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Reviews 95 Approval 100%
Soundoffs 108 News Articles 2 Band Edits + Tags 334 Album Edits 409
Album Ratings 251 Objectivity 60%
Last Active 10-08-21 11:02 pm Joined 05-22-12
Review Comments 6,594
| Diddle Arche Round 2: Finland
So, when I was a nipper, I got quite majorly into languages - particularly Finnish, which looked like nothing I'd ever seen before. It looks so cool, sounded so weird, and the people that spoke it (mainly racing car drivers at that age) seemed basically emotionless. Awesome. Now of course, I'm aware some shit hot music comes from there. | 1 | | Horna Sanojesi Aarelle
tl;dr description: rec me songs by Finnish artists. Alternatively, if you know of a song called 'Helsinki', or a band called 'To The Finland Station', that's cool too - it's just got to reference the country in some loose way.
Side note: 3 people go out this round to bring it to 20. I'm definitely not changing my mind this time. Nope. | 2 | | (eight) Emme Nae Elamaa
Also, a quick note about winners. In true Project Runway fashion (Tim Gunn is my reason for living tbh) the winner of each round gets immunity in the next
so
Aberf can't go out this round. Of course, if he wins again then so on the next round. Good luck everyone, look forward to hearing what you come up with :] | 3 | | Rahu The Quest for the Vajra of Shadows
The Serpent King
Ovrot
Really, really excellent black metal. It’s pretty much impossible to hate BM when it’s got this kinda drum production anyway – thundering bass presence, snare not-too-high – and with the melodies here, what’s not to like. On the topic of the melodies, its surprising how ‘pretty’ they sound when you actually listen to the guitar tone, which is pretty lo-fi. Somehow gets 9 hugely enjoyable minutes out of, really, relatively few ideas. 4.3/5.0 | 4 | | Demilich Nespithe
The Sixteenth Six-tooth Son of Fourteen Four-regional Dimensions
cryptologous
Oh my, I’ve been sleeping on this one. Hadn’t even reached the infamous vox and was loving this – that opening section covers the divide between groovable and deranged perfectly, and THAT BASS tone was pure filth. The vox are the weakEST link but that’s more a reflection on that ridiculous guitar work, drum sound, bass, and the band’s appreciation of not letting themselves overstay their welcome. Really great stuff. 4.15/5.0 | 5 | | Insomnium Above the Weeping World
Mortal Share
BlackwaterPork
Is… is that a 7/4 opening riff? To be honest, I’m not quite sure what I made of this one. There’s something I normally feel about melodeath which makes me wish it was slowed down, tweaked, and turned into death/doom, and I definitely started to feel this as the track approached its end here too – I guess it’s something to do with how polished it sounds, or the inherent attention to melody. Yet, I found a fair amount I enjoyed about this too, especially that mid-section with the slightly, stilted, feel? Not converted me to the melodeath side yet, but still decent. 3.6/5.0. | 6 | | Beastmilk Use Your Deluge
Red Majesty
UniqueUniverse
A fuzzier, less trebly Beastmilk than the one I’ve grown to love on Climax (or their great new one, under the moniker Grave Pleasures), this isn’t one to move along with quite as much. This is, naturally, a little bit of a shame, but it does create a track with a more convincingly dour, apocalyptic tone, which I suppose fits into their lyrical scheme surrounding Cold War rivalries, nuclear winters et al. Probably not going to be a favourite of mine compared to some of their other material, but interesting nonetheless. 3.6/5.0 | 7 | | Wintersun Wintersun
Beautiful Death
ryus
I finally get to hear why Jari absolutely NEEDS that sauna for the next album. Like a kind of melodeath/meloblack hybrid with all the bombast of power metal, we’re talking extended solos, rasps/epic cleans, cold orchestral synths – there’s a definite all-or-nothing approach going on here, and you know what? It’s awesome. The little mournful, Arabesque solo at the end was a nice emotional touch, but largely, this was just really good fun. 3.9/5.0. | 8 | | Coheed and Cambria The Second Stage Turbine Blade
Paleface & Matre - Sacred Order of the Pen
Rowan5215
“I’ve got 15 rappers on a track, that’s a lot of us.” Haha. I LOVED most of this. Purely from a stylistic perspective it was interesting to see so many different styles on one track, from laid-back, spacey bars to aggressive spitting and everywhere in between. The beat was excellent too – a kinda cold yet Arabian-spiced deal, I don’t think I stopped moving once to it. Towards the end a couple were a little naff, but overall, very fun. Paleface is a scary looking dude. 4.0/5.0. | 9 | | Architecture In Helsinki Moment Bends
Contact High
verdant/Jack
As much as it pains me to say, there wasn’t a lot about this one I liked. During the first verse, it felt like the synths slightly drowned each other out, which was impressive given the composition wasn’t actually all that busy. I really, really disliked the guy’s voice, and when used in the smarmy, blocky hook – gah. Really sorry pal, but this wasn’t one of your finer cuts. 2.2/5.0.
