Kuolemanlaakso from the city of Kuopio, Finland were formed in 2010. And as from the very beginning of their existence, they did surprise me enormously. The band’s 2012-debut on Svart Records, Uljas Uusi Maailma, was a truly satisfying aural experience, and one of the best Death Metal albums that very same year (though, can one label this material just as ‘Death Metal’?). At the very end of last year, the band returned with the mini-album Musta Aurinko Nousee (updated on February 8th 2014, in case you are interested in the review I did earlier this year), which was an even more organic master-piece. The main difference might have been the writing process. The debut was written almost entirely by frontman Markus Laakso (whom you might know as well from Chaosweaver), while the new material was written and composed by the ‘band’, with the other members being involved within the writing process as well.
Once again, this album was recorded with Victor Santura (the guy behind great acts like Dark Fortress, The Shroud, Noneuclid or Triptykon, a.o.), and it lasts for fifty six minutes. Said and written is that this stuff would follow the mini rather than the full album of 2012, but I do not agree. Musta … was somewhat ‘catchier’, but I don’t think it counts for this sophomore full length at all.
As a matter of fact, this album is another milestone within the global Metal scene. Tulijoutsen opens with Aarnivalkea, a track that sort of guides one’s mind to the likes of My Dying Bride. The song combines different aspects taken from Doom, Doom-Death and Death Metal (and that’s a very narrow-minded description, I have to admit), pierced with details from Black Metal. Damn, sometimes such definition hits the bull’s eye immediately, but in this case it still says nothing at all. But how can / shall I? Try to dissect this great epic and admit that I am not mistaken! And now I am sort of anxious to continue. Verihaaksi, the second track, is of the same kind, even though largely different (are you still with me?). The song stands for Doom, yet once again of a most unusual, quasi-selfish kind. The whole experience simply trespasses the ‘average mediocrity’ by bringing something so unique. Can I satisfy you with mingling Woods Of Belial, My Dying Bride, Unholy and Black Sun Aeon? Nice analysis it is, yet still not satisfying.
To capture what this album stands for cannot be written down that easily. To accept the fact that this kind of material, and then I am referring to both the writing process as well as the final performance (including the recording + sound), is simply majestic, well, that’s the easier part of the game for undersigned, your mostly devoted and modest reviewer. But believe if I say that Kuolemanlaakso recorded their best stuff to date (and notice that the past didn’t consist but of superlatives!) with this album; just forget about the shortest track Glastonburyn Lehto (the only ‘mistake’ on the album, but inferior in comparison to the superior quality of the rest!!!). Tulijoutsen is not an easy album, and it surely needs several listens. But it is worth to implement several listens; sorry, what did I say?... It is a must to listen to this material, time after time, again and again. No matter if you’re into the doomier sub-genres of the Black Metal scene, the grimmest old styled Doom-Death one, or the atmospheric and ambient Doom-Black-Death-Black-Doom-Deadlydead Metal genre; in any case you will, and have to, appreciate this bleak and obscure yet magnificent aural superiority!
2014, I guess we might have a winner…