Kalmankantaja ‎"Tuulikannel" Cassette

Hammerbund 2018 Pro-tape edition limited to 100 copies

Atmospheric Black Metal from Finland. Recorded during 2017 mainly at Patologian Laboratorio Studio

Even at this stage of their career, after issuing enough recordings to fill a vault in a medium-sized mountain in six to seven years, Kalmankantaja still pull out some very powerful and technically excellent music drama from deep within their well. This EP may only feature two tracks but these are very intense songs, heavy and profound in their sound and melodies, and in the sonorous choral voices employed, especially on the first track "Aarnihauta". The track title's meaning in English may refer to a place of hidden treasure but the song itself sounds more like a journey or a quest of profound significance. Solemn in mood, graceful in nature and smoothly flowing in its needle-sharp whining guitars, this track weaves a spell of dark and bleak mystery. It can be quite repetitive and the song seems a bit confused near the end, as if not knowing where to go next, but several of its riffs are very powerful and have a wide sweeping feel.
The title track takes up the relaxed and flowing mood left by "Aarnihauta" and adds some distinctive riffs and melodies of its own along with some near-operatic background vocals. The lead vocal is as spider-crabby as can be - to be honest, it detracts from the rest of this gently flowing song and listeners might be grateful that much of the track is instrumental with lead guitars dominating the music.
The music is beautiful and relaxing with a clean, clear sound that emphasises the melancholic mood and the sharp, acid-etched droning guitars. Atmosphere seems much less than on earlier Kalmankantaja recordings I've heard which (for me) diminishes these tracks as a definite coldness could have enhanced the music and made it more mysterious. Both tracks are very repetitive and in each the music peaks early and then dog-paddles for the rest of their playing time without resolving the tensions the repetition creates. Even so, the music is very hypnotic and immersive, and if the aim of the EP is to draw listeners further into exploring Kalmankantaja's back catalogue, then "Tuulikannel" certainly does a good job.

The black metal is very hypnotic and immersive on this recording and if the aim is to draw listeners further into exploring Kalmankantaja's back catalogue, then "Tuulikannel" certainly does a very good job!

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