The Sápmi bard, Ruohtta, returns with their third full length album titled, Sváigas. This is a pure meditation on death through the cultural lens of the native Sápmi of Northern Scandinavia. As described by Tervaaja himself, ‘It tells of the liminal spaces between stages and escalations of a disease, spiritually and culturally, towards the final day when Tauta loosen its grip and hands the soul over to Svaikainen.’ As one could gather from a quote like that, this is a rather deep album philosophically with unique and ethereal instrumentation that is a signature sound of Tervaaja and his many projects.
The album starts strong, with cold folk riffs played on a stripped back skeletal guitar interweaving this mystical mixture of raw black metal and folk qualities that creates this hypnotic and intriguing sound that seems to be signature with Tervaaja’s other works. This mixtures of genres can be risky for some, but with Ruohtta he’s able to strike that perfect balance and create a very memorable and rather underrated mix of sounds that captures this Sápmi saga perfectly. Sonically, the album has a style I can only describe as gothic. Its dark, cold, bleak, and very stripped back and skeletal. Even though all of it was performed by one man, it sounds like a live band is playing right in front of you, that’s how up front and personal this album feels.
The album is intensely emotional as well, taking the listener on a wild journey that ranges from grim melancholy to cold anger mixed with a touch of desperation. A perfect reflection of the idea of death and, I’m sure paired with the lyrics which are performed in a mixed language of Meänkieli and Sámi, two native languages of his region. But, while having the lyrics at hand would be a fun way to add another layer of interest especially to someone who’s not so familiar with this language at all, the music itself captures the emotion almost perfectly, especially within the guitars and its riffs. They’re extremely diverse and have this hypnotic quality to them at times while still staying simple and catchy.
The last track of the album, Haastuu, is a captivating ballad that feels like a final release into death. A solemn electric guitar wails along side a somber synth melody, lulling the soul into its cold embrace in the afterlife with a lone acoustic guitar. A unique and memorable way to end an album.
I think this is so far the best album from Ruohtta, and one of the best releases from Tervaaja yet. A beautifully bleak mixture of raw black metal, Sápmi folk melodies, and gothic aesthetics, this is certainly an extremely underrated album that I think many should give a listen. There won’t be any other album to compare it to, but that strangely familiar sound is so welcoming, much like the familiar spaces in between death.