Kuolemanlaakso – Musta aurinko nousee

Artist: Kuolemanlaakso

Album: Musta aurinko nousee EP

Label: svart records

Genre: death/doom metal

Release Date: November 29^th 2013

It's been almost a year since Kuolemanlaakso released their EP Musta aurinko nousee, and this gem almost remained undiscovered in my stack of records that are awaiting review. Featuring members of Swallow the Sun and Chaosweaver. Kuolemanlaakso is a doom/death act from, as you might have guessed from their name and EP title, Finland.

Nothing is really new about the death/doom metal that Kuolemanlaakso are delivering, but they do it is such a sublime way, that you just want to listen to the album over and over again. Nothing too complicated and innovative, but just really good song-writing seems to be the goal of Kuolemanlaakso.

Kuolemanlaakso is Finnish for Death Valley, one of the lowest, driest and hottest places on Earth. Started in 2010 by guitarist Laakso alone, his mission was to create deep dark and heavy music with catchy hooks. From the beginning, it was decided all lyrics would be recited in Finnish, and inspired by Finnish poetry about the mystique of the forests as oposed to the morbidity of the modern world. Upon positive reception of a demo, Laakso recruited four more musicians: vocalist Kotamäki (Swallow the Sun, Barren Earth), guitarist Kouta (Chaosweaver, ex-Verjnuarmu), bassist Usva (Elenium, The Nibiruan), and drummer Tiera (Discard, Cult of Endtime).

The current EP is rather short – only 23 minutes, and I'm looking forward to the next full album of Kuolemanlaakso. While there are no new elements in Musta aurinko nousee, it is a catchy EP, which sounds a bit like a more mainstream-oriented and slower brother of fellow-Finns Amorphis.

To wrap it up: in the death/doom genre, Kuolemanlaakso bring some catchy heavy stuff that every metal head should go and check out. It's that simple.

Buy Kuolemanlaakso – Musta aurinko nousee