UHRIRISTI – Haudankylmä

Uhriristi hails from Finland and performs symphonic and epic black metal inspired by the likes of Old Man’s Child, Thyrane, and Darkwoods My Bethrothed. Uhriristi, which roughly translates to «Sacrificial Cross» according to Metal Archives, is comprised of six members and the 8-track effort entitled «Haudankylmä» is the band’s second full-length assault. While the band members certainly sound like a bunch of competent and skilled musicians, the music that these gentlemen have spawned can hardly be labelled original or innovative, which is a bit of a shame. Some of the songs do manage to evoke a cold and hateful atmosphere, which is obviously a good thing, but in the overall perspective the band is simply missing a sound and an identity of its own. The song arrangements are quite decent and there are some good riffs and melodies to be found here and there, but half the songs do not stick and one tends to lose focus when listening to «Haudankylmä» as it is neither particularly memorable nor terribly exciting to lose oneself in. However, I do sense some potential here, so maybe the next time around these guys will blow us away? One can always hope. If symphonic and icy cold black metal is your thing then you should probably look elsewhere for a musical fix. Before I forget, I ought to mention that the CD is limited to 666 copies.