Kuolemanlaaks (ft. Mikko of Swallow the Sun) releasing a new LP, 'Tulijoutsen' (stream a track, "Verihaaksi")

by Doug Moore

Tulijoutsen cover art

Finland’s Kuolemanlaakso may be hard to spell or pronounce, but they’re easy to enjoy. This up-and-coming Finnish death/doom act features vocalist Mikko Kotamäki, who is best known for his great work with the long-running Swallow the Sun. Kuolemanlaakso tread similar territory, but their upcoming new album Tulijoutsen sees him deploying his powerful pipes over slightly more rock-inflected, Katatonia-esque backdrops.

We just premiered the eight-minute monster “Verihaaksi” over at Invisible Oranges. From our writeup:

Kotamäki is a highly adept clean singer as well, but he’s at his best when he’s deploying his monstrous, bellowy growl, which is so forceful that it can change a song’s momentum instantly. The closest analogs I can think of for his skill set are Dan Swanö and Mikael Åkerfeldt — fellow Scandinavians. Is it something in the water?…Listen to him digging into “Verihaaksi” — he warms up with a phlegmy rasp before blowing the song open with those huge gutturals just shy of the 5-minute mark.

Tulijoutsen comes out on February 28 via Svart Records.

Stream it below…

Kuolemanlaakso – “Verihaaksi”