Review by Fernando on September 10, 2024.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Finnish black metal scene is how it embraces its elder statesmen as well as hungry newcomers, provided they show the same level of devotion and dedication mandatory of black metal. Today we have an interesting case of the former in the form of Förgjord. The band had developed a reputation as “your favorite Finnish black metal band’s favorite Finnish black metal band”, and they'll unleash their new record Perkeleen Weri, through the infamous cult-favorite label, Werewolf Records on September 9th, 2024.

Förgjord (at least according to Metallum) seems to have existed for as long as mainstays of the country’s luminaries like Horna and Behexen, but for whatever reason, and some name changes, didn’t release anything until the turn of the century, and since then, they have steadily released music at a relatively consistent pace. Throughout that time, the band was releasing albums, EPs, and splits where they carefully and meticulously crafted their sound, and Perkeleen Weri is another step forward for the band, that also hearkens back to the glory days of black metal.

The album opens with the raucous ‘Silmäinkääntäjä’ which starts with an eerie guitar melody accompanied by some equally ominous spoken word and dripping water, perfectly setting the tone of the album, and then the band bursts into some aggressive doomy riffs and rapacious growling vocals, followed by some classic Finnish black metal; fast, melodic and raw. And from there, the band kept building upon that start and never let up.

The whole album plays like some bizarre greatest hits record in the sense that each song feels distinct and unique from the last, but at the same time, the music as a whole flows organically and with cohesion from beginning to end. The band doesn’t waste a single second and tries their hand at every styling of black metal they can within their own unique brand of raw and melodic Finn black metal, from groove and riff-oriented rock bangers to punkish thrash, depressive and atmospheric dirges, and even combining them all in a single song, all the while keeping a tight and concise runtime of 35 minutes, there isn’t an ounce of filler or a wasted track. More impressively the band achieves this while keeping a minimalistic approach to the instrumentation, and a raw sound that perfectly elevates the music while being just crisp enough that you can hear each instrument and even some subtle flourishes of complexity in the guitar work, and subdued synths to reinforce the dark atmosphere.

Overall, the whole album is an excellent display of classic yet refreshing black metal, and while the band is still playing to their strengths and giving due reverence to the stylings of the early 90s, they do so with so much personality and confidence that you can’t help but just jam with it. This is a bit weird considering the lyrical content deals with the darkest and most violent chapters of the Savo region where the band is from, presented very matter-of-factly, so as to document those horrors, and the music is a perfect soundtrack for them.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Nekrist on June 2, 2024.

In my almost daily search for new bands and sounds that catch my attention, I have discovered countless bands that have blown my mind, mainly since I immersed myself in exploring heavier, slower and more atmospheric metal such as sludge and doom metal. In these styles, I found what I was always looking for, and as a fairly staunch fan of black metal I discovered the concoction of these styles, being an authentic delicacy of haute cuisine for my senses.

In that search for bands classified as mixes between doom, black and sludge here at Los Metal Archives I found a mysterious name that immediately caught my attention, Baader-Meinhof, but that was not going to be all, the biggest surprise I got was that this is an alternative project of the renowned rapper under the name “Ghostmane”. The amazement, curiosity and curiosity of listening to this artist's personal interpretation of the previously mentioned styles was enormous.

I immediately went to hear what Baader-Meinhof was about, and if it would really be worth giving it the dedicated listening time for a review, since in his main project “Ghostmane” (which I personally enjoy a lot) Mr. Eric had already flirted with some hardcore and “metal” to some extent. Although I honestly always thought that these elements were only used as a “gimmick” to impress the legions of edgy and spoiled teenagers who usually follow the most mainstream music. But boy did I get a pleasant surprise.

In Baader-Meinhof Eric expresses his most sinister and hidden artistic side, exploring the sounds of black and the darkest sludge metal, in this project he is also in charge of all the composition, since it is no mystery that this American artist is a multi-instrumentalist and producer of his own music, the sound of this self-titled EP is an authentic declaration of principles, Eric's voice is ghostly and pained, each scream is a sob of unbearable suffering, the riffs are infectious and very powerful, reaching creating “Burzum-esque” atmospheres, due to the technique with which some songs are played, the drums are raw but precise, showing us that Eric knows what he is doing, and with a very good interpretation of blast beats.

The use of synthesizers enriches the atmosphere of the EP, increasing the chaos and level of noise by which we are being assaulted without any mercy. The song that completely captivated me and that summarizes very well what this work is is called 'To The Grave', with a performance that shows us the sincerity and passion with which this music was recorded.

These types of projects can generate conflicts among the most closed fans of extreme music, but from my point of view, this type of artistic explorations helps us expand our musical panorama, and break prejudices due to which perhaps we miss out on great things, At the end of the day, Eric is still what we all are, fans.

Rating: 9 out of 10