This is the debut album from Finnish black metallers Väki.

Kuolleen Maan Omaksi mixes old and new black metal styles together to create an album that draws from both to weave its dark magicks. The end result is a modern interpretation of blackened extremity, one which ably demonstrates a band with a lot of potential.

When the band are fast, they’re vicious and violent. When they slow down, they’re heavy and crushing, with the slowest parts able to give bleak doom bands a run for their money. The songs show a good amount of variety in paces, moods, and ideas across the album, and both the old-school and modern/post-blackened influences are put to good use. The recording makes the most of this, providing a devastating foundation for the music to operate from.

Atmosphere is used well, working with the rest of the music to produce a dense post-metal, (post-black metal), feel in places. Blackened melodies haunt the music, usually helping to create depth and substance, rather than coming to the fore. However, I always enjoy hearing solos in black metal, and there are some well-used ones here that certainly do take centre stage.

Kuolleen Maan Omaksi is a very strong debut album, one which I’ll be regularly revisiting for since time to come. It’s a solid and enjoyable release, and I strongly recommend trying out its grim charms.