(c) Riku Jokinen
If Valley of Death hit the studio last year, they already knew they had more than enough material for a full album. What’s more, additional songs were recorded for a kind of companion release. This quasi-companion of “Kuusumu” answers to the name “Song of the Dead” and combines three emphatically different, tendentially more catchy tracks on an entertaining EP. By the way, both releases share the same lyrical concept and artwork inspiration.
The title song fuels itself in three and a half minutes through melodic realms and surprises as a flawless dark hit. The Northern Lights head towards the big, grumpy chorus at a comparatively brisk pace, which goes straight to the ear. Sure, that’s something of a scheme and reminds you of HIM in the best of times, but it doesn’t really matter. As a gateway drug into the oppressive as well as stirring soundscapes of Kuolemanlaakso, the song with its somber middle section and change of key suitable for the song content is certainly not wrong.
The rest of the material is also more direct overall, but with a bit more claim. “Juuret jalkojeni alla” fakes a doomy ballad before sinister growls whisk you away into martial depths, accompanied by a similarly grueling leisurely pace. In contrast, “Rautasilvet” seems to unite both worlds and produces one of the best Kuolemanlaakso choruses to date. Although the familiar Death Doom structure shimmers through here, the post-romantic intensity provides a more than exciting splash of color.
Of course, this EP is consistently out of the ordinary, but that certainly doesn’t bother us. Even more, “Kuolleiden laulu” represents a facet of the Finns that is often neglected and that can live out their catchy side here. A very radio-friendly title track and two complex, yet accessible digressions offer a coherent Kuolemanlaakso package for beginners, who can wonderfully approach the more challenging entries in the quintet’s long discography – exciting, unusual and unexpectedly charming.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: 16.12.2022
Available via: Svart Records (Membrane)
Website: kuolemanlaakso.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kuolemanlaakso
Category: Magazin, Reviews
