Kev Rowland This Finnish band got together five years ago, and the line-up has stayed the same since 2009. Apparently they are named after a Finnish folklore character, which is interesting as it is when the guys bring folk elements into what they are doing that they are at their most intriguing. Their version of black metal isn’t as atmospheric and bleak as many, as it brings quite a lot of melody with it, but it is when they move away from a set style and instead use different instruments and timings that the listener starts to pay close attention. They utilise different instruments to great effect at these times, with an accordion being particularly effective, but even switching to acoustic guitar and using piano has a real impact. Vesa’s vocals are mostly very low growls and often are mixed so that they are very similar to the guitars in terms of impact, which means that they come through more as another instrument instead of someone singing. Mind you, all of the lyrics are in their native tongue so I wouldn’t be able to understand them anyways.

I am not sure what the path is that lies before them if they move more into pure BM, but if they decide to go further into the folk metal arena then these guys could make a big impact as there is something quite special going on there. A solid album, without being spectacular, it will be interesting to see what happens in the future. www.inverse.fi