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Karjalan Sissit

Karjalan Sissit * …Want You Dead (cd 2015)

When I write this, Discogs only has a tape version listed, released by a label called “Total Black”. There is also a cd version released by Cyclic Law though.

Six years after “Fucking Whore Society” Markus Pesonen did not find any inspiration to develop his sound. Putting on the latest attemp initially brought me the idea that I put on the wrong cd. There is the usual orchestrated bombast with manically screamed vocals as on previous albums. The only thing that catches my ears is that guitars are added, or mixed more towards the front.

Now however “…Want You Dead” is just another Karjalan Sissit album, the style is still amusing so the new album makes me think back of the days when Karjalan Sissit was the most aggressive exponent of the ‘martial industrial’ sound that has mostly passed away. For old times sake!

Links: Karjalan Sissit, Cyclic Law

Karjalan Sissit * Fucking Whore Society (cd 2009)

FWSWhen you read my reviews of the previous albums of Karjalan Sissit you will notice that I never really held this project in high regard. His music is alright, but there are better projects in this style. With the previous album Pesonen gave a bit of extra gass and he recorded an album much more agressive than anything in the “bombastic industrial” style of that time (and still). Too bad that on the latest album, he just repeats himself and made a copy of “Tanssit…”. Nice dark soundscapes with speechsamples are alternated with bombastic and sometimes orchestral industrial with fierce drumming and very aggressive vocals. Not really boring, but not really great either.
Links: Karjalan Sissit, Cyclic Law

Karjalan Sissit * Tanssit On Loppu Nyt (cd 2006 cyclic law)

This is another of these albums that I was in doubt about. Karjalan makes enjoyable music, but not too original. When I heard that the new album also only lasts for half an hour, my doubt became even greater. But in the end I got myself a copy, just out of curiosity. The new album proves to be even louder than the previous ones. More noise, even more agressive vocals, more bombast, so still a bit of a surprise. Of course the loud tracks are alternated with dark ambient tracks, like before. Again not a top-class album, but certainly not a boring one either. Karjalan surely leaves similar projects such as Sophia or Triarii far behind in agressiveness. <4/12/06><3>u

Karjalan Sissit * s/t (cd 2002 cold spring)

I have been looking forward to this cd actually only by hearing about it. When I got it in my hands I already noticed that it would be somewhat different from what I expected. There is a text in the booklet that seems to be Finish and under the bandname on the cover it says: “written by Markus Mikael Pesonen”. The cd is recorded in the Erebus Odora studio and produced by Peter Pettersson who also took part in the performing of the music. So, add to this a rather Sophia-like sound and there you have the explanation for the rumour that this is another Arcana/Sophia sideproject.
Inspite of the photos of soldiers in the artwork, this isn’t really one of these popular martial industrial things. Actually Karjalan Sissit has -as mentioned- a sound more reminding of Sophia than anything else. Slow industrial, quite tranquil, orchestral, but with heavy beats but not as heavy in sound as Sophia itself.
The bandname seems to be some Finish reference to soldiers, but I haven’t been able to find out what exactly. Also I can’t find out what the text in the booklet means, but it is said that this cd is dedicated to Pesonen’s uncle who died in some war, so maybe that is it.
The cd lasts for only 41 minutes and count off some 6 or 7 minutes of Schlager (not too original of course) and you have left a very short cd.
So, about the music. It is a bit too monotous for me and there are some far too obvious samples from popular horrormovies, but it sounds alright. Not too original though. Just a nice cd. <13/4/02><3>

Karjalan Sissit * Karjalasta Kajahtaa (cd 2004 cyclic law)

In a luxery package comes the third cd of this Finnish project. Karjalan Sissit already made bombastic industrial with orchestral influences, but on this cd mr. Pesonen exceeded himself. This new cd will maybe even more appeal to people who like Sophia than the previous. The tracks with opera vocals remind of Predella Avant, others are in the Sophia-style. Also like Sophia, you get dark ambient/industrial tracks and very bombastic tracks. Because this of course is a Karjalan Sissit cd, also some schlager(-like) music. Also again noisy influences, which is fine with me! <29/7/04><3>