Entry 211 - Jääportit - Kauan Koskematon

 

Second wave black metal is known for many things. This includes excessively raw production, screeched vocals, anonymity, and an overall sense of mystery to the music. A lesser part of black metal, yet still important is the use of intros and outros to the music.

These usually short pieces found at the beginning and end of albums, or used as an interlude. Typically they are no longer than 2 minutes in length, but they pack a lot into those two minutes. Almost exclusively played on a keyboard they can include sweeping melodies, dramatic climaxes, and much better production than the metal parts of the album.

The reason I'm going into so much detail on this is this is one of the roots of dungeon synth. Dungeon synth existed long before the term did, and Jääportit is one of the bands that predates the name by over a decade.

The music contained on Kauan Koskematon is what those black metal intros and outros are, simply expanded to the scope of an entire album. The whole thing is played on a keyboard - as is all dungeon synth - and it contains cold sweeping melodies that remind me of a windswept land covered in snow. The cover to the album matches the music perfectly.

I love discovering albums like this 15 years too late. Its like finding a time capsule from yesteryear. This music is not modern, this music is a relic of a bygone era, and I love it.