Moldun is a melodic death metal quintet from Reykjavík that received some attention for appearing as local live band in the stunning Fortitude television series where the lads put on a great show. This self-titled effort is the only release from the Icelandic band so far and leaves you wanting more.

The band offers a balanced mixture of aggressiveness and atmosphere on the nine tunes with a total running time of thirty-five entertaining minutes. The cold and fast riffs, the vivid rhythm section and the raw lead vocals remind of early Gothenburg melodic death metal in the key of In Flames, Dark Tranquillity and At the Gates. The group also includes a few passages that slow things down and focus on melancholic, hypnotizing and atmospheric melodies that are typical for metal groups from northern countries. These parts are always well integrated into the songs and never feel out of place or watered down. The entire release sounds very balanced between these two extremes and unfolds its magic best when enjoyed from start to finish. No song particularly stands out because they are all high-quality tracks. My personal favorites are ''This Time You Dig the Hole'' that starts in a dreamy fashion to explode into a thunderous torrent of melancholic misery, the more complex ''Of Pigs'' with a running time around six minutes including well integrated sound samples and finally the short but highly experimental ''Goodbye & Godspeed'' with its gloomy spoken word samples and a very technical riff work that shows off the whole talent of the band.

Those who aren't pleased with In Flames' contemporary experiments with clean vocals and alternative rock soundscapes and are longing for melodic death metal in the key of the late nineties and early years of the millennium should definitely give Moldun a chance. This release doesn't reinvent the genre and the Icelandic quintet is maybe still missing its very own style but the record is both atmospherically and technically convincing and sounds surprisingly fresh these days where only few bands revisit the original melodic death metal style accurately. Let's hope that this band that is currently on hold will build upon this promising debut record. On a closing side note, you should really watch the Fortitude television series.

Final rating: 80%

Finnish melancholy meets the Russian soul once again on Kypck's fourth studio record Зеро. The album title and the cover artwork are clear indicators that this might be the coldest release yet of the Finnish quintet. Especially the bass guitar sounds lower than ever. Occasional atmospheric samples in a few tracks add even more mysterious gloom to the group's depressive soundscapes. The guitar riffs and drum patterns sound as lethargic as ever. The charismatic mournful vocals sound slightly throatier than on the last releases. As opposed to the band's previous releases, there aren't any particularly outstanding tracks on this album. This shouldn't be seen as a weakness though since the ten tracks are all equally strong and develop a gripping atmosphere of nostalgia, sorrow and winter from start to finish. It's safe to say that this record is the group's most radical release in terms of atmosphere yet and this focused effort really defines best what Kypck is all about.

Obviously, you have to be in a very specific mindset in order to enjoy this kind of music. You will enjoy Зеро best when you are in a melancholic mood. You should be on your own while listening to this release. It's mandatory to put your headphones on in order to get completely absorbed by this record's addicting atmosphere. The album won't unfold its magic on a beautiful spring or summer day and is enjoyed best during a dark autumn or winter day. If you have a passion for the Russian culture and language, you will enjoy this authentic record even more. If you want to get in touch with a few tunes before digesting the entire record, the band's moody video clips in dark colours and settings inspired by historic events are also highly recommended. The suicidal and thunderous opener ''Я свободен'' with its eerie double vocal harmonies that seems to indicate that the narrator is everything but free as well as the exhausting soul-sucker ''Русофоб'' with its pressured vocals and extremely low bass vibes received two simple but very appropriate video clips for instance. The band even released a cover version of t.A.T.u.'s ''All About Us'' just before the album came out and the Finnish quintet managed to transform an already slightly melancholic pop song into a gloomy yet powerful track supported by a moody video clip about Soviet farmers.

One track that needs to be pointed out is ''На небе вижу я лицо'', an epic doom metal monster which is by far the group's longest track to date with a running time of over eleven minutes. The track opens with mysterious sounds of nature and a sample of heavy breathing and a spoken word passage. The lead guitar plays a melancholic melody while the other instruments play low and simplistic patterns that create a drowning and hypnotizing atmosphere. The vocals vary between melodic and throaty parts but always remain mournful and passionate. The middle and closing sections add some diversity with whispered vocal efforts and melodic female guest vocals by Anna Jousne who is also an expressionist painter and singer in a Karelian folk group. The two vocalists harmonize perfectly and end this epic song on a melancholic climax that is both beautiful and heart-breaking.

In the end, Kypck's Зеро is easily the most atmospheric metal record of the year and the band's most focused record so far. Some bands believe that it needs brutal growls, discordant riffs and fast rhythm sections to evoke a feeling of negativity but the opposite works so much better. Nothing is more painful than extremely low and slow riffs, mournful melodic vocals with a haunting raw side and a thunderous rhythm section where each plodding beat touches your soul. The band calls its style doomsday metal and that's exactly what it sounds like. Suicidal minds shouldn't take the risk of listening to this authentically sorrowful record but those who like to embrace darkness in order to enjoy life to the fullest in all its forms should purchase this release immediately.

Final rating: 90%

 Ladies and gentlemen,

A few weeks ago, I attended the 2017 Juno Awards at Canadian Tire Center. It's the first time I attended this event or anything similar. The event started around 6:30 PM and ended around 9:15 PM. Several Canadian artists and musicians of multiple genres performed live and I got iontroduced to a lot of new music. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau were also there and paid tribute to Leonard Cohen. The awards were hosted by musician Bryan Adams and comedian Justin Peters. I bought a little souvenir book with pictures and texts about the different nominees. My personal highlights that night were the live performances by Billy Talent and the closing performance of Bryan Adams' ''Summer of 69'' which was performed by numerous performers and winners of the night. Most people were cheering for Shawn Mendes but I thought his appearance and performance were rather exchangeable. Sarah McLachlan's speech was too melodramatic for me. I'm glad I finally attended and experienced such an event.

Here are some pictures I took in chronological order that night. Enjoy and leave a comment if you wish!