances from Torbjørn Sandvik. The song as a whole is a tremendously powerful piece despite being one of the gentle and laid-back of the album and it really resonates in your mind after the closing chords ring out. Another highlight of the album is the opening song, Ukjend land. A triumphant beginning to Blåne for blåne, it shows off exactly what the listener can expect from the rest of the album and sets the scene well - it grips you immediately and the music just sucks you in. Indeed, it barely even takes one listen of Ukjend land before it inevitably gets stuck in your head and you find yourself humming along to it, which is surely testament to some masterful song-writing if it can leave an impression on you after one single listen. What a way to start the album! Blåne for blåne is different, there’s no question about that, but it’s different in a good way. It’s always good to see a band take risks - and it’s absolutely paid off for Glittertind because this is a timeless and impressive album that people will be speaking about for a long time to come.
vocals in Gates Of The Asylum and the eleven-minute New Reign, a track that feels almost like an adventure from all the little twists and turns the song takes as it progresses - and what makes it even better is that it’s one of those songs with so many intricate little moments that you can pick up on something new every time you hear it. As Blood Oath comes to a very satisfying close with final track Winds Of Winter’s Call, you can’t help but feel pleased with just how good the album is from start to finish. There isn’t a single song that stands out as being bad, and Blood Oath is a highly enjoyable listen - Frosttide have outdone themselves with this album.
TO T IST PLIS TOPL
5
WORDS: NATALIE HUMPHRIES, DAVID OBERLIN, CORNELIUS VERNON-BOASE
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THE SOUNDSCAPE TEAM HERE’S PART OF THE TEAMS TOP FIVE ALBUMS AND SHOWS OF 2015
N IE NA LIE AL TA AT NA ALB UM TA LIS E
01 02 03 04 05
GLITTERTIND
BLÅNE FOR BLÅNE
01 02 03 04 05
MY DYING BRIDE FEEL THE MISERY
FROSTTIDE BLOOD OATH
THE INFERNAL SEA THE GREAT MORTALITY
AMORPHIS
UNDER THE RED CLOUD
SHOW OWS S SH
SKÁLMÖLD
HAFAN Y MÔR, PWLLHELI, 14/03
VORNA
BAR BÄKKÄRI, HELSINKI, 12/12
STEVE’N’SEAGULLS
SOUND CONTROL, MC, 28/10
AMARANTHE
ACADEMY 3, MC, 20/03
THYRIEN
TORVI, LAHTI, 24/04
D E VE AV DA
01 02 03 04 05
ALB UM NA TA LIS E
IVARDENSPHERE
FABLES
01
SOLEFALD WORLD METAL. KOSMOPOLIS SUD
STUDIO-X
AD ASTRA VOLANTIS
SIGH
GRAVEWARD
MIDNIGHT ODYSSEY
SHARDS OF SILVER FATE
SHOW OWS S SH
AESTHETIC PERFECTION AUDIO, GLASGOW, 05/08
02 03 04 05
THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE CLASSIC GRAND, 21/04
HANZEL UND GRETYL AUDIO, GLASGOW, 14/10
KILL HANNAH
CATHOUSE, GLASGOW, 04/12
NORTH OF THE WALL CLASSIC GRAND, 28/03
S SLBUM C IUA LIU EL NE RN OR CO NA TALIS E
01 02 03 04 05
NECK DEEP
LIFE’S NOT OUT TO GET YOU
01 02 03 04 05
GABRIELLE APLIN LIGHT UP THE DARK
TWENTY ONE PILOTS BLURRYFACE
ROAM
VIEWPOINT
PALISADES MINDGAMES
SHOW OWS S SH
FRANK CARTER A.T.R. THE UNDERWORLD, 30/11
NECK DEEP
ELECTRIC BALLROOM, 06/02
ALL TIME LOW
WEMBLEY ARENA, 20/03
ATTILA
ELECTRIC BALLROOM, 06/03
MCBUSTED
O2 ARENA, LONDON, 24/04
SOUNDSCAPE 31