Review: Havukruunu — Tavastland

Introduction

One of the more epic black metal bands out of Finland, Havukruunu is back with the new album Tavastland, four years after their EP Kuu Erkylän Yllä. Five years since their previous album Uinuos Syömein Sota that I was very fond of.

Tavastland is an eight track album lasting 54 minutes, their black, and white album covers are still rocking on their releases, this one being a sword-carrying owl. The swords are found a lot on their covers and their music also brings me to a medieval fantasy place, so I find that quite fitting…

For this album we let KingGorthaur and Kermit dissect it as a tag team, even getting help from our finnish friend Samoly to help with the translation. -Editor

Tavastland

KingGorthaur: Havukruunu has an incredible capability to create big and immersive epic soundscapes full of folky vibes by infusing their melodic guitar riffs with various choir-style vocals. This folk vibe, as I like to describe it, is something I feel a nostalgia for from when I grew up with Nordic folktales and movies. The choir-y vocals remind me a lot of the soundtrack to the movie and story of “Ronia: The Robber’s Daughter” by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren (click here for an example).

So they send me down memory lane and put me into the action of a Nordic folktale, but they also make it go even harder with their inspiring riffs and hefty drums. I think Havukruunu deliberately wants to create this feeling for their listeners because despite their lyrics and titles being in Finish, you still feel like you’re part of their story. If you are interested in the meaning of the lyrics on this particular album, you can find them on Metal Archives.

I really love the way of their songs are put together in a story — telling way, and this new album simply carries on that same path that their previous work is all about. Opening track Kuolematon Laulunhenki and track Kuoleman Oma really depicts the Havukruunu sound, and are the two tracks I mostly recommend giving you a general taste of the album.

Roberto: Havukruunu is back! I loved their 2021 release Uinuos syömein sota, so I was excited when the promo of the new album Tavastland dropped in my mailbox. The album starts with an intro that tells a story. One of our discord members translated it, and it starts like this;

“That which is the oldest people in Finns, are the Tavastians. When and where they came from, they still refuse to say. For as long as the sky has been looming over The Sole, have the Tavastians been stalwartly silent, stiff serious, sternly stubborn and steadily slow. They inhaled the smoke from the bonfire and said to another: this is how freedom smells like.”

The member said to mention that it was a rough and quick translation that doesn’t cover all the nuances of the original. But it gives you an idea what he is talking about for the none Finns. When an album starts off with a spoken word intro, it sets a mood for me, and that mood continues throughout the entire album. It tells a story, and it just pulls you in.

One of my favorite tracks of the album is the third track, Havukruunu ja Talvenvarjo that track just keeps on giving. I love the chanting, the vocals, the drums, the riffs and as you can see (read) it just clicked with me, especially the drums. They are relentless, mixed with the folk vibe it makes for an outstanding track.

Conclusion

And it’s time for the conclusion, which is a fairly easy one. Just go and listen to this album, and after you’ve done that, go support the band and buy the record in your favorite format. You can’t go wrong with this one, that’s for sure.

BMZ Rating 8 out of 10 — Very Good: An impressive album that rises above many others. It features innovative ideas, captivating lyrics, or excellent musicianship that makes it stand out.

Support the band here: https://havukruunu.bandcamp.com/album/tavastland

Your thoughts on Tavastland by Havukruunu

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