Tenhi
Maaäet

THE REVIEW

Solemn progression of the drums, diaphanous snowfalls of the piano, ancestral winds of icy violins; in the ethereal landscape of “Varpuspäivä,” the spoken-sung voice of Tyko Saarikko, leader of Tenhi (translated: Shamans), presents a new album, (equivalent to Mother Nature or Mother Earth). With a well-established technique, a defined identity, after wide critical acclaim and deserved popularity—considering the effort required to understand their dark-folk with vague progressive elements—Tenhi manage to deliver an excellent product that definitively brings them closer to great bands such as Popol Vuh or Black Heart Procession.

At the base of this album, however, there are no technical virtuosos or practical details; there is instead the vehemence with which the "Shamans" evoke epic emotions, cryptic perceptions, hidden in the mysteries, contrasts, and paradoxes of a mystical and arcane Nature, cold and overwhelming, as it can be in the north. And indeed, the album alternates between the warm folk interweavings of strings (in tracks like “Kuoppa,” “Kuulut Kesiin,” or the concluding “Rannalta Haettu”) and the solitude of the piano in “Salain” or the unease of “Uuvu Oravan Luu”; a valuable tapestry in the hues of Arctic blackberries and birches, of snow and Scandinavian lights.

But the real gems of the album consist of the epic storms of “Vähäinen Violetissa,” “Viimeiseen,” “Sarastuskävijä,” and the mountain “Halti” of the album: “Tuulenkaato,” supported by the brief “Maa Sytty” and “Aatos.” It should be noted regarding the "epic" and "memorable" value of Tenhi, their shared passion for Metal.

If you want to fall in love with Maaäet, go ahead. Objectively, it cannot be defined as a masterpiece; its exceptional merits cannot certainly be acknowledged. But overall, the group's particularly mystical, unique, and heartfelt mood is enough to bring the three Finns closer to all the other ice elves so acclaimed at this time, perhaps like Sigur Rós, but above all to place this latest effort among the decent albums of "2006."