Ajattara - Äpäre (2006)

Ajattara have always reveled in their simplistic method of executing slow to mid-paced black metal with native lyrics, almost folk-like in places without the use of excess acoustics or humppa instrumentation (they DID release an acoustic folk album just this year though). Critical praise for the band has plummeted since their inception, it seems with each new album, as the band becomes marginally more accessible, they turn off another wave fans. I could care less about this myself, but sadly Äpäre was their last output of quality (2007's follow-up Kalmanto is an atrocity against Ukko). Much of the negative critique is misplaced here: despite the cleaner tones and subdued aggression, Äpäre is a powerful effort with some highly memorable fare.

A trance-like synthesizer launches the big grooves of "Hurmasta", Ruoja (Pasi Koskinen) snarling like a wounded man cut open and left to die in the stellar winter. That's right, you never heard him do vocals like these when he was fronting Amorphis. "Raato" creates a simple, depressive doom groove, while keys create a subtle lift to the dark and constant chords of the chorus. "Säälin Koira" is outrageously good, my favorite track of the album for the dark and fretful verse and glorious chorus. Reall, this is all I require out of an Ajattara album. More of this please! "Lautuma" is dark and frothy, like a tavern at midnight, its patrons mostly gone or drunk on the floor, when a maniac with a rusted scythe arrives. Koskinen's vocals once again put the simplicty of the composition over the edge with venomous black poetry. "Eksyneet" escalates its careening acoustic line into a snake-charmer's rhythm of brutal tutelage. "Hirsipuulintu" transforms from dark piano chord into an Amon Amarth-like charger of dark bloodshed. Again, basic and hypnotic riffing, synthesizer presence and dense throat create an unforgettable haunting environment. Of the album's remainder, "Itse" is notable for its slow and creepy crawl, while "Koito" is one of the most atmospheric pieces here.

While some might feel it's too 'clean' to be effective, the production of this record nonetheless maintains the ominous tones required for conquest. I could liken this record to Barathrum playing in a department store but no one would understand. Ajattara simply shares that same sense of bombast and black purity, stripped of its needless excess and delivered right from the gut like an axe to the neck. Äpäre may lack some of the raw tones of its predecessors, but it's equally worthy and stands poised at the height of their discography to date.

Verdict: Epic Win [9.25/10]

http://www.ajattara.fi/