In Dante’s Inferno, the second circle begins the proper punishment of Hell, a place where “no thing gleams.” It is reserved for those overcome with Lust, where carnal appetites hold sway over reason. In Nine Circles, it’s where we do shorter reviews of new (ish) albums that share a common theme.
Grima and Havukruunu: two bands I’ve been following closely for the better part of a decade, two bands that I’m very pleased to see have moved on from their starting label, and two bands gracing our ears with their first new music in some years to close out February. On Nightside and Tavastland both bands bring their absolute A-game with blackened forest hymns from the Russian and Finnish taiga, each elevating their sound to higher levels than ever before and giving us two black metal albums that are the ones to beat for 2025. Let’s descend — unto frozen ground, under snow-covered trees — and see what these black metal entities have in store.
Nightside is the sixth full-length from Siberian duo (and twin brothers) Morbius and Vilhem under the Grima banner, and sees them continuing their established vein of atmospheric black metal complemented with Russian bayan. While this subgenre often presents itself with drawn-out repetition and longer songs, Grima’s particular brand is much more present and immediate. Syncopated grooves alternate with softer, more melancholy moments such as on “Skull Gatherers”. The band have grown increasingly melodic over the years, and this is no more apparent than on this newest release. “Impending Death Premonition” is my personal favorite track on the album, a melodic powerhouse that brings together soaring leads and triumphant triplet riffage in a manner not seen thus far from Grima. The secret weapon in the Grima arsenal is the fantastic performance from longtime session/live drummer Vlad who brings disparate sections together with fills just as complex as needed, focuses on shimmering hi-hat/cymbal work to accentuate moments of wintry atmosphere, or slows things down to the classic Eastern European mid-tempo stomp as the riffs permit.
Nightside is album that I see having broad appeal within the black metal scene due to the number of elements it takes from both classic and more modern strains of black metal. Longer tracks that build up to grandiose moments (“The Nightside”, “Where We Are Lost”) will appeal to fans of more classic atmospheric black metal acts like WITTR and Panopticon, and they exist right alongside shorter, more accessible songs like “Beyond the Dark Horizon” and “Curse of the Void” — tracks that might catch the ear of Blackbraid and Gaerea fans. Grima’s ability to bridge numerous facets of the wide world of black metal and transmute them into a sound entirely their own (with the accordion thankfully acting as no mere gimmick or crutch) is a testament to their strengths as songwriters, and leaves them in a unique place within the genre. If you haven’t taken in the sounds of these forest spirits yet, there’s no better time than now.
Nightside will be available February 28 through Napalm Records. For more information on Grima, check out their Facebook and Instagram pages.
With their debut full-length Havulinnaan in 2015, Finland’s Havukruunu demonstrated that they had the potential to become one of the most powerful forces in black metal; this was all but cemented with their two following full-lengths (not to mention a bevy of demos, standalone singles, and EPs). Riffs upon riffs upon riffs, triumphant melodies, and pagan choir vocals all wrapped up in a DIY spirit exemplified by frontman Stefan’s in-house mixing jobs — the majesty of viking-era Bathory meets the glacial precision of Immortal. The band had been atypically quiet since 2021, so when a new album was announced I had one question: how would Havukruunu get any better than they already were? Tavastland answers this question quite simply… by doing everything the band has already done in the past, but turning it up to 11. Riffs more grandiose, choirs more epic, solos that shred more than ever before — but this time with a greater sense of maturity in the songwriting department.
To describe Tavastland as “mature” isn’t to say that Havukruunu have suddenly gone pensive and are making overly insightful or proggy music — at the core this is still pagan black metal that fucking rocks — but this time around there’s a tendency for the songs to be written in a more linear fashion, as well as a reservation in the tempos… look no further than the first two songs for this. “Kuolematon laulunhenki” is not without its share of trem-picked blast beat frenzy but is overall a more mid-paced affair, and “Yönsynty” is the slowest track on the album. On earlier Havukruunu releases this might have killed the momentum, but on Tavastland it serves to make the black metal fury hit harder once it does — the closing three tracks on the album in particular utilize classic black metal repetition to great effect, slowly building up ascending riffs to epic effect.
Havukruunu employ no traditional folk instruments unlike many of their peers in pagan black metal, but through the power of triumphant riffage and multilayered choirs are able to invoke an archaic atmosphere other bands could only dream of — look no further than the chorus of the title track or the pagan stomp of “Kuoleman oma”. Tavastland tells the story of a Finnish people who returned to paganism and rose up against the Kingdom of Sweden and the Catholic Church in 1237; not only do Havukruunu manage to transport the listener back to ancient times, they simultaneously give us an idea of what it might sound like if you gave those pagans electric guitars, taught them blast beats, and showed them 80s shred guitar. There’s so much more to point out with this album, but I’ll leave that for you to discover. Yet another massive achievement from one of black metal’s brightest stars.
Tavastland will be available February 28 on Svart Records. For more information on Havukruunu, check out their Facebook and Instagram pages.
— Colin
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