Vera: Sometimes I am completely convinced about something’s top notch quality just by reading about it, knowing that it will appeal to me and cannot be missed. I have to remember the - mostly unknown - name! That happened to me when I read about the Finnish band Saattue and their upcoming debut album ‘Jäähyvästi’ last year. This non-explicable presentiment - one reads a lot of promotional pep-talk - transforms into concrete sound waves and a feeling of euphoria when the first song of this masterly epic resounds through the room. It cannot be fortuitous that they are coming from Finland.
Saattue has had a very long time of preparation before recording this first full-length album. The band was founded in 2001 and they agreed to play slow, ultra dark music with lyrics in Finnish. The name Saattue means procession, yet the music is everything but a snail slow proceeding convoy of monotonous heaviness. There is surprisingly much momentum and fragile beauty in this music. The songs are long, but they lead us through many changes in rhythm and moods. Opener ‘Ikiuneen’ begins with doom guitars and grunts, but a bit later one can hear clean melancholic vocals with beautiful melodies. This melodic tinge can be found in the guitar soloing as well, like honouring the emotive art of Pink Floyd. Esoteric female vocals and piano are the start of ‘Vieraaseen Multaan’. Indeed, some of the songs have a vocal contribution of Ines Lukkanen and she does it in a proper way. ‘Luutarhuri’ is a more aggressive song with ponderous grunts and tight riffs. ‘Hyiseen Veteen’ is graced with acoustic guitars and solemn vocal harmonies. The vocal effects in the title track are captivating and the Viking-like choirs in the oppressive ‘Kaaosmaa’ are a following example of how Saattue succeeds in blending good elements of every kind of music into their own identity. The last track, the eleven minutes long ‘Varjojen Sattue’ is the crown on the work. It includes all contrasts used by the band: varied vocals, fragile acoustic parts, pulverizing outbursts of energy and finally a massive apotheosis with empyrean choirs. This is without any doubt the discovery of the month!
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