--ELIMINATED-- ;-; | 10 | | Rippikoulu Musta Seremonia
Ikuinen Piina
hansoloshotfirst
I am 99% sure I’ve heard tracks off this before, so I was slightly unsure whether or not to allow it, but – eh. Hadn’t heard this one, and I will definitely be checking the rest of this album out in the near future because everything about this track is filth. The guitar tone? Doomy, riffy filth. The vox? Growly, wretched filth. That bass kick sound? Gorgeous. And the cherry on top? A second half that’s even better than the first – every riff is almost obscenely dark. Wonderful. 4.3/5.0. | 11 | | Arktau Eos Mirrorion
A Banquet of Ghosts
Astral Abortis
Pretty intense ambient/folk stuff that managed to do the shallow breath thing yadda yadda basically I loved the atmosphere. I kept expecting to break into BM or something for some reason so the fact it didn’t was maybe a little disappointing initially, but ultimately I’m glad they stuck with it. 3.8/5.0. | 12 | | Kairon IRSE! Ujubasajuba
Swarm
Aberf
I had no idea what to really expect going into this, but… heavy, spacey rock/pop? This absolutely, 100% completely works. I understand that’s a male singing? It’s like the most beautiful, pure castrati got thrown into a pit with Slowdive, Alter and a Steven Wilson (or something) and told ‘there you go.’ It’s an intense, emotionally-investing ride with spectacular climaxes that elevate and then crush. 4.3/5.0. | 13 | | Amorphis Tales From the Thousand Lakes
Black Winter Day
bgillesp
Piano and cheesy synths in the first 10 seconds? I’m in. Actually a surprisingly lovely bass guitar tone used here, but otherwise we’re looking at simply well-done death/doom with a few more synths melodies than is typical. Vocals are good (the growls in particular blend clarity and ‘viscous’ growling very nicely), atmospheres are there, and it’s not too long either. The epitome of ‘good, solid music.’ 3.8/5.0. | 14 | | Pekka Pohjola Visitation
Vapour Trails
50IL
Having reviewed his son’s tribute to the now-late prog bassist, it’s interesting to hear one of the tracks he composed – one of the many – which Verneri didn’t adapt. As to be expected Pekka’s basswork is absolutely sterling, but there’s a wonderful girth of variety here, blending funk and jazz into YYZ-esque instrumental noodling. As it happens, vocal-less prog is normally my favourite, and this does nothing to dissuade me from my position. 4.1/5.0. | 15 | | YUP Toppatakkeja ja Toledon terasta
Toppatakkeja ja Toledon terasta
Frivolous
This was… weird. A sort of toned-down Bungle mixed with hard rock and a twinge of brutal prog thrown in for good measure, the breakneck flips between irregular, spastic sections, ‘lighters in the air’ rock and a kind of punky vibe meant that this was an interesting listen certainly. Not sure I liked all of it, especially in the first half, but overall pretty decent. 3.5/5.0.
--ELIMINATED-- ;-; | 16 | | Moonsorrow Kivenkantaja
Raunioilla
adr
With my increasing interest in pagan metal since Havukruunu’s effort earlier on this year, this probably marks the perfect time for me to get off my arse and actually check Moonsorrow out. This DELIVERED. When I don’t want 13 minutes to be over then that’s a grand sign – epic, beautiful and heavy, this basically does everything I ever wanted it to do. Don’t want to go on any further cos I’ll just gush everywhere, but stunning rec. 4.5/5.0.
