Kauan - Lumikuuro & Aava Tuulen Maa

Alas, winter is here. To discover a band such as this one roughly at the same time as the first snow came down is by all means a damn good coincidence. The gritty guitars, the programmed drums and the raspy black metal vox found on Lumikuuro appear in stark contradiction with the subtle melodies created by the keyboards and violin, while the clean singing is nothing short of majestic in its simplistic, calm performance.

On this debut album, Kauan have created an atmosphere very similar to what one would experience in the roughest of winters:  harsh and unforgiving in its core, yet stunningly beautiful on the outside.

 

Following a second release more experimental in nature, the third offering by this band, named Aava Tuulen Maa, sheds most of its previous metalic elements and takes on an ambient form, at the same time drawing inspiration from the same pool of organic melodies and natural sounds as before.

The end result still gives way to a feeling of winter, but instead of the harsh tones presented on the debut, this time one can almost feel the invitation to step outside and marvel at nature in fool bloom and glow, similar to days in which the sun shines upon the earth covered in white. Truly marvelous, I tell you.

The only question that remains now is which side of Kauan do you prefer?

P.S: This band is .chester approved ®

P.S.2: For a really cool interview with Anton from Kauan, check out this link here.