Band's List Black Metal Arvet Aijna

My first encounters with extreme metal (particularly those of the black metal variants) were from Finland. Bands like Behexen, Sargeist and Horna had a certain charm to them with their raw production and songwriting that are different from bands of Norway and Sweden - a somewhat more melodious take on black metal yet retaining the grim and bleak outlook of original Norwegian black metal pioneers. Aijna is Finland's Arvet's debut full length album, 6 years after the formation of the band and there was certainly high expectations on this release.

Right from the opening riffs of Kuoleman Äiti, there is no mistaking that the origins of this band are clearly Finnish. The trebly riffs instantly remind listeners of bands such as Horna and Satanic Warmaster (in particular the riffs on Tehomothin Kaksoistähti), only put to a slower pace on Aijna. The mostly simple and slow pace of the riffs are however effective in evoking a certain feeling of despair in the listener. Fitting to the themes on the album, vocalist Zetekh alternates between tortured shrieks and gurgling growls, making this record a masterpiece to those who know how to appreciate it, and ensures that those who fail to understand the beauty of such music are kept out. The vocals are also mixed beneath the rest of the instruments, sounding as if they were a distance away and this is certainly a nice touch to the music, having the listener feel as if the vocals may fade away any time.

The drumming of A is certainly one of the key points in the music, with the songs displaying how he goes from rather simplistic and basic beats to a full-on blast beat mania, helping to keep things interesting and unpredictable throughout the album, such as the unexpected blasting section on opening track Kuoleman Äiti. While this was nicely utilised most of the times, at times they may border on unnecessary with the non-stop blasting on tracks such as Rukous Mestarillisen Ajatuksen Oivaltamiseksi, where the drumming sounds almost out of place from the simple and bleak riffs at the background. Perhaps the 7 minute track, Liekehtivä Dharana is the best representation of Arvet's style of black metal, with a surprise section in the middle of the track tricking the listener into thinking that it's the end of the track, yet providing listeners with another 3 minutes of cold black metal after that. The sound effects utilised on this section also ensures that listeners are kept insane all the way till the end of the journey, with an almost vertigo-inducing effect with echoey sounds beneath the instruments.

While the lyrics are all written in Finnish, the strong emotions and feelings that the band has invested in the music seeps through to even the non-Finnish speaking listener of the music, making the lyrics present simply to enhance the experience of those who read and understand Finnish.