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Album Review – Mors Principium Est / Darkness Invisible (2025)

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One of the torchbearers of Finnish melodeath is back with their excellent ninth opus, expanding their horizons while retaining the sonic quality that has seen the band gain such a steadfast appeal.

Once again delivering their beloved melodic death embrace instilled with razor-sharp riffing, sweeping orchestration, melancholic harmonies, and relentless rhythmic precision, Pori, Finland’s own Melodic Death Metal entity Mors Principium Est is among us to remind us all that death is only the beginning to the sound of their ninth studio offering, entitled Darkness Invisible. Recorded at Ansa Studio, mixed by Jens Bogren and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios, and displaying a Stygian artwork by Alvaro Valverde Fernandez, the follow-up to their 2022 album Liberate the Unborn Inhumanity sees the band formed of vocalist Ville Viljanen, guitarists Jori Haukio and Jarkko Kokko, bassist Teemu Heinola, and drummer Marko Tommila expanding their horizons while retaining the sonic quality that has seen the band gain such a steadfast appeal.

Arising from the pits of the underworld, the band delivers a Stygian, ruthless wall of sounds in Of Death, led by the hammering drums by Marko in a stunning fusion of melodeath with symphonic elements. Then investing in a faster and heavier sonority we have Venator, where Ville roars manically accompanied by the striking riffs by Jori and Jarkko, and after that it’s time for six minutes of Symphonic and Melodic Death Metal magic entitled Monuments, reminding me of some of the best creations by Dark Tranquillity. The introspective, haunting interlude Tenebrae Latebra sets the stage for the menacing Summoning the Dark, the epitome of the music by Mors Principium Est, with its metallic riffs and crushing beats matching perfectly with all background orchestrations, whereas a cryptic intro quickly explodes into another feast of Finnish melodeath entitled Beyond the Horizon, with Ville’s vocals getting even more demonic than before.

The Rivers of Avernus is by far one of the most technical and intricate of all songs, uniting the stylish riffs and keys by Children of Bodom with the heaviness of the famous Gothenburg sound, followed by In Sleep There Is Peace, another fast and vibrant tune spearheaded by the unstoppable drums by Marko. The beautifully titled interlude An Aria of the Damned will hypnotize you and drag you to the band’s cryptic lair in All Life Is Evil, a first-class, delicate yet devilish creation with a mysterious female vocalist making a classic paradox with Ville’s deep guttural, putting us on a dark embrace in the name of Melodic Death Metal. And finally, there’s time for a cover version for Makso Mitä Makso, or “No Matter the Cost” in English, originally released by Finnish-Swedish singer Isac Elliot and Finnish rapper Sexmane (check out the original version HERE); needless to say, the band’s version is way heavier and more melodic.

Offering compelling arrangements which convey greater cinematic soundscapes, ambient passages bringing dynamic intrigue and textural layers providing, be it often subtle, enhancements of power, Darkness Invisible will certainly appeal to both diehard fans of the band and newcomers to their refined melodeath world, and you can get in touch with Mors Principium Est via Facebook and Instagram to stay updated with all news and surrounding the band, including their live shows, go through their discography on Spotify or on any other streaming service, and purchase their new album from Reigning Phoenix Music, from Season of Mist, or from Sonic Age Records. Darkness Invisible beautifully represents another step forward in the career of Mors Principium Est, one of the current torchbearers of Finnish melodeath, and I’m sure we’ll hear more from those guys sooner than later as their new album will indeed keep reverberating through all four corners of the earth until they return with the next chapter in their exciting history.

Best moments of the album: Venator, Summoning the Dark and All Life Is Evil.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Perception

Track listing
1. Of Death 5:34
2. Venator 3:45
3. Monuments 5:59
4. Tenebrae Latebra 1:49
5. Summoning the Dark 5:56
6. Beyond the Horizon 5:45
7. The Rivers of Avernus 4:57
8. In Sleep There Is Peace 4:21
9. An Aria of the Damned 2:29
10. All Life Is Evil 6:22

CD/Digital Edition bonus track
11. Makso Mitä Makso (Isac Elliot cover) 2:49

Band members
Ville Viljanen – vocals
Jori Haukio – guitars, programming
Jarkko Kokko – guitars
Teemu Heinola – bass
Marko Tommila – drums

Album Review – Noitasapatti / Sankarin matka (2024)

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This ruthless Finnish Black Metal horde returns with a scorching yet cold and vile concept album where its dreamlike story slowly advances towards indescribable horrors.

