From Bandcamp, “The essence of TUHKA is pain, human suffering, the beast within, mystery and philosophy of death, exploration of man’s primitive roots, altered states of consciousness, solitude, deep forests, mesmerizing cosmos and a trancelike stillness in the twilight, between illuminating darkness and blinding light.” The album has six songs, and “Kuusen varjossa kankea raato” is first. Out of the gates, it has a thick, trebly guitar sound with a harrowing progression, and the vocals are done in the FWOBM way. However, the fat keyboards notes that seem to come out of nowhere are very nicely done. “Mask of the Moon” has a slower pace and there are more keyboards mixed into the song. The vocals are done differently as well, and it drones forward with mesmerizing feelings.

“Hahmoja hämärästä (Verhot veressä)” is a more traditional Black Metal song, and it is also heavy with somber melodies. It also drones the further it goes on, and that seems like weeks, even years. “Pakanakiven legenda” begins with more fat keyboard notes. Keys traditionally don’t have much of a footing in the genre of Black Metal, but they make sense to me, and they add a rich layer to the music. It has a simple melody, but it is quite effective at bringing you some psychedelic moments on the album. “The Lord of Thieves” has a Dungeon Synth feeling to it, and I appreciate the experimentation that Lord Corax is willing to do on the album. A drum beat eases in, and atmosphere takes over.

The short “Initiaatio” closes the album, with more weighted synths as well as a melody line that you can clearly get behind. Overall, this was a decent album that highlights both the traditional side of the genre, as well as the modern side, and through six songs, the artist was able to diversify the music just enough to make it interesting.