Apoch's Metal Review - Syven: Aikaintaite CD Review

Discography	Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed.
Full-Length(s):	Aikaintaite (2012)
Demo(s):	Demo 2010 (2010)

Review

Syven is a Finland-based group that incorporates both a Folk Metal approach with a strong Ambient sound and pace. Aikaintaite follows up the band's demo recording, Promo 2010. Instead of issuing this one on their own, this time Syven found a home with Vendlus Records, and presents the bands debut full-length offering, Aikaintaite, a sixty six and a half musical experience that feels very self aware in the manner that some would be in a tribal ritual they say helped them find their inner self. But, coming in with just five songs, pushing some to nearly twenty minutes, does Syvan's first release prove to be a perilous approach to the Ambient genre, despite it's loyal underground followings?

Well, one thing is for certain: Aikaintaite is a high production affair. For it's over an hour long length, as well as finding a home on a more underground label, this effort actually sounds really good, as if funded by one of the bigger players in the Metal industry. It's hard to discuss all the instruments, as there happens to be a lot at play, especially in the Ambient department, but the best way to explain everything is to say that it has a nice edge to it's crispness. The guitars hold a nice distortion to them that gives off a heavier vibe when not used in a slower, cleaner manner like around the half-way point of "Jaljet." The Ambient sounds here can often sound as if you're right in the middle of nature, and can even set the tone of what time it is, such as the cheerful chirping of birds in the aforementioned song clearly painting a daytime visual, while "Syvyys" has a much dark tone, illustrating a night time vibe to the performance. The vocals are cleanly sung, but for the most part happen to be performed in a manner to honor nature of pay homage to someone, something, or some god that had fallen. The bass comes through clearly as well, and really makes an impact when the music does want to start turning dark, or just move away a bit from the Ambient sound and tread more into slower paced Folk styled material. There also is drumming, but for the most part they feel more ritualistic outside some additional cymbals that crash off in the distance against the hand performed wooden instruments that come off as the snares, and no bass kicks to really be found in the mix.

Aikaintaite actually starts off with a slightly ominous sound. "Syvyys" starts the album off with light drumming that instinctively establishes either a darker ritual vibe, which some Ambient effects ellude to, but also could be a nature passage given the additional throat singing that accompanies the music. The vocals are performed in a ritualistic manner, deep clean singing in a chanting fashion with additional emphasis when necessary to push the environment along nicely. There are some additional voices that come into play to further push the impression, and overall the job is well done, especially as it continues to grow in richness and activity from the lonely drum passage that comes out of the many seconds of silence that actually start the song. "Jaankatkema" takes a different stab at the shorter track length, and while still longer than "Syvyys," this acoustic piece does feel more at home with a Folk song than anything else. The chords have a nice little echo with depressing clean singing that accompanies them. The whole track feels cold and depressing as what sounds like some fire effects come through faintly with background harmonizations against the singing.

The closing song "Tuulenvire" basically continues on where "Jaljet" left off, though not composing itself largely of acoustic guitars. Instead, the distortion of electric instruments returns, though not removing the unplugged instrument out of the equation entirely, and a cold wind can be felt against the nature Ambient effects. Here, the song continues to grow slowly, but nowhere near liek "Syvyys," as it seems to become stuck at one point when the acoustic guitar is re-introduced into the mix shortly after. Unfortunately, this leads to a rather boring song all around. What progress the track does make is minimal and takes forever to reach, and the Ambient elements just are not that impressive, leading to a moderately enjoying Folk Metal style song that does start to feel drawn out fairly early on. This isn't one of the only letdowns of the album, but it definitely is one of the biggest, especially for a closing song.

It really should come as no surprise that the longer tracks here end up being the more outstanding ones. "Jaljet" is the longest by far, clocking in at nineteen minutes and forty-nine seconds, but the length allows Syven to really expand on the slower paced music, throwing in various twists through Folk Metal and general nature-derived Ambience. The song continues to grow from the very start, and much of it ends up sounding rather ominous despite the daytime setting the nature effects and birds chirping give off. The song is always pretty heavy, but things do change around the half-way point when the music goes much cleaner, especially in guitar distortion, and a little slower to create more of a blue sky surrounding tone. This lasts for quite a while before giving way to the heavier material once more, but all performed well to give off a soothing environment despite the edge some deeper parts may have, as well as through well executed transitions from one part to the next.

"Ne Jotka Selviavat Talvestamme," however, never really has to grow. The song itself starts off a little slower compared to what comes next, but the music doesn't take too long to actually pick up and develop a rich sound that lasts longer that "Jaljet" has. Sure, this takes away from the concept a bit considering this is how the two tracks before it had started, but overall the song just feels a lot stronger in comparison, while still never feeling too repetitive outside the same general idea of darker, heavier material for the first half, then going into softer material and eventually closing once more on that heavier material similar to the previous song. The main gripe you can find here, however, is that the whole nature aspect of the album not really being incorporated here outside of what sounds like some doves during that slower section of the music, and even then it's very faint and could very well be something else entirely.

With "Tuulenvire" and "Ne Jotka Selviavat Talvestamme" and "Tuulenvire" really being the only songs that will end up letting the listener down in any way, the first moreso than the latter, Aikaintaite is still worth a listen. The mixture of Folk Metal ideas with nature Ambience works in favor of this group, and surprisingly enough the longer tracks really stand out more on this release and offer up a great expansion on the band's sound and potential. Whether you're one of those fans of music who finds Ambient music to be a bit pointless at times and want a traditional song that goes from point a to point b, even this album has enough going on to keep you happy, and maybe even begin to turn you towards the way of this style. If you are a fan of Ambience and just haven't heard of this group, then chances are good you will soon, so why not familiarize yourself with them now? Syven show plenty of potential here, weaving captivating songs of cold, melancholic nature worship and rituals that will place you and your brain in the center of the visions much of this release will develop in you, having you come back to experience it all again many times over. Sure, Aikaintaite may not be the greatest offering of the genre, but it's one that you really should take the time to hear.

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	Digital review copy of this release provided by: Vendlus Records.

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