--WINNER-- ^ ^ / | 17 | | Husky Rescue Ghost Is Not Real
Blueberry Tree 1, 2 and 3
sinternet
A pretty, relaxing dream-pop/indietronica foray, Blueberry Tree is one of those pieces of music which doesn’t require a huge amount of studious listening – which isn’t a bad thing, as it means I can just drift off for 11 minutes in a cosy cloud of airy synth, sparkling guitars and Reeta-Leena Korhola’s vocals, which manage to sound delicate and beautiful without resorting to obnoxious breathing whisperings. Nowt groundbreaking, but it doesn’t need to be. 3.9/5.0. | 18 | | Tenhi Folk Aesthetic 1996-2006
Koiranlainen Peura
tacos N stuff
Really sweet grounded, dark neofolk that felt convincingly woodsy, but not in a Musk Ox way. Don’t have a colossal amount to say about it besides that I felt like it would be better stood in a deciduous forest (coincidentally, this time of year is PERFECT) so I may have to try it out. Did I hear a Jew’s harp? Always a bonus. 3.8/5.0. | 19 | | Ghost Brigade Until Fear No Longer Defines Us
Clawmaster
CaimanJesus
Used to jam Isolation Songs hard back in the day, so quite why I never got around to this I’m honestly not sure about. As to be expected, super-solid, heavy as sin atmosludge with, I think, maybe a little death/doom slant (by virtue of its slow, plodding, EMPHATIC drum beat). Would perhaps have preferred a little more variation towards its end, but aside from that not a lot to complain about. 3.7/5.0. | 20 | | Betrayal At Bespin Rains
My Hands Are On Fire
Sniff
Okay, so this was really neat - a thundering post-metal track yet with more than a tinge of its softer cousin, especially as the track progressed. The gang chanted section actually worked really well, although I’m never going to lose my love for Scott Kelly-esque roars so that was obviously the highlight. Will check the rest of this at some point. 4.0/5.0. | 21 | | Apocalyptica Inquisition Symphony
Harmageddon
Joeman82
Okay, so it’s probably a gimmick at least to some extent– 4 celloists doing metal covers – but it kinda works. Harmageddon is, I understand, one of the few originals on this album, and it’s pretty damn interesting, especially that midsection where it starts to ooze early 90s death metal in its approach (kinda like a cello’s Mental Funeral at some points). I’d maybe have preferred a little more traditionally classical melody in parts, but I guess they’re not about that. 3.5/5.0.
--ELIMINATED-- ;-; | 22 | | Terveet Kadet Aareton joulu
Haistelijat
Chortles
Hoooooooooly shit. This vocal performance is nuts – not so much in terms of making odd noises, but more the timbre of their punky expulsions is bizarre to say the least. The track itself is pretty par-for-the-course-but-good 80s hardcore punk, but they fit two – TWO – solos in there. It’s 44 seconds long. I spent longer writing this summary. Yeah, this slayed for what it’s worth. 3.9/5.0. | 23 | | Pepe Deluxe Queen of the Wave
Go Supersonic
Frippertronics
So there I was, enjoying a lovely piece of 50s-inspired indie pop-rock (pop-pop-silence-pop snare pattern and all) when it turned into some weird choral section that’s more Dead Can Dance than surfy, post-war optimism – it’s like the B52’s but even odder. And yeah, it was really, really good fun. Might have to check the rest of this out cos I think there’s some gems in there somewhere. 3.9/5.0. | 24 | | Nightwish Once
Ghost Love Score
Flugmorph
This started positively enough – you know, synths, strings, all the usual symphonic gubbins – but then Tarja started singing the backing changed to a standard 4/4 hard rock beat, eliciting an ‘oh God.’ When the midsection started though, and it just went full-on epic classical, chorals and (the following) hard hits and good slaps, it becomes overblown, wholesome, dragon-fighting symphonic metal at its best. So I don’t know how to rate this really. A 3.5? I didn’t like the first half, but the second was class. Uh. 3.7/5.0. | 25 | | Swallowed Lunarterial
Reverence through Darkness
Jacquibim
Saving an absolute monster till last I see. This is so ugly. It held itself together – just – for the first 90 seconds, and then just exploded in a mire of blasts (maybe my favourite drum tone of this round too), rabid gnashes and an atmosphere so murky you need one of those torches you get from petrol stations to see through it. Like, nothing about this should work even individually, let alone as a collective, but it just DOES. I wanna buy a cloak and huff off-milk listening to this. 4.3/5.0. | |
Archelirion
10.09.17 | :]
[: | Ovrot
10.09.17 | Rahu - The Serpent King | ramon.
