Review: Kita ‘Tyhjiö’
Despite being of partial Finnish ancestry, the language of Suomi has always seemed overwhelming to me (and everyone else), perhaps only rivaled by Welsh for its unique complexity. The unassuming word ‘kita’ describes a vast mouth that consumes all. Think of the Charybdis in the Odyssey, the Sarlacc of Return of the Jedi, or any number of your friends at a pizza joint. Massive, sprawling, hungry and relentless. It is an apt name for this quartet. Tyhjiö is the latest effort in the realm of sprawling doom metal landscapes, with some healthy death metal elements thrown in for good measure.
Kiva Puhuu begins with a Neurosis-like build up into a tidal crescendo that reminds one of perhaps a more uptempo Buried At Sea. The production seems noticeably more low-fi compared to many of Kita’s contemporaries, reminiscent more of the stylings of Ufomammut than the blaring production quality of Yob. The riffing isn’t particularly out of the ordinary, but it is certainly appropriate and is augmented by the use of copious spacey effects.
Next up is the Earthship-style title track Tyhjiö which moves at a faster pace and delivers a mournful and deranged chorus of lost souls interspersed between a blackened death metal attack. The bass guitar features quite prominently for Kita’s cleaner parts, providing a breath at the surface before plunging back down into the depths.
Kita’s wide and ravenous maw will certainly consume fans of this hybrid style of death-doom…
Torajyvä carries on this dynamic, being my favorite track on the album. It is still difficult for me to not compare the band to Earthship, as their splicing of doom with death metal, prog and some occasional subtle hard rock certainly reminds me of the German act. The same holds true for Kärpässilmät, which follows its predecessor relatively closely.
The closer Ataraksia hits on a more psychedelic level while still keeping a formidable collection of screamed vocals and guttural growls that permeate the record. The song ends on a really impressive fade out into a starry abyss, effectively bringing the listener to a more gentle shore after a wild night through the storm.
While I wasn’t especially blown away by the opening track, I can safely say that Tyhjiö greatly improves as an album during its ensuing runtime. The bands musical arsenal is a formidable if familiar one, and the production gives off a satisfactory audio aura. Kita’s wide and ravenous maw will certainly consume fans of this hybrid style of death-doom.
Label: No Profit Recordings
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram
Scribed by: Rob Walsh
