Black Metal History Month - HAVUKRUUNU : "Tavastland"

Instead of hitting you with a blizzard of blast beats the Finnish headbangers come with an epic gallop, that feels more like classic metal. It takes almost two minutes before the blast beats come and at least then the guitars are not just holding a static tremlopicking and lock back into a more aggressive gallop for the verse. The vocals are a mid-range scowl backed by a sung chorus offering a call and response. It feels like Tyr or even old Enslaved in this regard. The second song works at a more deliberate and epic scale. Thankfully Black Metal History Month falls in the winter, so there is at least a touch of chill in the air for these sounds to be properly enjoyed. They indulge in a few guitar solos on this one which is not something most black metal bands do so it's cool to hear those who can do so. 

Another part of their sound that helps to set them apart is the bass being more present in the mix, even if it is an underlying clunk, you can hear it so it brings more backbone to the overall guitar sound. The second band this month where that has been the case so maybe more black metal bands are giving their bass players more priority,. This is a trend I stand behind. The sung vocals are also an element here, but more of a background layer, as this song races forward with more aggression than the previous two. This increased speed also places them closer to the more conventional path of black metal. The title track finds a similar rapid-fire attack in play, perhaps this one is even more furious in its intent. Though two minutes in they break it down into more of a chugged groove. It's also another song with guitar solos though it's a melodic embellishment that follows the main theme of the song. 

"Kuoleman uma" works of a more classic metal chug which is a very effective place for the band to return as it has more impact than just blast beats, the only thing is for black metal, it does not sound all that dark nor is this album that dark for a black metal band, It almost feels more like pagan metal, but there is some great songwriting going down here so hard to fault them for that. They do revert back to the more traditional black metal buzz for "Unissakavija" though even here they wisely lock into a more Iron Maiden-like gallop. The solos feel like something Dave Murray might do. "Kun Veri..." is aggressive without blasting, with the Maiden-like solos ripping right out the gate. This might be the most Maiden-influenced song on the album. Regular readers know Iron Maiden is my favorite band so it's cool to be talking about a black metal band that is influenced by them. 

The last song finds their tribute to Iron Maiden gloriously remaining intact, If Bruce was singing over it instead of snarled vocals it would sound just like them. Granted the bass lines are not as intricate. Throughout the almost 11-minute song, they accelerate into more black metal picking and end on a more folk metal note. I'll give this album a 9, anytime I reference Iron Maiden in regards to a band it's a good sign. I am surprised Svart Records is releasing something as straight-up metal, so kudo to them for that. 

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