Formed in the spring of 2017 in Pori, a city in Finland and the regional capital of Satakunta, the unrelenting Black Metal horde known as Noitasapatti, which is Finnish for “witch’s sabbath”, is set to darken the skies with the release of their sophomore album, titled Sankarin matka, or “a hero’s journey”, the follow-up to their 2022 debut Kuolemattomille maille. Displaying a broad range of sounds while also bringing a lot of fresh soundscape to their music, Sankarin matka is a concept album consisting of an intro and seven songs where its dreamlike story slowly advances towards indescribable horrors, which waver between dream and reality until the truth is exposed in all of its heinousness, while the music is clearly inspired by 90’s Black Metal, British Death and Doom Metal, and even Progressive Rock, showcasing all the talent and dexterity by Erakko on vocals, bass, mouth harp and horns, Liekkiö on the guitars, Kadonnut on keyboards, and Häviö on drums.

Tulikipuna, or “red fever”, is a beyond cinematic intro, a phantasmagorical start to the album that nicely flows into Tuhatkasvoinen, or “thousand faced”, where Erakko begins screaming like a maniac supported by the classic Black Metal riffs by Liekkiö. After that, we have the the title-track Sankarin matka, bringing to our avid ears more of their fusion of Black Metal with experimental sounds, with the intricate beats by Häviö and the wicked keys by Kadonnut sounding absolutely electrifying; and their fusion of raw Black Metal with atmospheric and melodic sounds works really well in Paluu liekkeihin (“back to the flames”), the most Atmospheric Black Metal song of the entire album.

Käskyläisen sanat (“orderly words”) continues with their piano-infused extreme music attack, sounding even more piercing and devilish to the caustic riffage by Liekkiö while Erakko barks the song’s Finnish lyrics like a creature of the underworld, whereas Henkien polulla (“on the path of spirits”) sounds haunting and captivating from the very first second, reminding me of some of the songs from the early days of Cradle of Filth. Moreover, Kadonnut has mastered the art of devilish keys, making the song feel truly experimental at times. Then creepy guitars and bass lines will penetrate deep inside your skin in Matka halki myrskyjen, or “a journey through storms”, despite lacking more energy and getting stale after a while, though. Finally, let’s embark on a 10-minute voyage through the realms of cryptic Black Metal with Noitasapatti in Tähtivaeltaja, or “star trek”, where the bitterly cold gnarls by Erakko match flawlessly with the phantasmagorical sounds crafted by his bandmates, with its piano outro exhaling melancholy for our total delight.

A hero’s journey can be dark, evil and very demanding, just like what Noitasapatti have to offer us all in their new beast Sankarin matka, and if you think you have what it takes to face that infernal path you can get in touch with the band via Facebook or Instagram, stream their wicked creations on Spotify, and purchase their venomous new opus on BandCamp or from the Inverse Records webstore. However, be warned you’re going to face unimaginable horrors as soon as you hit play, proving once and for all the devilish power of Black Metal hailing from the North, sounding scorching and caustic while at the same time bitterly cold and chilling.

Best moments of the album: Sankarin matka, Käskyläisen sanat and Tähtivaeltaja.

Worst moments of the album: Matka halki myrskyjen.

Released in 2024 Inverse Records

Track listing
1. Tulikipuna 1:33
2. Tuhatkasvoinen 4:09
3. Sankarin matka 5:10
4. Paluu liekkeihin 6:21
5. Käskyläisen sanat 6:42
6. Henkien polulla 4:18
7. Matka halki myrskyjen 5:48
8. Tähtivaeltaja 9:50

Band members
Erakko – vocals, bass, mouth harp, horns
Liekkiö – guitars
Kadonnut – keyboards
Häviö – drums

Album Review – Depressed Mode / Decade of Silence (2022)

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One of the most interesting names of the underground Finnish scene returns to action after almost 13 years with a brand new album of stunning and symphonic Doom Metal.

