Nightfall In Suomi: Finnish Tales Of The Dark And Surreal

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I took a crack at this list a while ago and then scrapped it. Time for the revival. The idea here is simple enough. For quite a while now Finland seems to have established a formidable reputation for interpretations of metal that are just all around more mindbending, forward thinking and subversive than much of their other counterparts in the international community. This is most noticeable in the realms of black and doom metal, which will be the focus of this list. More or less from the 90s on, much experimentation along the darker, more esoteric lines has been taking place within these arenas of Finnish metal, and the trend continues today. Let's take a look see, shall we?

One album per band. Recs encouraged and appreciated. Full streams provided when available.

Created by:

Auntie Sahar | 18.01.2018

	1.	Beherit - Drawing Down The Moon
	2.	Demilich - Nespithe
	3.	Unholy - From The Shadows
	4.	Skepticism - Stormcrowfleet Arguably the inaugural funeral doom album, here the Finns in Skepticism established many important staples of the style to come: slow, "funereal" paced doom, heavy as thunder guitars, and a penchant for eerie, dreamlike atmosphere via intense, stimulating keyboard usage. Over 20 years later, this album remains immensely respected for a reason.
	5.	Woods Of Belial - Baxabaxaxaxaxabaxaxaxaxa! 666 Yndstr Draconis The spiritual forefathers of so called "dissonant black metal," Woods Of Belial were flirting with grinding, atonal experimentation well before it reached a wider audience with the likes of Blut Aus Nord and Deathspell Omega. It's difficult to really put a label on this music, as it's quite layered and multidimensional, but boiling down to it it's a bizarre, nightmarish fusion of black metal, doom, and industrial music. The result is nothing short of haunting, and the piercing, Wrest-like shrieks of Ville Sorvali are the icing on the cake.
	6.	Wyrd - Heathen
	7.	Horse Latitudes - Gathering Horse Latitudes are an unusual trio for sure. Laughing in the face of "it has to have guitar to be metal" type idiots, these Finns craft their doom with no guitar, TWO bassists, a drummer, synths, and a vocalist. The result is an absolutely dense, smothering, and mesmerizing sound oozing of various drone and occult influences. A real hypnotizer. https://tinyurl.com/yarteth9
	8.	Dolorian - Voidwards
	9.	Wormphlegm - In An Excruciating Way Infested With Vermin And Violated By Executioners Who Practise Incendiarism And Desanctifying The Pious
	10.	Mörkö - Itsensänimeävä A criminally unknown band, and admittedly a favorite of mine in the blackened doom arena because of how tight their fusion of the two is. At some moments gritty and aggressive, at others more bouncy, jammy, and psychedelic, and featuring a peculiar use of clean vocals not typical of this style. A weird little bastard, but a great one at that. https://tinyurl.com/ybmvms6f
	11.	Dark Buddha Rising - Inversum These sorcerers have become an unquestionable force to be reckoned with in the realms of doom and drone music in recent years. Rhythmic, repetitive grooves that induce semi-conscious states, phenomenal drumming that sounds improvised at many points, and an impressive use of chants make this an ideal Bardo Thodol soundtrack. https://tinyurl.com/y9as4xaa
	12.	Fleshpress - Hulluuden Muuri
	13.	Tyranny - Tides Of Awakening
	14.	Atomikylä - Keräily Atomikylä is the result of the merging of two formidable forces in Finland's psychedelic underground, featuring Vesa and Jukka from Dark Budda Rising and Ontto and Jun-His from Oranssi Pazuzu. The result, while gearing more toward DBR's smothering drone doom sound, is still spacey as hell, and complete with subtle shades of black metal riffing and shrieks to remind listeners that Oranssi Pazuzu certainly haven't been lost in the final recipe either. https://atomikyla.bandcamp.com/album/ker-ily
	15.	0 X í S T - One Eon
	16.	Katakombi - Katakombi
	17.	Oranssi Pazuzu - Värähtelijä A growing favorite of Finnish metal for many as of late, Oranssi Pazuzu have been on an upward climb through the lands of black metal and psychedelia since their powerful 2009 debut. This latest effort sees them shifting gears into a bouncier, more space rock influenced territory, but that black metal presence is nonetheless still there, and weaves itself around the psychedelic elements perhaps better than ever before. https://tinyurl.com/z7qln8e
	18.	Verge - Sex & Violence
	19.	Jumalhämärä - Resignaatio
	20.	Circle Of Ouroborus - Eleven Fingers
	21.	Abyssion - Luonnon Harmonia Ja Vihreä Liekki
	22.	Havoc Unit - H.IV+
	23.	Dream Projector - Frames And The View
	24.	Dødkvlt - III: Domĭni Ascensiōnem

Disclaimer: All top lists are unofficial and do not represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
[ More lists by Auntie Sahar ]

