Year: 2021
Total Time: 34:53
Label: Naturmacht Productions
HAVUKRUUNU is a band that “paints” soundscapes. The imagery may be cold and dark but it’s also beautiful and majestic. It’s black metal but at the same time is so much more than that. They use the genre to express their artistic vision and they expand it; they broaden the canvas.
After their excellent 2020 release “Uinuos Syomein Sota” (being voted as the album of the year by thegallery.gr), the Finish band releases this EP which fulfilling as it may be, it left me wondering why they didn’t release a full length?
Unanswered questions aside (for the time being), the EP is full of dark atmosphere. The characteristic vocals are present and are once more so masterfully performed and so well fitting into the compositions and the arrangement that you have at once this unique sonic identity which is HAVUKRUUNU.
The eerie atmosphere created by the minimalistic use of synthesizers hands the torch to the manic blast-beats and the wall of sound of electric guitars and bass and vice versa, while for the album’s epic outbursts a choir serves well. But you see, there is no “traditional” recipe in their music. The song structure is full of surprises and what seems totally unorthodox if seen in just one song (for example “Yon Torni” after its peak of energy, suddenly falls into the depths of a synth atmospheric sound), it is totally justified in the context of the whole EP.
And that brings me to my next point; In my oppinion you can’t appreciate “Kuu Ekylan Ylla” if you don’t listen to it from start to finish as a whole. It has to be listened to as one sees a multifaceted painting at an exhibition: you may approach each piece in particular to admire the details, but then you have to take your distance and admire the hole to understand the artist’s full perspective and appreciate the vision behind the work of art.
And that may be the reason why HAVUKRUUNU went for an EP and not a full-length album. And that’s also why I will not dare review the 5 songs one by one, but I’ll rather leave you with a general opinion about the album as a whole.
In my oppinion “Kuu Ekylan Ylla” is a masterpiece that will be discussed in the genre for the decades to come. It’s original in its approach, it has an extremely well thought internal unity between its songs, an epic dimension and sometimes a more esoteric approach than its predecessor. Even if I don’t understand the lyrics, it leaves me with the impression that it might be a concept… Personally, I enjoyed it even more than “Uinuos…”, I think that it’s a step forward to a beautiful direction. A rare gem.
Rating: 9/10
Editor: Yiannis Tziallas
Related Link: HAVUKRUUNU – Bandcamp Page
