RIENA
Miekka ja Varjo

Riena are a brand-new duo hailing from the ever-fertile Finnish black metal underground, with Woewrb Korpinsiipi of Iätön among their ranks. Indeed, they're rooted in a foundation as equally old as those labelmates, but their particular dungeon of black metal is that of the deepest French and Finnish scenes of the late '90s: times of strife when the commercialization of "black metal" instigated in earnest a counterreaction of grim majesty. Riena effortlessly conjure those same spells across their public debut, the six-song / 28-minute mini-album Miekka ja Varjo. With Woewrb on vocals and rhythm guitar and Draghn on lead guitar, bass, and drums, the two men whip forth an alternately galloping / surging storm of hatred and despair. Raw yet righteous and mastered at Trollhouse Audio, the MLP sounds exceptionally era-authentic, with the lead-work ever so subtly suggesting newer dungeons to spelunk. This is Riena's first possession!