Established in Pori, a city and municipality on the west coast of Finland, in 2005 by vocalist and composer Otto Salonen, the amazing Symphonic Death/Doom Metal act known as Depressed Mode is set to release their long-awaited third full-length album Decade of Silence, almost 13 years after ..for Death.., released in 2009. Recorded by the band’s guitarist Teemu Heinola and the aforementioned Otto Salonen at Ansa Studio, mixed by the same Teemu, and mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios, Decade of Silence will bring a humungous dosage of symphony and doom to your avid ears, showcasing all the talent and passion for heavy music by Otto and Teemu together with their bandmates Henri Hakala on bass and Iiro Aittokoski on drums.

Death Walks Among Us is sinister and obscure from the very first second, with the orchestrations by Otto giving it a cinematic vibe while his deep guttural will haunt your damned souls for all eternity, all spiced up by the vicious riffs by Teemu. Then featuring Veronica Bordacchini of Fleshgod Apocalypse as a guest vocalist, Endless November starts in the most lugubrious way possible, evolving into a sluggish, phantasmagorical Doom Metal song with Blackened Doom nuances, not to mention all symphonic elements sound and feel majestic; whereas back to a heavier and more symphonic mode it’s time for Iiro to dictate the pace with his pounding drums in Dissociation of the Extinguished Mind, featuring a guest guitar solo by Jarkko Kokko of Mors Principium Est. Veronica is back in As the Light Dims, another bold, multi-layered creation by Depressed Mode that starts in a serene way to the sounds of the piano and cello, offering our ears nine nocturnal minutes of stunning Doom Metal.

Just as imposing and grim as its predecessors,  Parasites of Mind explodes into a brutal fusion of Symphonic and Death Metal led by the venomous riffs by Teemu and the inhumane roars by Otto, smashing your cranial skull without a single drop of mercy, whereas drinking from the darkest fountain of Doom Metal you can think of, Kaamos (Land of Winter) brings forward the pounding beats by Iiro and the crushing riffs by Teemu, penetrating deep inside your soul while more of their sluggish, grim sounds permeate the air in Serpents, with sheer darkness flowing from both Otto’s vocals and Henri’s hammering bass. Eternal Darkness is another stunning creation featuring Veronica’s mesmerizing vocals, with the orchestrations by Otto sounding beautifully haunting while Iiro pulverizes his drums in a lesson in Symphonic Doom Metal. Finally, prepare your senses for 12 minutes of atmospheric passages, darkened skies and endless heaviness in the form of Aeternus, where Otto’s deep guttural brings a touch of Blackened Doom to the overall result, flowing darkly until its climatic and Stygian ending.

In a nutshell, the guys from Depressed Mode definitely know how to blend the heaviness of Doom Metal with the finesse of symphonic and orchestral music, and Decade of Silence is not only the perfect representation of that stunning fusion of sounds, but also a beyond strong comeback by those Finnish metallers. Hence, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram to know more about their music, to stream all of their wicked creations on Spotify, and of course to purchase Decade of Silence from the band’s own BandCamp page or from the Inverse Records webstore sooner than you can say “doom”. After over a decade of silence it’s a pleasure to witness the return of such interesting name of the underground Finnish scene, and let’s hope that we don’t need to wait another ten years to listen to more of their awesome music.

Best moments of the album: Endless November, Eternal Darkness and Aeternus.

Worst moments of the album: Serpents.

Released in 2022 Inverse Records

Track listing
1. Death Walks Among Us 5:53
2. Endless November 7:43
3. Dissociation of the Extinguished Mind 6:56
4. As the Light Dims 8:58
5. Parasites of Mind 6:39
6. Kaamos (Land of Winter) 6:16
7. Serpents 5:50
8. Eternal Darkness 5:46
9. Aeternus 12:09

Band members
Otto Salonen – vocals, orchestrations
Teemu Heinola – guitars
Henri Hakala – bass
Iiro Aittokoski – drums

Guest musicians
Veronica Bordacchini – vocals on “Endless November”, “As the Light Dims” and “Eternal Darkness”
Jarkko Kokko – lead guitars on “Dissociation of the Extinguished Mind”