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VIG Account deleted	Permalink 18.01.2018 - 15:54 VIG Account deleted Dude.. You are missing Demilich! Loading...
Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989	Permalink 18.01.2018 - 15:56 Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989 Written by [user id=159927] on 18.01.2018 at 15:54 Dude.. You are missing Demilich! Christ, you don't miss a beat And no, this list is focusing on black and doom, Demilich are a great band, but not demonstrative of any rising trend towards experimentalism or otherworldliness in Finnish death metal. They're an anomaly for sure. ---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII Loading...
RaduP CertifiedHipster Staff Posts: 9061	Permalink +5 18.01.2018 - 16:13 RaduP CertifiedHipster Staff Posts: 9061 DUDE YOU MISSED CHILDREN OF BODOM AND NIGHTWISH ---- Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking One day there will be no heart at all? Loading...
Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989	Permalink 18.01.2018 - 16:30 Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989 Written by RaduP on 18.01.2018 at 16:13 DUDE YOU MISSED CHILDREN OF BODOM AND NIGHTWISH Good bait, lad. E for Effort ---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII Loading...
RaduP CertifiedHipster Staff Posts: 9061	Permalink +2 18.01.2018 - 16:47 RaduP CertifiedHipster Staff Posts: 9061 Lemme just Skepticism ---- Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking One day there will be no heart at all? Loading...
Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989	Permalink 18.01.2018 - 16:47 Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989 Written by RaduP on 18.01.2018 at 16:47 Lemme just Skepticism Debating it, Stormcrowfleet wouldn't be a bad idea here. ---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII Loading...
RaduP CertifiedHipster Staff Posts: 9061	Permalink +3 18.01.2018 - 16:51 RaduP CertifiedHipster Staff Posts: 9061 Written by Auntie Sahar on 18.01.2018 at 16:47 Written by RaduP on 18.01.2018 at 16:47 Lemme just Skepticism Debating it, Stormcrowfleet wouldn't be a bad idea here. Dude Thergothon ---- Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking One day there will be no heart at all? Loading...
VIG Account deleted	Permalink 18.01.2018 - 17:00 VIG Account deleted Written by Auntie Sahar on 18.01.2018 at 15:56 but not demonstrative of any rising trend towards experimentalism or otherworldliness in Finnish death metal. They're an anomaly for sure. Yes they are! Maybe I just don't know much other bands, but I thought Demilich was the first to play that weird, progressive, technical, and dissonant style of death metal Loading...
Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989	Permalink 18.01.2018 - 17:00 Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989 Written by RaduP on 18.01.2018 at 16:51 Dude Thergothon Yeah, I've heard of that band and album, never actually listened though. I'll check it and some others out on my lunch break ---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII Loading...
Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989	Permalink 18.01.2018 - 17:00 Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989 Written by [user id=159927] on 18.01.2018 at 17:00 I thought Demilich was the first to play that weird, progressive, technical, and dissonant style of death metal Them and Portal most likely, you're not wrong. ---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII Loading...
VIG Account deleted	Permalink 18.01.2018 - 17:01 VIG Account deleted Written by Auntie Sahar on 18.01.2018 at 17:00 Written by RaduP on 18.01.2018 at 16:51 Dude Thergothon Yeah, I've heard of that band and album, never actually listened though. I'll check it and some others out on my lunch break First funeral doom band ever. Loading...
Desha delicious dish Posts: 821	Permalink 18.01.2018 - 23:22 Desha delicious dish Posts: 821 So I finally ended up giving in and listening to Dark Buddha rising. Pretty great, I've been missing out. ---- You are the hammer, I am the nail building a house in the fire on the hill Loading...
Alex F Posts: 3519	Permalink +1 18.01.2018 - 23:54 Alex F Posts: 3519 Nice list! Finland seriously seems to have the highest concentration of great metal of pretty much any country. Some suggestions that partially ignore your black/doom focus because I do what I want; Swallowed - Lunarterial, October Falls - The Womb Of Primordial Nature, Tenhi - Kauan, Vomiturition - A Leftover, Amorphis - The Karelian Isthmus, and Hexvessel - Dawnbearer. Idk if any of these really fit your list's direction, but oh well. Loading...
Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989	Permalink 19.01.2018 - 00:07 Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989 Written by Alex F on 18.01.2018 at 23:54 Recs Forgot all about Hexvessel, and I've been meaning to check out Swallowed. The others I haven't listened to. ---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII Loading...
Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989	Permalink 19.01.2018 - 00:08 Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989 Written by Desha on 18.01.2018 at 23:22 So I finally ended up giving in and listening to Dark Buddha rising. Pretty great, I've been missing out. Yeah they're incredible, definitely see them live if the opportunity ever comes your way. ---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII Loading...
Desha delicious dish Posts: 821	Permalink 19.01.2018 - 10:31 Desha delicious dish Posts: 821 Written by Auntie Sahar on 19.01.2018 at 00:08 Written by Desha on 18.01.2018 at 23:22 So I finally ended up giving in and listening to Dark Buddha rising. Pretty great, I've been missing out. Yeah they're incredible, definitely see them live if the opportunity ever comes your way. I mean I'm kind of going to see them at Roadburn later this year, even if it's together with Oranssi Pazuzu. ---- You are the hammer, I am the nail building a house in the fire on the hill Loading...
Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989	Permalink 19.01.2018 - 12:58 Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Posts: 5989 Written by Desha on 19.01.2018 at 10:31 I mean I'm kind of going to see them at Roadburn later this year, even if it's together with Oranssi Pazuzu. Oh word? Didn't know you'd be there, but yeah that's definitely close enough. I'm getting there early to be right in front for that "Waste In Space" thing myself, hope to see ya! ---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII Loading...