Kalmankantaja – Kohti Valon Kuolemaa

As this turn around the sun is about to reach its end and a new round of the endless cycle soon begins, Kalmankanataja closes off 2023 with its third full-length of the year, or fourth release in total when we include the EP. A year that has taken us through the more Doom-laden beauty of ‘Second Death’, the mid tempo melancholy of ‘Surun Saattomailla’ and the nostalgic sound of the ‘Unohdettu’ EP. Now, Grim666 ends the year with a bang with ‘Kohti Valon Kuolemaa’.

The most recent album is very much a typical Kalmankantaja album as in that it’s recognisable, but by no means a copy of their previous albums. The base of atmospheric Black Metal has been a constant on all releases of the band, and that formula is still intact. But while that is a trademark for the sound of Kalmankantaja, so is variation from one release to another in terms of how the elements of the music are composed. With ‘Kohti Valon Kuolemaa’ we have arrived at arguably the fiercest of all the albums thus far, more ferocious in tempo than ever before. Furthermore, there is a grandiose, bombastic and even slight pagan undertone to the record and the keyboards from time to time have a more cosmic appearance. Indeed, parallels with Norwegian Black Metal stalwarts such as Emperor and Dimmu Borgir on their very first albums are more apparent than ever. But rest assured, Kalmankantaja remains distinctly unique in sound.

Opener ‘Raunioiden Tuhkasta’ displays this different approach in all its cosmic full tempo glory, sporting the distorted vocal style that Grim666 has employed on numerous albums. While the melody is initially in the atmospheric keyboards, the shifting complexity of the guitar melody takes over, resulting in a diverse song in which the beautiful balance between the atmosphere and the sharpness of the guitar and vocals is highlighted. Songs like ‘Kuolleet’, ‘Ikuisuuden Portit’ and ‘Rienaaja’ are a few examples where the more cosmic-centred keyboards appear, but the alteration with more melancholic backdrops and meandering melodies keep Kalmankantaja far enough removed from sounding too much like aforementioned Norwegian bands. In ‘Roudanraiskaama’ the Pagan tone is somewhat more obvious, a song that otherwise excels in bombast, changes of pace and gripping melodies. And with closer ‘Minun Valtakuntani’ we are initially treated to a more typical midtempo Kalmankantaja riff, only to develop the tempo into the majestic closing piece of the record.

Having closely followed the work of Grim666 over the last few years, I continue to be impressed with the quality of the releases despite the high output frequency. This year in particular was excellent with three very different full-lengths. With its fiercer character combined with the trademark atmosphere, I would rank ‘Kohti Valon Kuolemaa’ at the very top of them all, not only for 2023 but also as one of the absolute highlights of the Kalmankantaja discography.