Vermilia - Keskeneräisiä tarinoita (2020)

One of the few benefits of working from not being able to travel the last few months is that we have extra time to dig up more promos that make it to our inbox. Back in May we missed the release of Vermilia’s stunning EP “Keskeneräisiä tarinoita”, filled with lush atmospheres and a good eye for crushing aggression as contrast. If you like bands like WITTR, Agalloch, but with a more Pagan/heavier edge, this is a release to check out.

The EP leads off with the very dramatic “Hauras, Kuollut, Kaunis”, a track that slowly builds up with a certain folky vibe and deep clean vocals, creating a very dark and somber atmosphere. Not being shy from heavy riffs and blistering drumming, “Taivas Hiljaa Huutaa” quickly changes the pace to a lively Pagan/Folk Metal style led by firm clean female vocals that suddenly transform into harsh screams. The variety of elements makes this song be quite enjoyable and diverse, while delivering an extra level of catchiness.

As the title track of this EP delivers its mystical atmospherics, we are quite impressed with Vermilia’s crafty mixture of genres which creates a very dense and enjoyable unique style. Slowly progressing, this track is filled with over the top synths and highly emotional vocal melodies, making it our favorite song in this release. While many bands choose to end releases with an instrumental or even a slower paced song, “Pimeä Polku” closes strongly with a hefty dosage of crushing guitar riffs, hellish vocals, and very tight drumming.

Overall, “Keskeneräisiä tarinoita” is one of those releases that the more you listen to it, the more little details you discover. If you are in the market for a heavy and yet quite melodic and atmospheric release, Vermilia is a one-woman project to keep an eye out for. Definitely recommended for fans of WITTR, Bloodthorn, etc.

Label: Self-released

Release: May 20th, 2020

Genre: Atmospheric Black/Pagan Metal

Country: Finland