Veljessurma – Haltioissaan

Written by on 08-06-2025 at 20:00.

Do you ever get enchanted, by an elf for example? It has rarely happened to me. The Finns of Veljessurma are bringing the possibility of becoming enchanted very close with their very first album Haltioissaan. Thus the band seems to want to grab you, make you realize, that nature is very beautiful and majestic. This collective has not been around for very long, maybe about five years. In 2020 a demo was released, Ritual Of Cain. The EP Noidansolmu followed about two years later and lo and behold, here comes the first full-length already.

Record company Naturmacht Productions is putting quite a bit of work into this debut release considering the different physical versions that are available. What about a tape or classic jewelcase cd? Or do you prefer an A5 digibook format? All seems possible, although a vinyl version is nowhere to be found. Which you could find a damn shame of course.

Brass, strings, drums and natural sounds lure you into the dark forest almost from the very first moments. It immediately gets cold, I can tell you, especially when paganesque clean vocals are trying to touch your soul. It gives the impression that the band will probably lean strongly towards compatriots Havukruunu and Moonsorrow. And before you can even blink, a blast festival of the highest order unfolds. The main theme that was hidden in the intro is immediately picked up on Nieranpoika. Then the Finns stamp and waltz about as if it were the sweetest pleasure. Too bad the production treats us a bit too frequently to sharp tones. Fortunately, some flute and solo work is used to soften things up. Something the band also displays on Karhun Voimal.

Metsänpeitto has nevertheless become a particularly spicy and venomous stomper with some very sharp edges. The comparison to the previously mentioned bands therefore comes to fruition completely. It also shows that Veljessurma is a jack of many trades. The band does not only convey the paganesque, folky happening but also, thanks to the cutting vocals of Lepistö and his henchmen, knows how to impress on a pure black metal level and I haven’t even mentioned the pointed solos. The beautifully balanced closing title track starts off calmer initially but make no mistake.

Let yourself be enchanted by the atmospheric black metal of this Finnish Veljessurma that can come across very spicy as well. On Haltioissaan the band proves that a paganesque, folky approach can be combined perfectly with lightning fast and ice cold melodies. Great work!

Score:

85/100

Label:

Naturmacht Productions, 2025

Tracklisting:

  1. Loitsijat (Intro)
  2. Nieranpoika
  3. Karhun Voimal
  4. Myrrysmies
  5. Kuollut Vesi
  6. Metsänpeitto
  7. Luontoni
  8. Haltioissaan

Line-up:

  • A. Lepistö – Vocals, guitar
  • J. Lukkarinen – Drums
  • J. Kivisalo – Guitar, vocals
  • S. Stockmakare – Bass guitar, vocals

Links: