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Interview – Keagan Ross, Caleb Lavictoire and Gray Laine (027)

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Let’s have a blast with Keagan, Caleb and Gray as they talk about their fun and noisy music, their passion for live gigs, and their current tour across Southern Ontario.

Keagan Ross, Caleb Lavictoire and Gray Laine (027)

The Headbanging Moose: Thank you for the interview, guys! Could you please introduce yourselves to our readers? Who are 027, and how would you label your music?

Keagan: Hi all! We are 027, a three-piece punk rock outfit from Southern Ontario. We consist of Gray Laine – Drums, Caleb Lavictoire – Bass, and myself, Keagan Ross – Guitar/Vocals. I find it hard to label our band anything other than a strange style of punk rock.

THM: What are the origins of the band? It’s known that in November 2022, you scored a gig opening for a popular local band. Was that the official beginning of 027? Which band was that you guys opened for, and how was the overall experience?

Caleb: Before having scored the gig, we had never practiced as a three-piece. When we got to the venue, we jammed in the parking lot with unplugged instruments and lap drumming. The set was pretty cover-heavy since we hadn’t gotten together to write anything, but the people were liking it, so the show was a success. The band we opened for was an indie band, Absolutely You. We ended up playing another show with them at The Golden Apple in Kitchener earlier this year. The experience for our first show was a blast and helped kick-start and inspire us to stick with our band.

THM: Is it true that bassist Caleb Lavictoire and drummer Gray Laine had never met until that point, and you played that first show having never practiced or rehearsed as a three-piece? That must have been absolutely scary and fun at the same time.

Keagan: I scored our first gig just a few days before it took place. Gray and I had been jamming on some Primus for a few weeks prior, and I’ve known Caleb my whole life. Gray and Caleb had briefly met once or twice, but never played music together. When I told the promoter we were down for the gig, I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I knew who to call. We made a game plan that was to split the set into two. The first half, Caleb and I would play an instrumental set, myself on drums and Caleb on bass. We played YYZ and a Meshuggah song, even some old originals. The second half of the set included Gray on drums, and I hopped on vocal/guitar duties; this is where 027 began. We played a few Nirvana tunes and called it a night. I still remember hearing Gray’s pounding drum intro to Nirvana’s Mr. Moustache, and knowing that this was the beginning of something special.

THM: What can you tell us about your new single Umbilical Cord, and what do you think are the main differences from your first EPs Light Of The Black Sun and You’re Not Supposed to Know?

Caleb: With ‘Umbilical Cord’, we set out for a ‘Converge’ inspired sound. Faster, heavier, and more intense than the previous releases. We tried to stay true to the rawness of our previous EPs with this single. Also, the production for our single is a bit different than our previous releases, much more developed and professional, which we credit to Gray as he recorded and produced this new track. This is our first release where we recorded all instruments one at a time rather than all live off the floor, other than a couple of the tunes on our physical EP You’re Not Supposed to Know.

027 Spring 2025 Tour

THM: I believe the new single Umbilical Cord is also being released as an EP containing a few songs from your previous EPs, plus two live songs, Umbilical Cord and Cabbagehead, recorded live in Orangeville on August 18, 2024. Why did you decide to release those live songs now with the new single, and what can you tell us about that whole show in your hometown last year?

Caleb: We decided to release those songs as we’ve been hearing a lot of good things with Cabbagehead, a lot of people have been wanting us to release that one, so we figured we’ll satisfy them while working on recording it. The live track of Umbilical Cord was included since we wanted to give people a chance to hear the song live from one of our shows. The Orangeville show, where those songs were recorded, was a special one. The crowd was having a blast, and we were playing alongside bands we’re very close with. That show just felt like the perfect one to include on the compilation.

THM: You guys play a nice (and noisy) fusion of Punk, Heavy Metal, Stoner Rock, and Fuzzcore, so I guess you might have a wide variety of idols and influences, right? Could you please list your main ones and explain how much they impacted or still impact your sound?

Keagan: Our influences definitely vary per release / era of the band. For example, during our ‘Light Of The Black Sun’ days, we were super into Kyuss, Melvins, and Nirvana. Whilst during our ‘You’re Not Supposed To Know’ EP, we were obsessed with Converge, EyeHateGod, and Gout. When we made ‘Umbilical Cord’, we were definitely deep into our Converge phase.

THM: Let’s talk about your current tour in Ontario, with multiple dates now in May and June across Orangeville, Hamilton, Toronto, Kitchener, Aurora, and St Catherine’s. What can we expect from you guys as soon as you hit the stage? Also, as you guys are definitive supporters of the youth, committed to only playing venues that allow all ages and doing your best to book younger bands on their bills to allow them the same exposure you strive for yourselves, how hard was it to put together those dates, and which bands are going to be supporting 027?

Keagan: Our spring tour is in full swing right now, so far we’ve played Orangeville, Hamilton, and Toronto, with our next gigs being in Waterloo and another Toronto date. All these dates are all ages, which is important to us. We do our very best to play all ages gigs. We won’t turn down any show because it’s 19+, yet we won’t take our time to book a 19+ venue. We were really young when we started, so we figured it wasn’t fair to play age-restricted venues. This has never changed and never will. We’re bringing along young locals Mazel from Orangeville to our Waterloo date, they also played with us on our Orangeville date. We’re big fans of them and really respect what they do. These tour dates weren’t too difficult to put together. A handful of these shows were brought to us by other bands, while I (Keagan) booked the rest.

THM: I believe we can expect your first full-length album in a not-so-distant future, right? What else does the future hold for 027, including of course your live performances?

Keagan It’s hard to tell what the future holds for us as far as releasing music. We’ve always had a pretty busy gigging schedule and don’t plan on slowing down any time soon, and since our sound is constantly evolving, it’s hard to tell when we will finally settle in and make our first full-length.

Keagan Ross, Caleb Lavictoire and Gray Laine (027)

THM: How’s social media in general, as well as streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, helping you guys spread your music and reach fans of heavy music from far distant lands? Are you receiving any feedback or support from people from places like Finland, Japan, or Australia, for example?

Keagan: We haven’t had too much feedback from fans outside of Canada. We’ve been featured in a few playlists in Australia/Europe, but that’s it. We utilize social media to promote our relentless gigging schedule, as well as networking with other bands/venues. People can take the social media game pretty seriously, but latching onto trends or marketing games really isn’t our thing. We like to have fun with it, posting satirical content while also plugging our shows.

THM: Thanks again for the interview! Please feel free to send a final message to our readers, and of course to invite everyone to your upcoming shows this month.

Gray: As always we like to encourage people to support all ages shows, and everyone is always welcome to come see us live for an evening of energy and community and dancin. This month we’re hitting up Toronto, Kitchener, Aurora, St Catherine’s and more, so come have fun.

Links
027 Official Website | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify | BandCamp

Metal Chick of the Month – Inka Ojala

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I grieve in darkness… All ends in silence

As December is by far the darkest month of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, let’s all “dark the suns” here on The Headbanging Moose to the music by our multi-talented metal lady of the month. Hailing from the land of ice and snow, also known as Finland, she’s a bassist, keyboardist, pianist, vocalist, songwriter, lyricist, photographer and graphic designer, and just by that you can imagine how important she is to her breathtaking Melodic Death/Gothic Metal band Dark The Suns. I’m talking about the amazing Inka Ojala, who will embellish the airwaves with her melancholic and passionate music during this dark and cold last month of the year.

Born in Finland as Inka Tuomaala, but having changed her name to Inka Ojala after getting married to Dark The Suns’ own mastermind Mikko Ojala, our beloved metal diva has a very nice and decent life outside of heavy music, having attended the University of Jyväskylä and being an early childhood education teacher at Kempeleen kunta. She also mentioned in an interview that she used to work at an art museum, but I have absolutely no idea if that’s still the case.

Her main band is definitely Jyväskylä, Finland-based Melodic Death/Gothic Metal act Dark The Suns, which originally started in 2005 as a one-man project by Mikko Ojala, with the first demo recorded completely by himself. Eventually, Dark The Suns grew into a full band capable of performing live with the addition of Juha Kokkonen on keyboards, Markus Lehtinen on drums, and our metal diva (at that time still known as Inka Tuomaala) on bass, while Mikko took care of the vocals and guitars, releasing their debut album In Darkness Comes Beauty back in 2007.

As the years progressed, Inka was not only responsible for the bass duties anymore, but also for their female vocals from 2008 to 2009, and keyboards from 2010 until present day. To date, she has recorded with Dark The Suns the bass lines in the aforementioned 2007 album In Darkness Comes Beauty; was responsible for the lyrics, bass, songwriting and female vocals in their 2009 album All Ends in Silence; did the orchestrations, keyboards, songwriting, piano and bass in their 2010 album Sleepwalking in a Nightmare; played bass and keyboards in their 2021 album Suru raivosi sydämeni pimeydessä; and more recently did the female vocals, keyboards and bass in their 2023 album Raven and the Nightsky. Not only that, she was also responsible for the artwork, photography and/or graphic design of several releases by Dark The Suns, those being their 2007 album In Darkness Comes Beauty, their 2008 EP The Dead End, their 2009 album All Ends in Silence, their 2010 single Don’t Fear the Sleep, their 2010 album Sleepwalking in a Nightmare, their 2020 single Suru raivosi sydämeni pimeydessä, their 2022 single Kun Allot Kallioihin Murtuu, and their 2023 single Swans of the Frozen Waters. Inka and the band were also featured in the compilations Fear Candy 48 (Terrorizer Magazine, 2007) with the song Reflections, Gothic Spirits 7 (Golden Core, 2008) with the song The Sleeping Beauty, and Firesampler #7 (Firebox Records, 2009) with the song All End in Silence.

When asked what makes Dark The Suns stand out amongst the countless Finnish dark and extreme music bands, she said that she doesn’t really care about that, and she believes there’s always enough room for good metal music and good metal bands. She doesn’t think fans think they have to choose a particular Gothic Metal band, or a particular Doom Metal band. “I think people are usually happy when they get to know some new, good bands whose music they like and whose concerts they enjoy going to,” commented Inka. Currently formed of Mikko and Inka alongside Jani Moilanen on the guitars, the band has been on a roll since returning form their seven-year hiatus in 2020, continuing to blend heavy and dark sounds with their nature-inspired lyrics, therefore embellishing their airwaves with tons of melancholy and passion.

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Inka can also be found in another band, Jyväskylä, Finland-based Melodic Gothic/Black Metal band Crowned with Black, having released with them the two-song EP The Dragon Age back in 2010, playing keyboards in both songs, but apparently the band has already split up and there’s nothing else available from those Finnish rockers. Also, on the design and arts side, Inka was responsible for the logo in the 2019 album Ikuisen talven sarastus, and for the artwork in the 2019 single Kuura & horros, both by Finnish Black Metal horde Kaamos Warriors, which is by the way the other main band by her husband Mikko Ojala.

When asked about her idols and main influences, Inka mentioned that nature is the most important source of inspiration for her, sharing her love for rainy autumn nights and misty days. “We live in a quite small town and a very small lake and it is so beautiful in the evenings when the lake reflects all the lights around us. Nature is just beautiful in central Finland,” commented Inka, who also said that, for her, “night is more mysterious than daytime life. Familiar things seem to change a little when you’re walking alone through the city and the rain is falling on the street. It’s so beautiful when the whole world looks like it’s sleeping.”

In addition, she said she likes to read a lot, and all of those mysteries, emotions and feelings influence the music she writes. “I love Katri Vala’s poems and one of my favourite books is Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s The Shadow of the Wind. It is really an atmospheric and inspiring story, almost a horror novel. I also love Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco. I think good stories always inspire you.” Furthermore, apart from nature, darkness and books, she mentioned Before The Dawn and HIM among her favorite bands, as well as Entwine and To/Die/For, plus some Finnish rock bands as for example Kent, saying they have truly interesting bass lines and catchy melodies.

Inka and Mikko are definitely soulmates, and that combination of beautiful, whimsical melodies and dark, devilish growls certainly makes their music even more compelling. For instance, you can check some of their creations on YouTube, like the official videos for the songs Phoenix, Swans of the Frozen Waters, Raven, Everywhere, Aurora, and Seeker, and of course stream all of their creations on any streaming platform like Spotify. And if you think Inka or Mikko are worried about releasing music for free online, you’re absolutely wrong. “I think web singles are very important nowadays. There are so many new bands and albums, so it’s great that people can listen to music samples and singles for free,” commented our diva, but of course, if you want to show them your utmost support, you can always purchase their music from different physical or online stores, buy their merch, and always attend their live performances, helping the duo in keeping darkening the suns for many years to come.

“When all is said and done, when everything is lost, then there is only silence.” – Inka Ojala

Inka Ojala’s Official Facebook page
Dark The Suns’ Official Facebook page
Dark The Suns’ Official Instagram

Album Review – Dark The Suns / Raven And The Nightsky (2023)

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A three-piece act from Finland will embrace you with their fifth full-length album, taking you on a 50-minute journey through the realms of Death, Gothic and Doom Metal with a strong melodic vein.

Originally founded as a one-man project by Finnish vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mikko Ojala back in 2005, and after some lineup changes through the years plus a seven-year hiatus from 2013 until 2020, the now three-piece Melodic Death/Gothic Metal entity Dark The Suns has just unleashed upon us their fifth studio album, entitled Raven And The Nightsky, the follow-up to their 2020 effort Suru Raivosi Sydämeni Pimeydessä. Overflowing beautiful piano melodies and dark vocals, all carefully crafted by the aforementioned Mikko Ojala on vocals, guitars and drums, Jani Moilanen on the guitars and clean vocals, and Inka Ojala on bass and keyboards, Raven And The Nightsky will take you on a 50-minute journey through the realms of Death, Gothic and Doom Metal with a strong melodic vein highly recommended for admirers of the music by Insomnium, Draconian and Before the Dawn, just to name a few.

The heaviness of the drums by Mikko make a beautiful paradox with the whimsical keys by Inka in the opening tune Adamantine, sounding very detailed, multi-layered, and alternating between more metallic moments and ethereal passages, whereas in Phoenix they blend the more Gothic, obscure music by bands like HIM and Paradise Lost with their Melodic Death Metal sound, displaying a great job done by Mikko and Jani on the guitars. In Kun Aallot Kallioihin Murtuu, or “when the waves break on the rocks” from Finnish, a pounding, sinister intro gradually evolves into another atmospheric feast by the trio led by the delicate keys by Inka, who also delivers sheer heaviness through her low-tuned bass in an amazing fusion of Melodic Death Metal with contemporary Doom Metal; and they keep embellishing the airwaves in Aurora, with Mikko’s deep, darkened growls adding an extra touch of malignancy to the overall result. Then featuring Paavo Laapotti (Before the Dawn) as a guest vocalist, Raven is another solid creation where the guitars by Mikko and Jani walk hand in hand with Inka’s massive bass lines.

The second half of the album begins in a melancholic, pensive mode with the doomed Shadows Upon the Broken Hearts, showcasing sluggish beats, stylish keys and deep, obscure vocals, albeit a bit too generic if compared to the rest of the album. Swans of the Frozen Waters carries a beautiful name for a song, with Mikko and Jani slashing their guitars with tons of feeling and passion while Mikko hammers his drums nonstop in a fantastic display of Melodic Death and Doom Metal; followed by The Sea of Sorrow, perfect for headbanging alone in the dark, with Inka once again adding her share of finesse to the music through her keys while her bass sounds as heavy as it can be. We then face Under the Northern Lights, in the vein of the latest works by Finnish titans Insomnium, blending Death and Doom Metal with an ethereal atmosphere while Mikko steals the spotlight with his Stygian vocals and classic beats. And closing the album the trio offers us all the most obscure, grim of all songs, titled In Mist of the Night, where Blackened Doom elements invade all empty spaces in the air, not to mention the beauty in the guitars by Mikko and Jani is truly outstanding.

Such powerful, pensive and deep album from the always beautiful Finnish scene is available for a full and detailed listen on YouTube and on Spotify, but in order to show your true support and admiration for Dark The Suns you can purchase a copy of the album from their own BandCamp page or by clicking HERE. Also, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates, and other nice-to-know details about the band. Mikko, Jani and Inka did a beyond stunning job in Raven And The Nightsky, from the album title to its cover, from the opening song to the last second of the closing one, and I’m sure as soon as they realize how much fans of Gothic and Doom Metal love all songs found in the album they’ll keep creating great music for our ears, which means we’ll fortunately never see them on a hiatus again.

Best moments of the album: Adamantine, Kun Aallot Kallioihin Murtuu and Swans of the Frozen Waters.

Worst moments of the album: Shadows Upon the Broken Hearts.

Released in 2023 Inverse Records

Track listing
1. Adamantine 4:37
2. Phoenix 5:07
3. Kun Aallot Kallioihin Murtuu 4:37
4. Aurora 5:54
5. Raven 4:42
6. Shadows Upon the Broken Hearts 4:36
7. Swans of the Frozen Waters 4:05
8. The Sea of Sorrow 5:48
9. Under the Northern Lights 5:24
10. In Mist of the Night 5:16

Band members
Mikko Ojala – vocals, guitars, drums
Jani Moilanen – guitar, clean vocals
Inka Ojala – bass, keyboards

Guest musician
Paavo Laapotti – vocals on “Raven”

The Year In Review – Top 10 Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Albums of 2019

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“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” – Voltaire

The year of 2019 might be reaching its inevitable end in the blink of an eye for most of us, but if there’s one thing we must admit is that it has been indeed a year of countless events, episodes and changes with a huge impact on how pretty much everything works in our Heavy Metal universe. For instance, 2019 was the year where we unfortunately witnessed the ultimate campaign by Thrash Metal titans Slayer, who at the same time left an undisputed and brilliant legacy to Heavy Metal and a giant hole in our hearts and in the global Thrash Metal scene. Do you think there’s any band that can fill that gap created by the end of Slayer? In my humble opinion, although I love bands like Exodus, Testament and Death Angel, I doubt anyone can claim Slayer’s throne as the meanest, most demonic and most pulverizing band of all time, but that doesn’t mean Thrash Metal is dead and gone. Quite the contrary, it’s still alive and kicking, with many of the underground bands reviewed at The Headbanging Moose contributing to keep the flame of such distinct subgenre of heavy music burning bright.

In addition, 2019 was also the year we lost many of our rock and metal icons, including André Matos (vocalist of Angra, Shaman and Viper), Larry Wallis (former guitarist of Motörhead), and Timi Hansen (former bassist of Mercyful Fate and King Diamond), as well as several talented musicians from non-metal styles like Marie Fredriksson (lead singer and keyboardist of Roxette), Keith Flint (frontman of The Prodigy), and the “King of the Surf Guitar”, Mr. Dick Dale. However, even with all those significant losses, we can say 2019 was a productive year for rock and metal music, with many iconic and underground bands delivering some fantastic albums for our total delectation, and that’s why here we are again with The Headbanging Moose’s Top 10 Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Albums of 2019, excluding EP’s, best of’s and live albums, to prove once and for all that heavy music will never, ever die. Having said that, enjoy our list of top metal albums for this year that’s coming to an end, and keep raising your horns high together with us in 2020!

1. Rammstein – Rammstein (REVIEW)
A magnificent lecture in Neue Deutsche Härte from the bottom of the flaming hearts of the pioneers of the genre.
Best song of the album: Deutschland

2. Necronomicon – UNUS (REVIEW)
Canadian powerhouses of Blackened Death Metal return with the heaviest, most obscure and most infernal opus of their career.
Best song of the album: Infinituum Continuum

3. Rotting Christ – The Heretics (REVIEW)
It’s time to burn in the fires of the dark and occult Black Metal crafted by the greatest Greek institution in the history of heavy music.
Best song of the album: Fire God and Fear

4. Soilwork – Verkligheten (REVIEW)
Swedish Melodic Death Metal masters return in full force with a fresh, groovy and addictive album of first-class heavy music.
Best song of the album: Stålfågel

5. The Agonist – Orphans (REVIEW)
Canadian juggernauts of Melodic Death Metal return with a brand new album that’s more extreme, more melodic and more exciting than ever.
Best song of the album: Blood as My Guide

6. Helevorn – Aamamata (REVIEW)
Embrace darkness and melancholy with the breathtaking new opus by one of the most interesting names from the current Spanish scene.
Best song of the album: Aurora

7. Slipknot – We Are Not Your Kind (REVIEW)
The world’s most famous masked metallers are back with a fantastic album that proves once again why Heavy Metal is our kind of music.
Best song of the album: Unsainted

8. Amon Amarth – Berserker (REVIEW)
Raise the shield wall, hold your hammers high, and unleash the berserker that lives inside you together with Amon Amarth.
Best song of the album: Shield Wall

9. Target – Deep Water Flames (REVIEW)
Let’s all dive into the incendiary deep waters of Technical and Progressive Death Metal ruled by this amazing band from Chile.
Best song of the album: Oceangrave

10. Singularity – Place of Chains (REVIEW)
The emotions of being wrongfully imprisoned turned into an ass-kicking hybrid of Technical Death Metal and Symphonic Black Metal.
Best song of the album: Ritual of Regret

And here we have the runner-ups, completing the top 20 for the year:

11. Grand Magus – Wolf God (REVIEW)
12. Hiss From The Moat – The Harrier (REVIEW)
13. Lucifera – La Caceria De Brujas (REVIEW)
14. Alunah – Violet Hour (REVIEW)
15. Dö – Astral Death Cult (REVIEW)
16. Rifftera – Across the Acheron (REVIEW)
17. Rage Of Light – Imploder (REVIEW)
18. Rexoria – Ice Breaker (REVIEW)
19. HerezA – Death Metal Drunks (REVIEW)
20. Aephanemer – Prokopton (REVIEW)

Also, let’s not forget about some of the best albums which, although might be short in duration, they did bring to our ears an endless amount of heaviness, speed and harmony this year, accrediting them to be part of our Top 10 EP’s of 2019. As you can see, those EP’s were recorded by the most diverse types of bands and artists from all over the world, becoming some sort of “tasting sample” of what we can expect from those metallers in a not-so-distant future.

1. Eleine – All Shall Burn (REVIEW)
2. Quilombo – Itankale (REVIEW)
3. Master’s Call – Morbid Black Trinity (REVIEW)
4. Violent Life Violent Death – Sadness Rains (REVIEW)
5. Angra Demana – Triptych Of Decay (REVIEW)
6. Vorga – Radiant Gloom (REVIEW)
7. Shuulak – Citrinitas (REVIEW)
8. Moanaa – Torches (REVIEW)
9. Exuviated – Déliquescence (REVIEW)
10. Sophist – Betrothal To The Stone: Conception of Mephisto (REVIEW)

Do you agree with our list? What are your top 10 albums of 2019? And, as usual, don’t forget to tune in every Tuesday at 10pm BRT on Rádio Coringão to enjoy the best of classic and underground metal with Jorge Diaz and his Timão Metal, and every Thursday at 8pm UTC on Midnight Madness Metal e-Radio for the best of underground metal with The Headbanging Moose Show!

Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year! See you in 2020!

And before The Headbanging Moose takes a well-deserved break to recover our energies and return in full force in 2020, how about we enjoy what’s probably one of the best and most detailed “Christmas” songs of all time, the fantastic Valhalleluja, recently released by Italian Heavy/Power Metal outfit Nanowar of Steel? This is the perfect soundtrack for your Christmas night with your loved ones, especially if you give someone anything from IKEA as a Christmas gift. Well, simply watch the official video below and follow the lyrics to understand what I’m talking about. Having said that, let’s all pray to Odin, drink beer and sing Valhalleluja together with Nanowar of Steel, my friends!

Album Review – Helevorn / Aamamata (2019)

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Embrace darkness and melancholy to the sound of the breathtaking new opus by one of the most interesting names from the underground Spanish scene.

Hailing from Palma de Mallorca (which is becoming a recurrent source of first-class metal music at The Headbanging Moose), in the Balearic Islands, Spain, the melancholic, somber and utterly melodic Gothic/Doom Metal outfit that goes by the stylish name of Helevorn (a lake in Tolkien’s The Silmarillion) returns in 2019 with their fourth full-length album and what’s perhaps their boldest and most detailed opus since their inception in 1999, the multi-layered Aamamata, leaving us absolutely stunned with its almost one hour of the finest and most elegant heavy music you can think of. Comprised of lead singer Josep Brunet, guitarists Sandro Vizcaino and Samuel Morales, bassist Guillem Morey, pianist and keyboardist Enrique Sierra, and drummer Xavi Gil, Helevorn aim at reaching new heights with Aamamata, proving melancholic doom can be just as breathtaking as any style considered faster or heavier, being highly recommended for admirers of the gloomy music by renowned acts like Draconian, Swallow The Sun and Paradise Lost.

Featuring a classy logo by Irene Serrano, a mesmerizing artwork by Gonzalo Aeneas depicting Sibyl, and Ancient Greek prophetess, and several brilliant guest musicians such as Júlia Colom and Heike Langhans (from Draconian), Aamamata, the song that Death sings every day in the Mediterranean Sea (which has become a desolate pit for human lives), goes beyond the boundaries of traditional Doom Metal, bringing elements from countless metal and non-metal styles and, therefore, offering our avid ears a unique and captivating sonority from start to finish. “We know that we are not discovering something new, but it’s how it sounds the 90’s goth-doom metal in the present times. It should be received like a piece to reborn the scene and to relate music and the decadence of Humankind through the drama of the refugees, that constantly are dying trying to escape from the hell that Western Countries put to them. We think that fans will love the new album,” said the band about their newborn spawn, and they’re more than right in stating we, fans of underground heavy music, will simply love Aamamata in its entirety.

Sandro and Samuel begin slashing their strings in the sluggish and atmospheric opening track A Sail To Sanity, urging us all to bang our heads like there’s no tomorrow in a beautiful display of classic Doom Metal where Josep growls deeply and with a lot of anguish, whereas in Goodbye, Hope the piano and keys by Enrique bring a touch of delicacy and melancholy to the musicality, while Xavi pounds his drums in the most damned way possible, being tailored for fans of somber and heavy-as-hell doom. And in Blackened Waves, led by Gulliem’s metallic bass lines and Enrique’s ethereal keys, we’re treated to a dense and enfolding sound enhanced by cryptic lyrics that exhale poetry and arcane feelings (“Rolling by, weary, uneven planes / A darkness lurks / Slowly, I am given to the mystery / I am drawn into its depths / A wall of, formidable strength / The power is palpable”).

However, it’s in Aurora, a hypnotizing voyage through the most obscure realms of Doom Metal, that Helevorn position themselves as one of the most interesting names of the current Spanish scene, with the music starting in a compelling way with the gorgeous vocals by guest Júlia Colom together with the eccentric sounds of the bouzouki and bağlama by Jaume Compte, bringing an extra dosage of finesse to the music, not to mention its classic riffs and pleasant pace. Furthermore, this flawless aria is dedicated to all of those who have fallen by executions and political persecution during the fascist coup in Spain in 1936, and are still missing, buried in hundreds of unmarked mass graves, but is especially dedicated to Aurora Picornell, a freedom fighter who stood up for liberty and civil rights, and was executed on January 5, 1937 (more than 80 years after her death, her body has not yet been found). If that doesn’t touch your soul, I honestly don’t know what would. Anyway, drinking from the same fountain as Paradise Lost and Draconian, Helevorn deliver Forgotten Fields, a song that feels like it was written in the 90’s with Josep once again doing an amazing job with both his harsh growls and clean vocals, followed by the serene Nostrum Mare (Et deixo un pont de mar blava), featuring spoken parts by (in order of appearance) Vassilis Mazaris (Greek), Diane Camenzuli (Maltese), Joan Oliver (Spanish), Sara Husein El Ahmed (Arabic), Pablo Ferrarese (Italian), Isabelle Pereira (French), Élide Terrón and Felip Palou (Catalan), and Corin Solo Fogel (Hebraic), while the band makes sure the atmosphere remains vibrant and obscure throughout the entire song, in special the piano notes by Enrique and the metallic riffs by the band’s guitar duo.

Once Upon a War is another old school composition showcasing slow and steady drums, low-tuned bass punches intertwined with piano notes, and a very powerful vocal performance by Josep deeply vociferating the song’s acid lyrics (“A woman taken from home / To appease the warlords’ thirst / The children give themselves up / What must be done to save their own innocence? / Innocents!”), all embraced by Sandro’s and Samuel’s crisp riffs and solos, before the over 8 minutes of mesmerizing, doomed music found in the following tune, entitled The Path to Puya, majestically penetrates deep inside your mind, with the stunning guest vocalist Heike Langhans forming a fantastic dynamic duo with Josep, while guest Pedro Zubiri (from Blind Panic) fires a soulful guitar solo for our total delight, and that hypnotizing and breathtaking vibe goes on until the song’s obscure finale. And lastly, Helevorn bring forward the gentle La Sibil-la, a Catalan medieval song dated from the 10th century, with the band’s version being very delicate and dense, switching from purely acoustic passages to the traditional heaviness of Doom Metal, providing a superb ending for a grandiose album of dark and mournful metal music.

You can find Aamamata available for a full listen on YouTube, and purchase your copy of such awesome album from the band’s official BandCamp page or webstore, as well as from the Solitude Productions webstore (in regular CD or Digipak format), from iTunes, from Amazon or from Discogs. Furthermore, don’t forget to show your utmost support to those talented Spaniards by following them on Facebook, by subscribing to their YouTube channel and by listening to their music on Spotify. Helevorn elevated not only the quality and potency of their already refined Doom Metal in Aamamata, but the spirits of all of those who admire the fusion of good heavy music with a strong background message or meaning. And that, my dear metalheads, is the true essence of heavy music and everything we should always look for when in pursuit of new or unique names in the underground metal scene like Helevorn.

Best moments of the album: A Sail To Sanity, Blackened Waves, Aurora and The Path to Puya.

Worst moments of the album: Forgotten Fields.

Released in 2019 Solitude Productions/BadMoodMan Music

Track listing
1. A Sail To Sanity 5:25
2. Goodbye, Hope 5:58
3. Blackened Waves 5:26
4. Aurora 7:24
5. Forgotten Fields 5:44
6. Nostrum Mare (Et deixo un pont de mar blava) 7:28
7. Once Upon a War 5:55
8. The Path to Puya 8:38
9. La Sibil-la 5:05

Band members
Josep Brunet – vocals
Sandro Vizcaino – guitars
Samuel Morales – guitars
Guillem Morey – bass
Enrique Sierra – piano, keyboards
Xavi Gil – drums

Guest musicians
Júlia Colom – guest vocals on “Aurora” and “Nostrum Mare”
Heike Langhans – guest vocals on “The Path to Puya”
Jaume Compte – bouzouki and bağlama on “Aurora”
Pedro Zubiri – guitar solo on “The Path to Puya”
Batucada d’es Gremi – additional drums on “Aurora”
‘Are’are women (Malaita, Salomon Islands) – outro singing on “The Path to Puya”
Vassilis Mazaris, Diane Camenzuli, Joan Oliver, Sara Husein El Ahmed, Pablo Ferrarese, Isabelle Pereira, Élide Terrón, Felip Palou & Corin Solo Fogel – spoken parts on “Nostrum Mare”