Although Ikuinen Kaamos were already launched in 1997, it gives only now their debut full-length album The Forlorn . It's equipped with five long varied pieces, relating stylistically as well to melancholic Doom Metal as Black Metal.

It starts with Frailty , the longest track on the record, introducing with calm and dreamlike acoustic guitar melodies, wind sounding and even softly synthetic background sounds. After almost three minutes of this idyllic lucidity it surprisingly comes in intensively. A brute fast and hammering beat sets on, being replaced directly by sluggish and mighty arrangements. Ikuinen Kaamos shows a perfect sense for harmonious melodies. Powerful, dragging and loosen up by melodic guitars continues the next minutes. The vocals are quiet and darkly distorted. Sporadically it reminds a little to Opeth. At the end of Frailty it moves on fast and brachial again and this deep singing is changing into shrill screaming.
With Grace it continues right leisurely. It's slow and powerful and thereby determined by a melancholic atmosphere. But also here many guitar melodies are heard breaking up the impact rarely. After a few minutes a clear acoustic guitar passage arises, that quasi acts a transition to the following part, being brute, rapid and harsh. This aggressive part is well conditioned mighty, despite of the prevailing quick and straight playing, it's formed diversified, and both kinds of vocals are used. Above all the last minutes outperform. Its fast and catching, but quiet, horrid melodies are heard in the background, granting the whole with certain profoundness.
Delusion starts powerful but with melodic hard riffing. Those hard, catching riffs, the slow rhythm and the deep ardency singing create an extremely energetic atmosphere. According to the music's slowness it's considerable, how intensively Ikuinen Kaamos are performing their music. Later on the leading guitar becomes more and more playful, lending the whole with a complex and technical note, that isn't to my liking, because of the breaking of the fluent and clear structure. Thus returns later on with an intensive fast part, that for the present is thrashed frantic fast and then ends in a vile stomping but also speed variation. Ikuinen Kaamos beats utterly dexterous with the singing, inserted variably and nuance fully and so successfully emphasizes the tension. The both last tracks Ascent and Fall are also structured stratified, though melodic and atmospheric elements overweigh in Ascent . Fall indeed is an almost generally fast piece, being occasionally very catching.

The Forlorn performs perfectly. It's a much diversified record, in which different styles are united. Partly this melting succeeds masterly, after all there are moments, effecting too overloaded. Especially when Ikuinen Kaamos insert technical arrangements in those otherwise very clear and fluent progresses, the harmonic atmosphere little loose. Those moments are certainly rare and are of no consequence.


Aceust


(Translation: G.P.)

01. Frailty
02. Grace
03. Delusion
04. Ascent
05. Fall


IKUINEN KAAMOS
DESCENT PRODUCTIONS