As a guitarist of Wintersun, vocalist of Damnation Plan, vocalist of True Cult Club, and occasional troubadour, Asim Searah’s “irons in the fire” offer a unique window into the state of modern metal. Based in Helsinki, he’s stayed connected to fans and friends via the Twitch platform during the past two years of limited live
Jyväskylä, Finland-based metallers Trauma Field independently released their third full-length album From Wounded Soil on January 31. In their 18-year tenure the band has navigated melancholic and atmospheric waters—and this album, while less strictly heavy than its 2016 predecessor, delivers more nuance and variety than before. A brief intro leans into “Wounded Soil”, which travels
Duo HANN—better known as Janica Lönn, Pyry Hanski, Lönn’s vocals, and two guitars—gained steam in 2021 and are on the verge of expanding their catalog, including both covers and new original music. Their surprise late-2021 EP release included four acoustic Finnish metal covers. First up is Stam1na’s “Kannoin sinut läpi hiljaisen huoneen” which is pleasantly
Balance Breach, a metalcore unit hailing from Mikkeli, Finland, are out for blood with their recent single, “Overthrown”. Released in December, this single’s three minutes and 38 seconds perhaps represent the five-piece’s—Aleksi Paasonen (vocals), Terho Korhonen (guitar), Saku Heimonen (guitar), Joni Härkönen (bass), and Antti Halonen (drums)—most aggressive offering to date. The track, released by
Finnish rockers Gardenhead released a new single “Devoured” on January 14, building upon their first single “Ordeal” and gathering momentum towards the end of their first year publicly together. “Devoured” is just heavy enough to satisfy even the metal crowd, toying with time signatures and delivering both a progressive and desert rock-inspired feel. Singer Jonne
Helsinki-based heavy rockers DIRT are on the precipice of both their debut album and a new year, and the November 19th release of their latest single “Real World” has given listeners a taste of the band’s direction. The single’s most recent predecessors are 2019’s Low Life EP and “Cold Sweat” cover, and the five-piece—including Aleksi
Jyväskylä, Finland-based Nemecic—we’ll pause for you to pronounce it correctly, like “nemesis” but with Greek spelling—have released their second album since reuniting in 2017. Unleashed on October 29, 2021 via Inverse Records an expeditious few weeks after the prior single, the album represents the creative offerings of drummer Niko Anttila, guitarist Pasi Rajakallio, guitarist Tuomo
Extreme metallers Bloody Falls unleashed their sophomore album Burn the Witch on October 29, 2021 via Art Gates Records. The Valkeakoski, Finland-based fivesome—comprised of Antero Hakala (vocals), Marko Mäkinen (guitars), Mika Lehtinen (bass), Rami Vartiainen (drums), and Stavros Mathios (guitars)—solidified their current lineup in 2019 and have spent recent years both honing their sound and
Metal Solstice 