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Reviews
Ajattara: Noitumaa
08/04/09 || Global Domination
The second I started listening to this, freaking huge alarm bells started ringing all over my cerebrum! What do we fucken have here? “Noitumaa”, to say the least, comes across as a weird, truly sick joke that Ajattara is playing on us. And you know what? So far, so good, I’m laughing along, because this album here, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, is just a mind-fuck of gigantic proportions. I didn’t know Pasi “Ruoja” Koskinen and his band of merry evildoers had this much grotesque humor. I’m impressed!
So what’s the big deal, I hear you ask? They’ve gone all out acoustic on us! What we have here is circa 30 minutes of … black/country metal? Fuck if I know, but I guess that would be the best way to describe what’s going on. Could it be a big middle finger to all the Unplugged albums of the music world? Maybe. I do think it’s certainly an original experiment and one that not many bands would dare to try, or have attempted before, as far as I can remember. Ajattara has been a band that I’ve liked for a while now, and their previous releases are albums that I’d recommend to anyone into dark/black/death without a second thought. To detour into something as crazy as “Noitumaa” from a stable and pretty unique sound for which they’ve become known takes some cojones.
Musically speaking, “Noitumaa” it’s fairly simple. There are dual acoustic guitars that play quite a few entertaining riffs, while the acoustic bass lends some in-your-face heaviness. Add some perfunctory drumming and some of the most disgustingly sounding vocal work that has originated from Pasi’s talented vocal chords and this unusual formula is complete. If I thought that Finnish sounded like an ugly language before, now I think it is positively horrendous, and guess what? I’d like to learn it! Every word growled, snarled and whispered by Pasi sounds demented and obscene, and provides for the horror-film atmosphere, undoubtedly giving the noir twist to the tale.
I have the nagging feeling that after the novelty factor wears off I won’t be listening to “Noitumaa” that much, but in the meantime it’s proving to be a lot of fun. On the other hand, I might grow to like it even more, because every further listen right now brings new details to my attention that heighten my appreciation for what Ajattara is doing here. Contradicting myself already? Who gives a fuck! It’s in the nature of man, isn’t it? I’ll leave that question to the philosophers amongst us. Meanwhile, all you should do is listen to songs like “Massat”, “Saatana Palvoo Meitä”, “Ikuisen Aamun Sara” or “Säkeitä Riippuneesta Lihasta” and you’ll get what I mean. At the very least, this should be an unusual experience, approach it with an open mind!
7.5 ranting Finnish wankers out of 10.
- Information
- Released: 2009
- Label: Spikefarm
- Website: www.ajattara.fi
- Band
- Ruoja (Pasi Koskinen): guitar, vocals, keyboards
- Kalmos (Vesa Wahlroos): guitar, backing vocals
- Tohtori Kuolio (Juha Harju): bass, backing vocals
- Raajat (Janne Immonen): keyboards
- Malakias IV (Tommi Lillman): drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Keuhkot
- 02. Massat
- 03. Mitä Kuolema Parantaa?
- 04. Saatana Palvoo Meitä
- 05. Saveen Saarnattu
- 06. Ikuisen Aamun Sara
- 07. Kielletyn Sanat
- 08. Säkeitä Riippuneesta Lihasta
- 09. Lammas