Into Dawnless Realms

Iku-Turso

From Bandcamp, "after the pagan homage of Pakana to the days gone, we venture deep […]
Iku-Turso - Into Dawnless Realms album cover

From Bandcamp, "after the pagan homage of Pakana to the days gone, we venture deep "Into Dawnless Realms" - where the light of day is the darkness of the night. Let us lead you on this adventure through the cold shadows of the haunting woesome woods, past the remains of bloodletting at the final dawn, with valor through the unknown, distant realms beyond the mind and eye, a journey to an ever expanding realm of galactic brutality with stars as the only light, the infinity of life in the darkness of the night - In darkness we trust." The album contains six tracks.

"Wrath of the Woesome Woods" leads off the album. The production is a bit muddied but that FWOBM sound comes through strong. Unfortunately, it isn't very inventive or creative. They play with passion, but once you have heard this familiar Black Metal sound, it seems that you have heard them all. There is a sharp change towards the end however, that is unexpected. "At the Crack of Dawn" features machine gun drumming and a slower pace with some symphonic elements. But, like a lot of traditional Black Metal, it's mostly about the horrid vocals. The symphonic elements are a nice touch but barely cut through the guitars, vocals and drums.

"The Offering" is more of the same. It begins with tense guitar tones that are obliterated quickly by an overgrown forest of aggressive Black Metal. That familiar one-two chord progression dominates much of the movement. There is a slower passage where you can hear the bass guitar, but it doesn't last long. "The Cranial Galaxy" opens with some more symphonic elements but again, the aggressive sound dominates the song. If they would lie back for just a bit and let some of these develop more, you could hear more of their personality in their music. "Valor" begins with a promising bit of diversity in terms of the main riff that isn't traditional Black Metal, but that sound comes soon thereafter.

"Argusogen" closes the album; a ten-minute beast. Tortured screams lead off this song, together with harrowing elements in the music. The song title translates to "a critical eye." Someone is definitely looking down on you, or up, because you can't help shake the feeling that you are being watched. Overall, this wasn't a terrible release, but it wasn't good either. The old and moldy sounds of the FWOBM dominate the album, and it makes me wonder why Black Metal bands insist on holding onto the past? I don't think I will get an answer to this anytime soon.

5 / 10

Mediocre

Songwriting

5

Musicianship

6

Memorability

4

Production

6
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"Into Dawnless Realms" Track-listing:

1. Wrath of the Woesome Woods
2. At The Crack of Dawn
3. The Offering
4. The Cranial Galaxy
5. Valor
6. Argusogen

Iku-Turso Lineup:

S.Korpituli - Guide To The Realms Beyond
Lafawijn - Howls Of The Night
F. - Nightside's Majestic Symphonies
Myrrys - One Final Battle
Ruto - Dark Shadows

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