Two years after their debut album “An End in Motion” on Suicide Records (Sweden), Finnish epic post metallers KIOVA are back with new EP ”Empty Fields & Smoke-filled Skies”, showcasing the band’s new vocalist and refreshed mixture of many different subgenres, including crust, post hardcore, and post rock. Today, we’re giving you the first listen of the new track called “From Man Of God To Voracious Beast”, accompanied by gloomy animated music video by Jere Kilpinen (Junkyard Shaman, Cut to Fit, Käki), known for his work with Finnish grindcore band Feastem.
“Empty Fields & Smoke-filled Skies” EP will be available later this year via Maniyax Records (GER) and Off Records (FIN) on 12” vinyl.
KIOVA was formed back in 2013 under a different name playing a form of melodic crust/hardcore. With influences of acts like Oathbreaker, Fall of Efrafa and Neurosis, the band’s sound evolved and turned into something capable of journey from ambience to chaos and back in just one track. The new single is no exception.
The band comments:
After some line-up changes we worked on new material in 2019 and recorded the upcoming EP ”Empty Fields & Smoke-filled Skies” with our new vocalist Janne Pussinen. The EP contains three tracks with a runtime running close to half an hour. We’ve pushed our sound even further and we are happy to say that we feel this is to be our best work to date.
”Empty Fields & Smoke-filled Skies” was recorded by Joonas Manninen live in the Finnish countryside over a weekend back in June 2019 with vocals having been recorded seperatly later in the year. Topon Das (Fuck the Facts) at Apartment 2 Recording was chosen for mixing and master duties.
This descision was easy after hearing his work on Alaskan’s highly acclaimed full-length album Despair, Erosion, Loss.
Continued below…
Asked about plans for this and future releases, as well as the concept behind the new song, the band offered:
The upcoming material featured on “Empty Field & Smoke-Filled Skies” will be the first taste of a concept that will carryout through our future releases. This is also the first of a two-part release.
We won’t shed too much light on the topic, but the EP is about a kind of twisted survival story that will unravel into something grotesque.
Lyrically the track “From Man of God To Voracious Beast” is a critical turning point for the character depicting his deterioration.
Currently we’re already working on the second part of the EP which will see the light of day hopefully in 2021.
