(In this feature Hope Gould provides the introduction to our premiere of a lyric video for a song from the forthcoming vinyl and tape release of the latest album by Finland’s Iku-Turso.)
It’s no secret that Finland has mastered the art of melody. The country has long been considered a “satisfaction guaranteed” label for riff-seekers, so it comes to little surprise that Finnish black metal band Iku-Turso tread this path with black devotion. Infusing their melodies with the cold northern spirit of days gone by, Iku-Turso’s 2022 full-length, Into Dawnless Realms, has all the makings of a lost second-wave gem. It built upon the band’s five-year path of Finnish melodic mastery while tapping directly into the golden era of ’90s Norway; buzzsaw guitars, spellbinding synth, and vocalist Lafjawijn’s timeless creaky rasp are gateways to the oft-forsaken past.
We previously shared some words about the band’s 2021 EP At The Crack Of Dawn, whose title track has since been re-recorded in English for last year’s aforementioned full-length, Into Dawnless Realms. To hallmark today’s long-awaited vinyl release of Into Dawnless Realms on Wolfspell Records, NCS is premiering Iku-Turso’s lyric video for “At The Crack of Dawn.”
Of the video, founding member and guitarist Sovereign Korpituli explains “[The video] is a combination of live footage from 2022 and illustrations of Gustave Dore which he made to Milton’s Paradise Lost which we felt were really fitting for the theme of the song; I’ve always had a thing for his illustrations since they were so widely used back in the ’90s. He was truly a phenomenal artist.”
“At The Crack Of Dawn” is an atmospheric and aggressive epic; even as the tremolo riffs flow from mid-paced to furious, they never betray the frostbitten atmosphere inspired by their Scandinavian muses. Second-wave acts like Burzum and Enslaved are fully embodied in keyboard fills that swell and surge to grand Emperor proportions. The composition lurches and swirls about like the mythological sea monster the band takes its name from, ever majestic and primordial. Lyrically, the song sends you to the metaphysical world and beyond through bloodletting at day’s first light – ancient shamanic traditions meant to lead you into the infinite unknown.
The track is a fine taste of what Into Dawnless Realms has to offer. In context of the rest album, it stands out as the churchburning epic among immersive and otherworldly compositions. The album has biting riffs, soaring melodies, a gorgeous dreamscape atmosphere, and sinister doom-laden passages that would appeal to those seeking black metal with the magic of old.
Iku-Turso is:
S. Korpituli – Guide To The Realms Beyond
Lafawijn – Howls Of The Night
F. – Nightside’s Majestic Symphonies
Myrrys – One Final Battle
Ruto – Dark Shadows
Into Dawnless Realms was mixed by Ville Hakala and mastered by SD (Simòn Da Silva) and features artwork with a shadowy depiction of Norway’s infamous stave church, Borgund, by French artist Maèna Paillet. The album is available today on dikipak CD and LP in two variants by Wolfspell Records, and cassette by Korpituli Productions at the links below. You will also find links to the band’s Bandcamp where you can stream Into Dawnless Realms in its entirety.
Iku-Turso
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ikutursobm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ikutursobm
Bandcamp: https://iku-turso.bandcamp.com
Wolfspell Records
Website: http://wolfspellrex.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wolfspellrecords
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolfspell.records/
Bandcamp: https://wolfspellrecords.bandcamp.com
Korpituli Productions
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Korpituli
Bandcamp: https://korpituli.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s.korpituli/