In the mood for something a little different? Then be sure to check out Ihminen, the latest Svart Records release from Finnish band Seremonia. Offbeat, creepy '60s/'70s styled acid rock, doom, prog, & psychedelia is the name of the game here on Ihminen, as the band conjures up their inner Hawkwind, Jethro Tull, Jefferson Airplane, and Black Sabbath on these 11 songs. Now, let me warn you, all the tunes are sung in their native tongue, so if hearing songs in a non-English language bothers you, chances are you might find much of this a bit jarring. However, if you don't have an issue with that, Ihminen has a lot to offer. "Noitamestari" has an almost punkish energy to it, while "Painajaisten Maa", "Luonto Kostaa", and "Itsemurhaaja" mesh occult prog & early doom for an almost Sabbath-meets-Tull vibe thanks to some heavy riffs and flute. For those more into psychedelic sounds, there's a Hawkwind-meets-Jefferson Airplane element going on throughout the title track and the haunting "Tähtien Takaa" that is truly unique and unsettling at the same time.
I have to admit, I really like a lot of what the band is doing here, but I'm struggling to fully get into Noora Federley's chilling, enchanting vocals due to the language barrier. That being said, though a version of Ihminen with English vocals would make this a near instant classic, this is recommended for the sheer 'cool' factor alone, and will make for one spooky soundtrack to your next midnight black mass.
Track Listing
- Noitamestari
- Itsemurhaaja
- Ovi
- Suuri Valkeus
- Painajaisten Maa
- Luonto Kostaa
- Ihminen
- Itsemurhaaja II
- Vastaus Rukouksiisi
- Tähtien Takaa
- Hallava Hevonen