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Sokeus – Immortal Wisdom [Demo]

sokeus – immortal wisdom [demo]

Info

With ‘Immortal Wisdom’ the Finnish duo behind black metal band Sokeus shove their second demo under our collective noses. The first, ‘Forever Cursed’ saw the light of day last summer and already gave us a taste of what Sokeus stands for. And like that previous feat, this demo tape was also released in a small edition by the band itself.

Although a Finnish band, it is not one that also has the usual Finnish DNA deep within. The usual melodic and slightly melancholic riffs are of a different order here, certainly melodic, but here those melodies are woven through the music in a minimalist and almost Lo-Fi way. The heavily overdriven vocals and rough production also give the music a decidedly gritty tinge in the process. In this way, Sokeus combines Black Metal with a Punk attitude, without also sounding specifically like that but sharing that genuine roughness. When the band slows down to a dragging and doomy pace, like on ‘Revealing The Pathways To Eternity’ it does remind me a lot Judas Iscariot’s way of dealing with down-tempo Black Metal, even when the song fires up the speed it does keep its resemblance with the more emotionally laden riffs. Those riffs, whilst being razor sharp, do hit the right strings to evoke an poignant and dreary ambiance, something that, coincidentally or not, is a clear part of the Finnish Black Metal identity (if such a thing even exists).

So, while it might be debatable whether Sokeus is a typical Finnish Black Metal band, it does make that discussion’s absurdity equally clear. However, it may also be clear that we are not dealing with a new Horna, Sargeist or Satanic Warmaster here, but the observant enthusiast will find enough elements in ‘Immortal Wisdom’ that one or more Black Metal triggers can be hit. Be it the first three rough and more Lo-Fi-like songs or the slower and more mournful tracks. Regardless of your personal tastes and preferences, ‘Immortal Wisdom’ turns out to be quite an interesting demo tape of a band that we’d better keep an eye on.

Sokeus

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