‘Kuilu’ might seem the first ever release for this Finnish Atmospheric Black Metal band, it is actually its second outing. Before switching to the name of ‘Vuosisasta’ the band was active under the name of Unohdus, under that first moniker the sole musician, also going under the pseudonym of Vuosisata, released a nice and short demo in 2023. Especially the melancholic strings and the almost Post-Black Metal nature of the music made ‘Niin Turhaan Tähdet Valaisivat Meitä’ an interesting first offering.
After having changed the name to his own stage name, Vuosisata began working on new material, which eventually materialized with ‘Kuilu’. Another 2-track, 15-minute short demo – the first one not even clocking 10 minutes, that, together with the name-change, showcases a slightly different musical approach as well. While the Post-Black Metal/Blackgaze influences were already evident on ‘Niin Turhaan Tähdet Valaisivat Meitä’, they have been further emphasized on this new demo.
But, merely classifying it as another dreamy Blackgaze release wouldn’t be justified. For sure, the music is typified by the long-drawn and moody melodies, it also obviously uses some of the same cornerstones of Depressive Black Metal. Isolating the riffs from the melodies, it is clear that some of those piercing and chilling riffs do resemble those of, for instance, mid-era Xasthur. Also, the vocals, equally eerie do add to the overall feeling of discomfort and unease. Compared to the Unohdus demo, this one sounds way more bleak, melancholic and, indeed, depressive. The darker character of the music works tremendously well, as the rather long tracks do never bore or makes your attention waver – something that happens to me for the most part with later Anathema-driven Post-Black Metal/Blackgaze.
The music might not be exactly everyone’s cup of black tea, but Vuosisata definitely shows his musical skills and overall sense of atmosphere. The way of weaving together elements of Depressive Black Metal with Post-Black Metal and even some of those later Anathema-like Ambient parts definitely makes Vuosisata a high level new competitor in the genre.
