Sorni Nai - Kauan

There are some things that are simply just too good to keep to yourself, like the arrival of a new child or an engagement. When passion stirs up in us we feel compelled to share what is on our hearts at that time. Music is no different, sometimes something catches your ear and you simply have to pass on this new discovery. Sorni Nai is one of those moments and something I haven't felt for a long time. Kauan a small Russian band released this gem in the second half of 2015 and completely bypassed many peoples radars, however thanks to modern technology and the wonders of the internet I came upon this wondrous piece. A 52 minute ambient metal orchestral progressive ode to the victims of the Dyatlov Pass Incident, is something simply sublime.

The Dyatlov Pass incident centres around nine very experienced Russian skiers/hikers who ventured into the Ural Mountains but never made it to their end destination, Otorten. On the slopes of Kholat Syakhl something bizarre happened. After setting up camp for the night the explorers startled by something fled their camp in little more than what they had been sleeping in, wading through deep snow, barefoot in the dead of night. When the bodies of the victims were discovered some had sustained significant injuries such as fractured skulls and major chest fractures that would have taken serious force, but no external injuries were found and there was no sign of a struggle. Some of the bodies contained high levels of radiation and orange lights in the sky had been reported by other hikers in the area on the night of 2nd February 1959.

To this day nobody knows what indeed happen that night but this album serves as a chilling tribute to those who died. The album is sadly all in Finnish (for some reason Kauan write their songs in Finnish) so I can't tell you about the lyrical content but with the orchestration, artwork and sinister, solemn vibe emanating from this piece you don't need to understand what they are saying to know what is going on. This album is truly stunning by how it leads you through a complex array of emotions and like the explorers on their journey as a listener you can feel what it must have been like to be out there in the wilderness in the winter of 1959. The heavier screamed passages may not be everyones cup of tea but serve well as adding to the drama alongside the equally eerie synth and keys work. The music, the concept and the artwork have been done to perfection.

This band have pulled off something stunning, not just as a piece of music but a complete artwork and lasting monument to those who lost their lives that tragic night. It is not just a piece of music but a vast soundscape in which you can immerse yourself in and take that fated journey that Dyatlov's group took.

Sorni Nai - Kauan is out now through Blood Music 

The stuff you normally listen to

I must say that over the past few weeks I have been incredibly unadventurous in my musical musings and haven't really put much thought into what I have been listening to. I came across the list of songs that I had been putting together for the next load of notable mentions and it was full of the same old stuff - a ton of Norwegian stuff, something I haven't heard in ages, something new or something that has caught my attention. This however got me thinking that actually we forget how great some of these pieces are. We put them on when we get up, in the car on the way to work, when we are at work or when we are casually browsing the internet but we forget what made us like them in the first place. So whilst today's list of songs may not be a wild leap into the unknown here are some great tracks that I have embraced into my day to day listenings.

Hymne Til Havet - In Vain
I bloody love this song. Well in fact the whole album Ænigma, In Vain have created a brilliant soundscape with this album. Hymne Til Havet is for me one of the standouts on the album, sung totally in Norwegian and layered vocal harmonies you get the vibe that vikings could have been belting out this chorus as they left their Scandinavian shores into the vast ocean. The guitar work and song crafting on this piece is sublime. Ænigma is a masterpiece and something all metal fans should check out even if you're not into all this viking awesomeness.

Tyrants - Immortal
I haven't really listened to much of the Norwegian Black Metal titans, Immortal, but I stumbled across this track and was blown away by the sheer power of it! Some times black metal needs to take the pace down just a notch for its true power to be heard and that is just what Immortal have done here. Simple but effective Norwegian Black Metal.

Physical Education - Animals As Leaders
And now for something completely different. I'm not a massive fan of the band but this song really caught my attention. That catchy little melody that runs through the song is incredibly infectious that mixed with Tosin Abasi's signature jazzy bass thumping technique give this song a fantastic groove. It's not much of a shred fest but more for the musical connoisseur taking a trippy journey to the djent side.

The Unbinding Truth - Dååth
Tech/melo-death band Dååth had completely slipped off my radar for a long time. I loved this band a while ago but for some reason I haven't listened to them in ages. This track from their astonishing album The Concealers highlights everything great about this band. The guitar work that Levi and Werstler come up with is mind blowing, that compounded with the crushing vocals of Sean Zatorsky you are left with this little beauty.

Mass Darkness - Ihsahn 
Finally! It is here! The lead single from Ihsahn's upcoming album Arktis has arrived. As he has said in various interviews this album is going to take a more structured approach to song writing compared to that of Das Seelenbrechen and this song certainly follows that sentiment. As straight up as a Black Metal song could possibly be, Mass Darkness, is a nice intro to what I'm sure will be contender for album of the year. The song also features a not too annoying Matt Heafy on vocals for the chorus "Give in!"'s - It's an Ihsahn song after all, he could redeem pretty much anything.

Top Notch
Ok so I am introducing a new category which I am sure will only feature when something is extremely good. I went to see Steven Wilson this past week again in which he played the whole of his most recent album Hand. Cannot. Erase. meaning that his song Routine was played once again. Knowing how much it impacted me the last time I saw him perform it I said to myself I would not be moved to tears again. Well it was extremely hard. The way Steven and the band deliver this song is a pure work of art. The story, the music and the visuals are all impeccable to get you to just watch the music video would not do it justice but I will get you to do that anyway. It was absolutely stunning and someone who you must see live.