Iätön – Loitsutulet [Demo]

Iätön is the brainchild of musicians Woewrb and Penetreichtus I. Formed in 2022, the band hailing from Oulu, Finland, recently released their very first demo courtesy of the mighty Altare Productions.

Those that follow Altare Productions know that the label has an eye for underground gems, and Iätön can certainly be classified as such. On ‘Loitsutulet’ the band showcases their view on Black Metal in three chapters, starting with the sounds of the forest combined with synthesizers in ‘Avaus (Aavemaiset Kutsut)’. But the demo really gets started with ‘Strigoi, Levottomat Kuolleet…’, a song that set an intially slow and almost Doomy pace with raw distorted guitars. The pace remains modest as keyboards find their way into the sound, instantly bringing forth a flair of Barathrum. But then a lead melody arises, the tempo goes up and the excellent raspy vocals take the stage into a more second wave Scandinavian Black Metal sound. The fierceness and pace create a threatening atmosphere that shifts dynamically as the keyboards and lead guitar alternate their role in the spotlight. This leads to a varied song in which the shifting of the drums, keys and lead riffs sketch a diverse and harsh picture. ‘Portit Pohjolan Näkyvät’ takes a somewhat different approach but with a similarly great effect. Here, the riff progression is rather minimal in an almost repetitive manner that reminds me of Barathrum and Korgonthurus and perhaps some distant tones of Burzum. As the drums slowly increase their tempo and shift their rhythms they lead the track into some sort of delightfully fulfilling escalation at the midway point. Here the keyboards are a little bit more subdued, but their effect is no less efficient. A different song that is equally fierce and haunting, but rather more hypnotizing in appearance.

‘Loitsutulet’ is gem of a debut demo that combines the likes of Barathrum, Korgonthurus and 90s Black Metal into one. Harsh, haunting, doomy and menacing with excellent song writing, it is no surprise that a quality label like Altare Productions decided to cooperate with Iätön. This demo is incredibly promising for the future of the band!