WELKINS BOREAL is an up-and-coming project that just recently popped up on our local Metal radar. Its ancestry lies in a Finnish band called NATTVINDENS GRÅT (along with other well-known Finnish musicians Tuomas Holopainen, Sami Vänskä, and Tapio Wilska), which in turn was originally a side-project of DARKWOODS MY BETROTHED. NATTVINDENS GRÅT released two well-received albums in the 90ies, “A Bard’s Tale” (1995) and “Chaos Without Theory” (1997), that hold sentimental value to many metalheads. As it turns out, WELKINS BOREAL‘s debut is made up of song material founder Teemu Kautonen originally wrote back in his NATTVINDENS GRÅT days. The singer/songwriter’s latest endeavour consists of rebooting and revamping that unpolished material with the skills and experience he has gained over the years. It is a wish for the future, as well as a wink to the past, and is thus righteously baptized: “Phantoms of Yesteryear” (release date: 19th of September).
“Phantoms of Yesteryear” is Gothic Rock/Metal in its purest form: introspective, poetic lyrics, silky deep vocals, heavy melodic riffs, and melancholic keyboards that create a dark atmosphere. It is clearly a reincarnation of NATTVINDENS GRÅT, but it bears Teemu Kautonen‘s individual mark. He is the main mastermind behind this record, but he collaborated with different artists in various sessions. This means the general ideas are his, but there must have been room for input from other perspectives, which brings new dynamics and characteristics to the songs. I thus imagine this record being appealing to old and new fans alike.
Give this a listen if you are into bands such as SENTENCED, CHARON, GHOST, TO/DIE/FOR, or even HIM. There are many similarities here, but that does not mean a predictable sound. The songwriting and production qualities of Kautonen really shine through, making it a highly enjoyable listening experience. The album will be available mid September (19/9) for free digital download and on all usual streaming services, and fans will also be happy to know Teemu Kautonen is already working on new material for 2020. For those who simply cannot wait, here is the lyric video of the latest single “Apparition”, which really represents this record’s potential.
TRACK LIST
- Sleep Eternal
- Thirteen Moons
- Apparition
- Sethian Seal
- Discordia
- Thelemite
- Dance of Nightly Shadows
- I Approach the End
- Sorrow’s Shroud
LINEUP
Teemu Kautonen – Singer/Songwriter
RECORD LABEL
Independent release (available 19.09.2019)
LINKS
https://www.welkinsboreal.com/
https://www.facebook.com/welkinsboreal/