10.09.17 | Demilich - The Sixteenth Six-Tooth Son Of Fourteen Four Regional Dimensions | BlackwaterPork
10.09.17 | Insomnium- mortal share | Papa Universe
10.09.17 | Does it have to be in Finnish? | Archelirion
10.09.17 | Nope! Just as long as the band is Finnish or the track/bandname/lyrics reference Finnish or Finnish things in some way | Relinquished
10.09.17 | obv Demigod | Papa Universe
10.09.17 | I'll put SE - Dendrit as a placeholder. | smaugman
10.09.17 | My finnish neighbors are: 1) schoolschooters, 2) alcoholics | Alastor
10.09.17 | Moonsorrow - Jotunheim | Papa Universe
10.09.17 | Wait, you don't have it rated, so I assume you have not heard it:
Beastmilk - Red Majesty | Ryus
10.09.17 | wintersun - beautiful death
is there a cutoff for length? its 8 minutes | Rowan5215
10.09.17 | as a breather for all the metal you will receive, some Finnish hip-hop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8vxkUMMIhc
(long song I know, but there's 13 Finnish MCs on it so hopefully I get points for quantity as well as quality, idk) | Sniff
10.09.17 | This fucks with my plan of only recing music friends made. I have no Finnish friends | verdant
10.09.17 | ok ok ok i'm gonna take a huge risk here and go Architecture In Helsinki - Contact High because it's got the best hook ever pls lov it aaron ehehh | hansoloshotfirst
10.09.17 | Rippikoulu - Ikuinen Piina | Astral Abortis
10.09.17 | Arktau Eos - A Banquet for Ghosts (from Mirrorion) | Aberf
10.09.17 | Kairon Irse - Swarm
Ujubasajuba [album]
Literally the only Finnish thing I know. | bgillesp
10.09.17 | Dang it Porky! I was too slow | bgillesp
10.09.17 | I would've gone with The Killjoy but Morta Share is awesome too | Artuma
10.09.17 | "I have no Finnish friends"
i hate you too | bgillesp
10.09.17 | Amorphis- Black Winter Day work? From Tales... | 50iL
10.09.17 | Ah shit, lemme search | 50iL
10.09.17 | Pekka Pohjola - Vapour Trails | Frivolous
10.09.17 | YUP - Toppatakkeja ja toledon terästä (t/t) | tacos n stuff
10.09.17 | hmmmmmmm
u gonna need to give me a sec on this one | Sniff
10.09.17 | Are you in a band Art? If Art's in a band I rec Art's band | Orb
10.09.17 | Nice to see Rahu in there. Thats one of the best bm albums of the decade. | tacos n stuff
10.09.17 | TIL i jam far more swedish jams than finnish ones | adr
10.09.17 | Moonsorrow - Raunioilla | tacos n stuff
10.09.17 | okay ill go with "Koiranlainen Peura " by Tenhi off of Folk Aesthetic | Sinternet
10.09.17 | Damn was gonna rec callisto but seeibg all this metal ill give you something different (and just as awesome)
Husky rescue - blueberry tree parts 1, 2 and 3
Seperate tracks but all one song really so i guess it counts | tacos n stuff
10.09.17 | lol the second i saw finnish jams i thought 'yeah this round's gonna be *a lot* of metal" | adr
10.09.17 | i was gonna rec him some tenhi too before i saw he's heard some of their stuff. Also just saw Alastor already rec'd him Moonsorrow, but he didn't participate in the first round so i'm not sure if i should change it or not lol | CaimanJesus
10.09.17 | Ghost brigade - clawmaster
from until fear no longer defines us
| tacos n stuff
10.09.17 | oh snap i shouldve checked if he jammed it...
ill think of something else if u want arch | tacos n stuff
10.09.17 | & nice rec caiman | Archelirion
10.09.17 | Nah, it's fine. I actually don't know that one so it's all good :]
@ryus track lengths are fine. As long as you're not rec'ing Bull of Heaven I don't really mind.
