Ihmiskärsimys

This EP is an early release from the Finnish depressive BM band Arvet when it consisted of just one member Noxifer who played all instruments and sang. "Ihmiskärsimys" (which possibly means "human suffering" if you play around with Google Translate and a few websites) is a good example of what Noxifer was able to achieve on his own. The music is all raging noise guitar texture grounded by strong rhythms that sometimes go rock'n'roll groovy and both overlaid by lead guitar melodies. The vocals, tinted with reverb, are quite shrill and are pushed into the background. Overall the impression is of a style of music that could appeal equally to a more mainstream-oriented black metal audience brought up on Burzum albums and an underground following.

Intro track "Muston valon kantaja" is a strong, varied song driven equally by the vocals and the instrumentation as a whole. Featuring a mix of rhythms, some quite pop-friendly, and travelling at different speeds from moderately fast to slow, "Muston ..." gives us a taste of what we can expect from Arvet. The mood changes quite a bit too though generally it doesn't stray far from the bleak and desolate end of the emotional spectrum. "Käärmeen sana kuolemissani" is a slower, more melancholy piece with a steady if monotonous rhythm and very anguished howling. The background guitar noise is continuously steaming away but there are definite riffs. Slight chord changes emphasise the painful emotions in the song. It's a good song but it's overshadowed by the other songs on the EP due to its repetitive structure and downbeat nature.

The title track seems to be an outwardly angrier song compared to the previous track with the vocals shrieking away behind the music while tremolo guitars work hard leading the way. An air that might be construed as almost triumphal or defiant is present as the whole song steams and presses onward.

The EP is very good as is but I can't help wondering whether it might have been a lot better if a live drummer had been present. The percussion on all three tracks performs its essential time-keeping and structuring function but does not go beyond that. Lacklustre percussion is a common problem with solo BM projects: the music definitely needs percussion that more than just backs it up - the percussion needs to be a driving force that pushes the other instruments to work harder, plus two musicians playing together are involved in an exchange of ideas and brainstorming that adds energy to the music.

At least Noxifer must have realised that Arvet couldn't remain as a solo BM project - on Arvet's debut album coming later, the band expanded to a 4-piece. This EP will be of interest to Arvet fans who came to know the band through the album and who are keen to find and hear more material.