 Release:
Pulverised Records
18.07.2025
Info:
With the band abruptly announcing their sudden split in late April 2025, ETERNAL DARKNESS thirty-five-freakin’-years-in-the-making insanely awaited debut album will prove to be their last. But instead of a solemn and, shall we say, doomed (on all levels) epitaph, this monster of an album isn’t just the perfect embodiment of crushing your enemies, see them driven before you and to hear the lamentations of their women as Conan once famously said but probably the heaviest, as in HEAVIEST, thing you’ll hear this year, proving that ETERNAL DARKNESS’ three decades old reputation as one of Scandinavia’s most crushing creation still rings true to this day.
Formed back in 1990 in Eskilstuna, Sweden by Toni Pietilä (lead guitar), Make Pesonen (drums), Janne Heikkinen (vocals), Jarmo Kuurola (rhythm guitar) and Tero Viljanen (bass guitar), the band recorded two demo tapes one seven inch, played a handful of gigs both in Sweden and Finland before crawling back in obscurity in 1993, leaving on the shelf an unreleased at the time MLP. Ridden by tragedy – Jarmo was murdered in 1995 and Toni passed in 2014, aged 39 – the band had to wait 2019 and a whole new line-up, completed by new members John Carlsson on lead guitar (ETERNAL AUTUMN), Kristian Henriksson on rhythm guitar (UNPURE, SVARTSYN) and Jeff Hausel on bass to come back from the dead.
Besides one old song from 1992 rerecorded for a special upcoming split vinyl with their label mates and fellow countrymen MOONDARK, all eight songs are brand-new. They were recorded and produced in November/December 2024 by their longtime friend Peter Bjärgö, a childhood friend of both Make and Janne and a friend of Jeff since 1986, whose own death metal band CRYPT OF KERBEROS did their best to match ETERNAL DARKNESS intensity and heaviness back in the 90s! The whole process happened at Bjärgö newly rebuilt Erebus Odora, basically ETERNAL DARKNESS old rehearsal place for years now converted into a studio.
“It feels great that the album - against all odds! - is recorded and done” agrees Jeff. “We first came up with ‘What Life End’s’ in the winter of 2022 and the rest kinda followed. Make is a natural art director and our band-leader, full of macabre ideas. Peter put yet another layer to the songs by adding some brilliant samples and we even invited Jasmine, a seven years old metal maniac to play the flute of Doom.” With all its instruments tuned down to A for extra heaviness and as foreseeing the future, "Eternal Darkness" is about the process of death, loss and grief. It is not only obviously dedicated to Jarmo and Toni but also to Peter’s daughter Vendela who sadly passed away during the recording, Jeff agreeing that “those tragic events not only had a profound impact on us but also affected the sound and ambient of the album.” Hence why the band aptly chose the famous 14th century Italian tapestry Triumph Of Death for the cover, with the lyrics being written by a longtime close ally and former Eskilstuna resident Sami Salonen.
Make no mistake: "Eternal Darkness" ain’t no ‘pretty’ death/doom. Devoid of fancy artifice, insanely bleak and yet to the point and, yes, catchy, this is THE ultimate album this Eskilstuna mob was meant to spit at this rotten world’s face since 1990. It may be their last move but talk about leaving with a bang.
In Death!
Eternal Darkness (1990-2025)
"The Beyond" - Official Track Stream: https://youtu.be/vo1avPdiC_M
Tracklist:
1. The Beyond
2. Pungent Awakening
3. Funeral
4. Grief
5. Into Crematory
6. When Life Ends
7. Death Above All
8. Til Death
Line-up:
Janne Heikkinen - Vocals
Make Pesonen - Drums
Jeff Hausel - Bass
John Carlsson - Guitars (lead)
Kristian Henriksson - Guitars (rhythm)
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