Review by Felix on December 27, 2025.

Norrhem’s debut “Vaienneet voittajat” was released in 2018, and its title means something like “The winners that fell silent”, if I am not mistaken. Unfortunately, my Finnish language skills are in desolate condition. But my ears are Finnish enough to make me enjoy cool black metal from Suomi. Very cool, in this case. The album shines with a crystal sound. Not crystal clear, to avoid misunderstandings, but very icy. Admittedly, the material sounds slightly undifferentiated, and the drummer does his job somewhere in the distance – his instrument definitely does not sit in the first row. But mastermind “V”, who is responsible for vocals, keyboards, guitars, and more, shapes the songs in a very competent manner. In other words, the music lives up to the fantastic cover’s promise. A winter atmosphere, Darwinian determination, the certainty of having no other options – all this is reflected by both the artwork and the music. One can say that the vinyl is not opulently designed by Darker Than Black, but the wonderful cover, the inner sleeve with the (totally confusing) Finnish lyrics, and the design of the record in blue and silver undoubtedly deliver value for money.

The material on “Vaienneet Voittajat” creates an extremely homogeneous output. Let me be honest, it takes a while to understand that the band plays eight different songs. The melodies are sometimes very similar to each other. Only the closer marches to a different drummer – literally. We get a song of the Finnish army with folkloric, melancholic, and thought-provoking harmonies, no highlight in the context of this debut, but a respectable tribute from a down-to-earth, tradition-conscious black metal horde that expresses its deep attachment to its homeland not only through Finnish lyrics. The band also references the local national poet Alexis Kivi (1834 – 1972), to whom they dedicate a song later in their career. Anyway, this album also has a lot to offer for all non-Finnish listeners.

Without bordering on devastating sounds, Norrhem attacks with force. The atmospheric keyboard sounds do not diminish the vehemence of the guitars, but add an extra flavor. It is not only “Vaienneet Voittajat I”, where they lend the song a spooky touch. By the way, this track is pure black metal pleasure. Especially an unexpected break with almost an early Emperor-esque feeling - it delivers a totally different melody with a lot of depth, and is fascinating. But the whole song deserves nothing but praise. Fortunately, the second part does not stand in its shadow. It is rather slow-moving and delivers some heroic vocals, but it gains intensity in its second half, and “V” returns to his usual, raw kind of singing. As I admitted above, I don't understand a word of the lyrics, but if they were about loneliness, vastness, coldness, and war, I wouldn't be surprised.

The two parts of the title track make the B side an amazing listening experience, but the A side houses outstanding pieces as well. Generally speaking, I don’t believe in things such as a national character. Individuality beats stereotypes. But no rule without exception, and maybe the Finns just have the best understanding of the essence of black metal, for its core, its power, its clarity, and yes, for its vulnerability as well. The latter appears in the few solemn parts of the album, where “V” seems to lament for the fallen. Well, maybe someone just stole his breakfast sandwich or pissed into his lemonade, and that's why he's complaining, but I don't think so. In any case, I have no reason to whine. With “Kadotuksen sudet” and “Sota”, we have at least two jewels that shimmer through the cold, thick fog that he guitars are creating. Both songs combine impulsive belligerence with sporadically occurring malicious, almost catchy yet by far not radio-friendly melody lines. In a chest full of diamonds, these two songs and the two title tracks shine the brightest. Therefore, it is a matter of honour for me to recommend this album to all those who have a weakness for typical Scandinavian black metal.“Vaienneet voittajat” is not just another good album from the land of the thousand lakes. It makes a statement that you should not ignore.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10