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 IRAE

“Promiscuous Fire” (Signal Rex, 2024)

Vulturius’ last release under the moniker IRAE, was 2023’s Split with fellow countryman, and partner in crime Nocturnus Horrendus, Coldness. Honestly, I was immensely intrigued on what Coldness had to offer, so my chips were all on Coldness; with that, it does not mean I was, in any way, ignoring IRAE’s effort, but Coldness…

Well, it seems 2025 is Vulturius’ year. A massive tour with juggernauts Marduk, and a new EP, released just a few days back via Signal Rex. What to expect? Well, I feel his sound has changed. Do not get me wrong, his approach is still the same, but the music sounds differently. I recall checking “Porco de Satanás”, the first track extracted from this mentioned EP, and enjoy it a lot. It sounds like IRAE: aggressive and dirty. These songs might sound a bit more polished and worked on, d’you know what I mean?!

How did I approach this sonic reality? Well, it sounds almost out of place. Is it bad? In any way. Do I feel it is the logical continuation of his previous works? I do. I do feel that there is a growth and a need to try out something new, something that has worked, but in a different way. Maybe it is the production, maybe it is the cleaner sound. maybe it is that… or maybe, the music does sound less aggressive and dirty. I do not you exactly, but after following his work for so many years, these new tracks – still – sound off, still sound different…

Overall, I was very excited to hear new music from Vulturius, but in the end it did not live up to the expectations. Do not get me wrong, this is top-notch Black Metal, just not the Black Metal I was expecting from IRAE. Nonetheless, will be waiting to see what he pulls off next!


Havukruunu
“Tavastland” (The Svart Records, 2024)

The band’s last record, “Uinuos Syömein Sota” was a splendid manifestation of majestic and epic Black Metal. The Finns truly know how to pay homage to the forefathers of the genre, and in forefathers I mean Bathory, essentially. Not the common and expected approach to the Master’s sound, as it has – obviously – bits of modernity, but a very epic and solid one.

5 years have passed, and we are greeted with another epic record by the lads from Hausjärvi, Kanta-Häme, Southern Finland. “Uinuos Syömein Sota” was massive, so expectations were high, if I may. Again, Epic is the word that better describes what Havukruunu’s music sound like, and this is amazing! I am a sucker for Epic Heavy Metal (Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol, Visigoth, etc.) so to have a band that captures that what is Epic, adds layers and layers of Black Metal to it, making it massively amazing, is bloody… Epic!

Sound wise, I feel they are still “travelling” down that path they started strolling in 2005, although steadier and progressively better, of course. Consistency is another word we could label the band with. Their growth is consistent and fearless! The band adds guitar solos to lengthy epic moments that could go into a Quorthon album as well as a Manilla Road album! And this is how I “paint” the band, though I am well aware that there is no Manilla Road in here. Nonetheless… Nah! Consider me crazy for that comparison!

Seriously speaking, I feel these lads are taking their music up a notch with every new release, pushing it and pushing it. Homage after homage, but still a very personal and distinguishable sound! The almost perfect balance between modernity and older sounds and melodies, which is not an easy task, as we all know. Quorthon would be proud, I dare say. Although, again, the more modern elements (could it be the production?) give it a “now” feeling, when I would obviously prefer a “back then”.

“Tavastland”, the track, is a good example of how the band incorporates more than just Pagan Metal into their sound, with moments that are definitely extracted from Quorthon’s discography – the expected intruder – but also guitar virtuoso details. What is the impact of these additions? Dynamics, I believe it is the best way to describe it: dynamics. Never a dull moment, always an epic battle and hordes of bloody warriors! 

That is, in my modest opinion, Havukruunu.



  

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