Vermilia – Karsikko

I’ve been following Vermilia since the very beginning. Her debut album, “Kätkyt” made an instant and very positive impression on me that had me convinced this is one of the most interesting artists in black metal right now. I am not a black metal listener, and I tend to gravitate towards artists that add a twist to it rather than keeping the straightforward approach to the genre. Approaches like symphonic, experimental, progressive, melodic and indeed, folk or pagan black metal, always appeal more to me. And that’s where Vermilia comes in. She’s easily comparable to artists like Arkona, Myrkur or Suldusk, but I find her sound a lot more refreshing than any of these other acts. 3 albums and an EP into the journey, she’s certainly solidified a formula that works for her, and gives a unique twist to her music. The combination of Finnish lyrics, seamless blending of aggression and melody, and a beautiful approach to vocal layering, makes her music a constant clash of contrasting aesthetics that seems to reflect nature itself.

Her latest full-length album, “Karsikko“, offers all of the above, and is very consistent with what I’ve come to expect from her. The risk however, when an artist settles too comfortably into a formula, is that they can become too repetitive or predictable. Right now, I feel like Vermilia is walking that line, but still keeping things fresh and interesting. There is enough variation in sound and writing from one song to the next, to keep things interesting, and add something new to the familiar aesthetics. On this album, we see tracks that lean heavily into the black metal roots, like ‘Vakat’ and ‘Kivutar’, but also some that feel like pagan chants or rituals (‘Karsikko’, ‘Koti’) and some tracks that mix up the composition with more attack on riffs and rhythmic play (‘Veresi’).

Vermilia – Kansojen Kaipuu

With these few efficient approaches, the composition doesn’t have to become very complex. On the most black metal sounding songs, the music is driven almost entirely by blast beats and tremolo picking riffs, with soothing and raw melodies soaring above the wall of sound. Every now and then, the music opens into a kick snare pattern, allowing the harmony of chords and melody to breathe and release some of the tension (‘Vakat’ bridge section). There is also plenty of melodic variation and alternation of drum patterns throughout the blasting sections to make the songs feel like emotional journeys. So much of the emotional payoff is delivered by changing the tone in the melodic choices, sometimes sounding dark, ominous or sinister, while at other times turning refreshing and peaceful.

More interesting instrumental performances occur on the less traditional black metal songs. ‘Veresi’ for example, offers some very satisfying chug patterns over a double bass drum foundation. I could almost call it groovy, which is not a word you’d usually use when describing black metal. On ‘Kansojen Kaipuu’ we even get some bass stand out moments. And of course it wouldn’t be a properly pagan album unless we got some organic tribal percussion sections (‘Koti’).

Vermilia – Veresi

But what stood out to me most for this particular album is undoubtedly the use of keyboards. This must be her most orchestrated album yet. I think it might also have the cleanest production so far. It’s nowhere near as raw as traditional black metal, but it’s not exactly hi-fi either. This makes it perfectly balanced to sound natural and organic but also allow the melodic sections to come across as clear and soothing. The layers of vocals and orchestrations combined are what truly makes the album shine. When clean singing, harsh vocals and a beautiful string section all come together over the metal backbone, the music is elevated to its full ritualistic aura. In terms of harsh vocals, we have both lower growls and high shrieking. The clean vocals are sometimes very flat and serene while at other times get jolted by a strange folky vibrato. Very often, the scream and clean singing is layered, which creates the surreal experience of beauty and brutality combined into one and existing harmoniously together. There are also moments when the vocal delivery feels more like a chant (‘Koti’) and also some ominous reciting sections that feel like an incantation (‘Kansojen Kaipuu’).

Vermilia seems quite content with the sound and aesthetic she created. She doesn’t seem rushed to change much, and that does get me wondering how long this specific sound will keep working before it gets too monotone. But for now, I feel like she’s managed to keep things fresh and exciting with each release. ‘Karsikko’ is probably not my favourite of her albums, mostly because I’m irrationally attached to the debut, but I think it might be the best album she’s released in terms of sound quality and emotional delivery.

Track List:

1. Karsikko (04:44)
2. Vakat (07:07)
3. Kivutar (04:32)
4. Suruhymni (05:08)
5. Koti (03:29)
6. Veresi (06:39)
7. Talven Jälkeen (03:46)
8. Kansojen Kaipuu (06:01)