Let’s talk new music, shall we? On March 19th, 2021, a single was released that snuck under my radar. It is the debut single of VANSIDIAN, whose name I know because their guitarist, Matti Meri-Huhti, was the live guitarist for FROSTTIDE for a while. I had seen him perform in his first-ever live show in On the Rocks back in 2019, as well as at Dark River Festival later that year. Seeing his nervous skill the first time, followed by a more comfortable performance the second, it was immediately clear that he was an artist to keep an eye on. When he wasn’t included in FROSTTIDE‘s final line-up, we were told that he would be focusing on his own band. Well, now we know who and what that band is, so let’s talk about their first release, “Stormweaver”!
It may be a risky move to debut your band with an 8+ minute song, but if you’ve got a flare for songwriting, why the hell not, right? The song starts off fun and strong, with sick riffing and Juha “Tretja” Tretjakov‘s fierce growls, and you can see the group rocking out, clad in influential band shirts and set in black and white, so you can see their skill and passion already in the video. However, the song is not just riffing, as it progresses, changes, and evolves as it moves on.
If ever there was a time to hear something that has a clear CHILDREN OF BODOM influence, it’s now, as we’re all still reeling from the loss of guitar hero Alexi Laiho earlier this year. There is a very BODOM-y feel to this song, yet it doesn’t necessarily feel like a COB track. The band clearly are fans of folk metal as well, based on the KALMAH and MOONSORROW shirts, and while there isn’t necessarily a folk sound to the music, its influence may be heard as well in some of the writing stylings. Perhaps it’s due to a shared love of cinematic soundscapes? There’s also some rather IRON MAIDEN-y riffing moments as well, as well as some generally great solo moments. Truly, there’s a lot to explore in “Stormweaver,” which is perhaps what makes it so great! Tretja isn’t stuck solely on growls either, as he softens up to some cleaner vocals towards the end of the track, which then ends on a high note with some more soloing and
Overall, this is a pretty tremendous debut song and if you haven’t checked it out yet, you should put this on your list ASAP!
Want to learn more about the single? We asked VANSIDIAN some questions about it on IGTV! Also check out our Spotify playlist, where you can find the most recent singles from rising Finnish bands.
Line-Up
Juha “Tretja” Tretjakov – Vocals
Matti ”MattMagic” Meri-Huhti – Lead Guitar + backing vocals
Kustaa Tuori – Rhythm Guitar
Joona Törmä – Drums
Jyri Niinikoski – Bass