Updated the list, a lovely set of album art! | Sniff
10.09.17 | Betrayal at Bespin - My Hands are on Fire
https://betrayalatbespin.bandcamp.com/album/rains | Sniff
10.09.17 | But don't let my actual rec stop you from jamming this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbVuGromaYk | Artuma
10.09.17 | Are you in a band Art?"
no :[ | Archelirion
10.09.17 | Hurriganes sound really good. Will check some more of them out at some point :]
Waiting on 5 more I think? Thanks everyone for submissions so far! | Papa Universe
10.09.17 | still missing:
Frippertronics
Jacquibim
Joeman82
Chortles
Flugmorph | Archelirion
10.09.17 | Cheers my dear ^ ^ | Joeman82
10.09.17 | Apocalyptica - Harmeggedon | Chortles
10.10.17 | terveet kadet - haistelijat | ZippaThaRippa
10.10.17 | Man what the fuck the first round had all kinds of super sweet shit and I've heard practically everything on this list
WHO THE FUCK HASN'T HEARD MORTAL SHARE | Frippertronics
10.10.17 | uhhhhhhhhhhh
Pepe Deluxe - Go Supersonic | CaimanJesus
10.10.17 | Just flug and jac now | tacos n stuff
10.10.17 | mortal share is a classic tune, yeah
surprised arch hasnt jammed it | Flugmorph
10.10.17 | this is moving fast as fuck. Lemme think for a sec here...
aight im gonna go out on a limp here but ill give you my childhood fav which i still have the most amount of nastalgia of any band for and which embodies finnland whenever i think of it.
Nightwish - Ghost Love Score | BlackwaterPork
10.10.17 | Ikr I posted mortal share and was half expecting arch to have heard it | Artuma
10.10.17 | "Hurriganes sound really good."
lmao they are such a joke, albeit a pretty good one | Archelirion
10.10.17 | Thanks everyone :]
Assuming Jac posts his at some point in the next 8 hours I should be able to do most, if not all of these after work. If I do manage that, I might stagger the next round by a day or two, give you guys a break? Up to you really. | Artuma
10.10.17 | wonder how rotten sound is not mentioned yet | Flugmorph
10.10.17 | "Good Love Score"
lol | Archelirion
10.10.17 | Oh shit
Now it sounds like an anime OST | Astral Abortis
10.10.17 | "wonder how rotten sound is not mentioned yet"
cuz they not gud | Flugmorph
10.10.17 | hot takes | bgillesp
10.11.17 | Im good if you roll on. Rec'ing don't take no time out of my day | CaimanJesus
10.11.17 | just do what works best for you | verdant
10.11.17 | leave it to aaron to imply that this competition is harder work for us than it is for him :''') | Pon
10.11.17 | Swallowed - Lunarterial
"Reverence Through Darkness"
https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/lunarterial | BlackwaterPork
10.11.17 | Took ya time jac | Archelirion
10.11.17 | Chortles in with the 45 second rec, hahaha. Looking forward to that one :3
Thanks for the recs everyone. I'll probably have these done in a matter of hours, as all I'm doing today is prep for an early dissertation task - lots of reading. Good luck!! | BlackwaterPork
10.11.17 | Hope you enjoy | Archelirion
10.11.17 | Updated. Commiserations to Jack, Joe and Friv this round, my apologies. Congrats to adr though, absolute monster of a track :] | Astral Abortis
10.11.17 | Looking forward to the next round! | BlackwaterPork
10.11.17 | I was expecting a higher rating tbh but I'm glad to be through | Papa Universe
10.11.17 | Eh, not the results I expect of Beastmilk... still in tho | Astral Abortis
10.11.17 | Climax is better than the demos so I can definitely understand those results. | Ovrot
10.11.17 | hell yeah RAHU bih | Chortles
10.11.17 | I value your time Arche :~) | Flugmorph
10.11.17 | dang i knew i shouldve recced dead garden instead. That third half is unbeatable | Sniff
10.11.17 | Must I check 25? | Archelirion
10.11.17 | I'm not, as is probably evident by now, a colossal melodeath fan, although meloblack is A-OK :3 | Archelirion
10.11.17 | I would Sniff. It GOES. | Astral Abortis
10.11.17 | @sniff: Definitely. Lunarterial is a modern classic, one of the best albums ever. | Frivolous
10.11.17 | :saddab: | Archelirion
10.11.17 | :saddab: in solidarity | hansoloshotfirst
10.11.17 | yeah, surprised u hadn't rated Musta Seremonia. (the backup pick I had in mind was Swallowed - Black Aura ...) |
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