The Finnish Vainaja are the umpteenth pleasant discovery of which is a tribute to the Northern European death doom scene. The three mysterious priests of this heinous ancestral cult are the authors of a disturbing work with dark atmospheres, which are well suited to the descriptions of torture and torture poured in the mother tongue on the unfortunate listeners. Kadotetut is a record that requires the utmost attention for other reasons, in addition to those constituted by the imagery built by its authors. Vainaja‘s death doom doesn’t show any melodic propensity, going instead to draw from the most traditional and occult side of the genre and proving fascinating even in its essentiality. The convincing writing work finds its climax in the two songs after the intro (Väärän Ristin Valtakunta and Kahleiden Kantaja) and, perhaps, the only small flaw attributable to the Finnish trio is its indulging a bit ‘too much, after the still excellent Risti Kädessäni, in experimental temptations on the occasion of the two final tracks, even if even at these junctures do not beg in lavishing dense and enveloping riffs in support of a raw and effective growl. Kadotetut is an excellent work and sufficiently diversified compared to the usual genre, thus deserving the desirable appreciation from the fans and confirming Finland as the leading nation of death doom.

2014 – Svart Records