By Bona Pjarren
‘Trench of Loneliness’ is the fourth album by Iterum Nata, a psychedelic neofolk-rock project by Finnish multi-instrumentalist Jesse Heikkinen, formerly of Hexvessel, for whom he played lead guitar for five years. All aspects of Iterum Nata are profoundly inspired by the pagan worldview, esotericism, and the dark regions of the human mind; the result is something that has been compared to “the bastard offspring of Rome, Tenhi, Of the Wand & the Moon, Linda Perhacs, Espers and early King Crimson. Well, let’s see, shall we?
‘My Name Is Sorrow’ has a beautiful, almost ’60s melancholic feel with a twist. It is very psychedelic and delivers some intriguing melodies. ‘One With The Sun’ shows off Jesse’s song writing abilities to good effect. Theremin style synths and acoustic guitar give a vintage nostalgic effect. It’s very easy on the ear. ‘Forgotten Friends’ is another nice song with good hooks and a coherent sound that is Jesse’s trade mark.
‘Bones In The Forest’ has a lovely feel to it, a certain quirky folk pop style. Jesse is a talented singer song writer. ‘The Feather’ features a change from acoustic guitar to keys and an instrumental, this gives a welcome break. I love the way it builds into a full orchestral piece. ‘The Mountain’ is more electronic in its delivery. Again there are strong melodies and the songs are short and to the point. Another wonderfully written song.
‘Losing Connection’ is yet another example of psychedelia played with passion and good hooks. There is a nice nostalgic feel to the album as a whole, while it still delivers something new. ‘I Only Sing With The Dead’ actually does have a creepy haunting feel to it. The instrument choices are inspired. The lead guitar is a good addition as is the organ/synth sounds.
‘I’d Rather Be A Fool Than A King’ is predominately an acoustic folk song. Simple and to the point, it is very effective. ‘Comedy Of Humanity’ is the last track of the album and it feels almost fitting that it is a ballad. ‘Comedy Of Humanity’ builds nicely in intensity and feels like an intimate farewell to the album.
‘Trench of Loneliness’ has a lot to recommend it as an album. It has lots of good hooks and a nostalgic though contemporary feel to it. All the songs are short and to the point, they are well written and beautifully arranged. There is a simplicity to the writing that is very endearing and that makes it very easy to listen to. Considering that this is not the sort of music I usually listen to of late, all in all, in my opinion, there is a lot to recommend this album.
- ‘Trench of Loneliness’ is released on Friday (10 February). You can get your copy HERE.
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