Unshine – ‘Karn Of Burnings’

Carved from the imagination of Finnish druid metal band, Unshine, ‘Karn Of Burnings’ is their 5th album release, out now, on Rockshots Records. It’s accompanied by a video.

A captivating journey, through history, complex concepts and Nordic melodic folk narratives, ‘KOB’ brings an otherworldly atmosphere to its sounds.

The featured track, ‘Hjui’ is also out as a single; a whole story, in itself, of the cycles of life and nature, mirrored in the repetitively hypnotic melodic and mythic patterns.

Unshine’s previous 4 albums have hit the Finnish charts and secured worldwide airplay, including on Bruce Dickinson’s BBC Friday Rock Show.

All 4 albums were mastered at Chartmakers, by Grammy nominated Svante Forsback (Rammstein, Volbeat, Amaranthe, Ville Valo and more).

Unshine have already toured Europe, playing support for Amorphis, Haggard, Lake Of Tears, Stream Of Passion, Timo Rautiainen and Trio Niskalaukaus. They’ve also featured at fests such as Sweden Rock, Tuska, Festival-Mediaeval and FeMME.

‘KOB’ was recorded during the COVID global pandemic lockdown, 2020-2022. It follows ‘Earth Magick’, ‘The Enigma Of Immortals’, ‘Dark Half Rising’ and ‘Astrala’.

‘KOB’ can be ordered online.

Hjui – Intro’ing with heavy rain and a matching heavy metal refrain. Powerful Celtic rhythms precede gentle feminine vocals. Strong ritualistic drum beats follow. An enjoyably fulsome arrangement adds enigma. Good production standard. Very cohesive sound. Male backing vocals fit with the feminine leads. Clear cinematic vibes, with fantasy elements. Combining roars with melodies. Confident fade-out.

Arrival Of Aurochs – Heavy drum hits open, onto an expansive audioscape, with obvious Eastern influence. Segueing into a Celtic vocal. Quick fire rhythms and a blend of melodic male and female vocals. Moving into a softer instrumental, before returning to form. Certainly intriguing. Very well accomplished vocals and accompaniments. Again, it’s a full sound, utilising the opportunity to incorporate a wealth of well merged instruments and styles. There’s both high-energy drive and profundity within this. The ascending vocal scales round off the song.

Sakraali Elementaali – Deep, bouncing, palpable tones open. Then into a thundering metal refrain. Strong sound, altogether. Very fresh vocal and melodic arrangements, showcasing well honed experimentalism and a driven delivery. The choruses hold together well, as does that pressured, tight delivery. Plenty of colourful melodic variation and some well-placed closing build-up scales.

Mill Of Bergelmir – Bass notes intro, with clear omen. Very thriller-esque! Joined by closely gathered riffs and a warrior drum beat. A powerfully dark feminine vocal joins. The vocals rise to higher registers, as the surrounding accompaniment remains dark and increasingly ominous. Injecting powerful atmospherics and tonal variance. A raft of intriguing structural alternations and ever heightening warrior vibes and percussive power grow, throughout.

Maa Jalkeen Ihmisen – Strong metallic drum beats lead in. Deep and higher feminine vocal tones conjure imagery of dark forest backdrops. An upbeat refrain yields to a quieter instrumental bridge, reappearing, with the same vocal and visual evocations. A very imaginative track. Swaying between seductive sections. Fading out, thoughtfully.

Aettarfylgja – Hugely heavy intro! Straight into a speed refrain. Moving into a melodic lift. Very clearly Celtic movements, with alternate rhythms. A very meaty song, utilising the space well. Lots of well fitting arrangements and a general feel-good vibe. Sustaining that sharp production sound, all the way.

Tara – Opening with a touch of reverb bounce, before expanding, into a heavy metal sound. Gentle feminine vocals project a folky essence, while the instrumental strength remains. Those narrative strands are audible and the Celtic emphasis, clear. Filled with melody and traditional energy. A sudden haunting quiescence enters, just after the bridge, before the sound builds, once more. The vocals just fit the accompaniments so well. Building to a close.

Lenna Toive – Sinister intro tones, yielding to heavy melodies and folky vocals. As before, the atmosphere grows more palpable, with every note. Blending higher pitches with lower depths and percussive strength. A pleasant sojourn, through valleys and mountains, with accessible melodies, throughout. Beautifully executed piccolo tones, just before the final beat.

Overall – A gloriously imaginative album, full of intrigue and melody, complemented by its rich traditional narrative threads and powerful performance, ‘KOB’ is a highly recommended listen.

10/10 **********

For fans of Avantis, Dark Forest, Avantasia, ARDDUC, Elkepath, Tragedy And Triumph, Carved In Stone, Hand Of Kalliach, Marius Danielsen, Korpiklaani, WYKAN, Eld Varg, Mothers Of The Hunting Grounds, Nidhoeggr, Olathia.

Order link:

https://bit.ly/KarnOfBurningsCD

https://bfan.link/hjul