Kirous

I don't listen to a lot of black metal, but I listen to enough to know that Väki is doing this right.  "Kirous" is technical, it's black, it's raw, and it's a menace.  This is Väki's first release ever, and it's a two-track EP that's almost eleven and a half minutes long.  The first track, "Kuoleman Säkeet," starts off beautifully with this super fast and technical riff.  Going through the EP, there are a lot of these moments where Väki goes from black metal to technical black metal almost instantly.

The production is great, they got this thing released under Redefining Darkness Records a month after its original independent release.  I can hear every instrument, though it may take a trained ear to hear the bass.  I love the production because if this were traditional black metal, then the technicality would have been lost in a cacophony of noise and reverb.  The only production flaw is on the second track, "Kirous," where near the beginning, the volume spikes up right after his death metal-like roar.

Also, this album has a killer album cover.  I love album art like this.  Honestly, without this mournful looking artwork, this album would have a lot less of an effect on the listener.  It gives a visual of what the music represents, I think.

So this is a very solid EP.  I look forward to more from this band.  It's a great release with a ton of potential.  Hopefully they release a full-length soon.

Overall Rating: 95%

Originally written for themetalvoid.wordpress.com