Juha Jyrkäs has been active in some smaller metal bands, but what he's known for is him being a very important lyricist for the ethnic/folk metal band Korpiklaani, and for his ethnic rock-band Poropetra. After working on these ethnic projects for years, he wanted to go "back to his roots" so to say, and that's how his first metal- and rock-based solo-demo was born. The demo's music was performed using only vocals, programmed drums and a 15-stringed electric kantele.
The recording session was too quick and this truly is a demo, these two things are pretty much obvious right from the start. The riffs in the quicker opener are decent and even energetic, but their fumbling performance does them too much damage - and this is even more evident with the contrast with the steady, simplistic and clear drums. The kantele-sound is pretty good though, it's far from one-dimensional and manages to fill up the space well with it's distortion. The follow-up is a slower and simpler, even doomy one. Again, the riff is very decent, but it's performance pushes it down. The soundscape is also too empty for a track this slow, even the slowish kantele solo in the halfway doesn't manage to lift the song up. It has a good dose of effort though, especially from the frustrated vocals. Pretty much the same can be said about the similarly slow and simple last track, it would've needed some more flesh to take it's appealing, even trance-inducing repetition to the full extent. Lasiset huulet tries to be an energetic and even slightly wild song, but falls flat due to the riffs sounding flat throughout the song. This song is the most unfinished one. Mujaus is a wholly kantele-based interlude track, and does a nice but not a too memorable job with it's echoing distortion.
The artist really seems to try to let loose all his energy in the vocal and riff-performance, but the end result is just too sloppy instead of energetic due to the short time taken to prepare and perform the songs. The fittingly and pleasingly natural kantele-distortion goes partially to waste due to the plastic and unfitting drum sounds, as they soften up the whole and add zero energy to the songs. The vocals are low and growly ones, partly shouted and partly throat-sung, and even though they might work great in a fuller soundscape they now sound shy and partly even awkward and lack power, like the vocalist was afraid to really let go and/or be loud. They're also too high in the mix when thinking of these things, and as they don't really fill the soundscape. Such bluesy and emotion-filled lyrics would need a more energetic delivery. The vocals have some pleasing variation through distorted backing shouts for example, though, and it really spices things up.
Overall the demo and it's whole sounds half-done, sometimes annoyingly and sometimes sympathetically. It's clear that the man has enthusiasm and even zeal to take his expression further and to a way more professional level, and that he feels no shame for this demo. Not that he should either, but it's so outrageously clear that this release is half-done and/or unfinished in almost every aspect. It does manage to show the man's pride in what he does, and that he has original ideas and even youthful energy to go on, but now that the project has something released to promote itself with I hope that he focuses a lot more time and effort on the next demo. The songs need to be taken to the next level to really show and deliver their character and attitude. It would be a shame if this potential goes to waste.