Review: The Holy — Ländmark (2024)
Today, "Ländmark"—the third album by Finnish indie rockers The Holy—was released.
The music of The Holy, who emerged ten years ago, has absorbed Nordic melancholy, post-punk motifs, and an individual approach to song themes that yank listeners out of their comfort zones. Their third album, "Ländmark," represents a carefully thought-out concept, the creation process of which, according to the band members, helped The Holy grow musically.
Speaking to the Rumba publication, the musicians described the album by stating that "Ländmark" was The Holy at their absolute best, and they were truly proud of it.
For The Holy, their connection to their homeland has always been important. These references can be noticed even in the title of the album "Ländmark," written partly in a Finnish manner. Despite the fact that The Holy, like many other alternative bands, initially recorded songs only in English, the themes they raised often concerned precisely Finland or Finnish youth. For instance, their debut album, "Daughter," was dedicated to the period of economic recession in Finland during the nineties, because of which the childhood and youth of many of the country's residents turned out to be not so simple.
Speaking to the Rumba publication, the musicians described the album by stating that "Ländmark" was The Holy at their absolute best, and they were truly proud of it.
For The Holy, their connection to their homeland has always been important. These references can be noticed even in the title of the album "Ländmark," written partly in a Finnish manner. Despite the fact that The Holy, like many other alternative bands, initially recorded songs only in English, the themes they raised often concerned precisely Finland or Finnish youth. For instance, their debut album, "Daughter," was dedicated to the period of economic recession in Finland during the nineties, because of which the childhood and youth of many of the country's residents turned out to be not so simple.
The Holy are not afraid to challenge, speak honestly and openly, and they have also never tried to abandon their roots. In their third album, this soulful and melancholic love for their native north is felt more strongly than ever.
In total, the album includes nine songs, three of which were released as singles between the spring of last year and the middle of this winter. The silence on the airwaves was finally broken, and "Ländmark," whose title can be translated as "Landmark," became closer than ever before. The album opens with the incredibly soulful "Familia," which also became the first single from "Ländmark." In addition to its magical music, it is also imbued with a special meaning.
Describing this song to the Rumba publication, the members of The Holy explained that, as the title suggested, the song told of the power of family and that dimension of love which people do not get to choose. They noted that everything else was probably temporary, and within a family, a person could encounter the heaviest manifestation of love. The musicians added that it represented joy and grief, encounter and death, growth and pain, but it remained exhaustingly beneficial.
A music video full of symbolism was also filmed for this song, very much in the spirit of The Holy and my beloved "Land Before Time" from their first album. The central characters of the video are the band members themselves, portraying a family. Initially, everything goes well with peace, quiet, and preparations for a shared meal. However, over time, everything begins to spin out of control, and along with the escalating arguments, the table itself begins to burn. Reviewers leaned toward the idea that Finland was actually at the center of the action, and the fire represented the political squabbles into which it had been dragged. For The Holy, who rolled out an entire album on the topic of the Great Depression in Finland, there is nothing new about throwing in political allusions. And they, like no one else, do it well, with a special artistry and sensitivity.
The second single from "Ländmark" is a track with the whimsical title "The Incredible Ibex," which attracted a great deal of attention from Finns because it was here that The Holy, for the first time, albeit partially, performed in their native language. "The Incredible Ibex" combines powerful guitar riffs with a delicate delivery of the remaining musical components.
The song turned out to be dynamic, consisting of similar but non-repeating fragments. The lyrical heroes constantly slip away from one another, but within this lies the intimacy of their driving force.
The final single from the album was the song "Any Given Day." According to the band, in this song, they explored ways to stay informed and aware of events even in the midst of storms.
Speaking to the German portal Visions, Eetu Iivari described the song by noting that it had a confident mood, but at the same time, it was very melancholic. He added that the original demo was five times faster, explaining that they had wanted to fit as much energy as possible into a small space.
In addition to the singles, the album includes six more tracks, three of which—"Pihlaja," "Heretic Anthem," and "Savages"—are essentially instrumental. The entire album represents indie in its finest traditions: soulful, melancholic, and full of hope. Eetu Iivari's voice dissolves into the music, leading the listener into a new journey. This is felt especially strongly in "Disobedience." In turn, "All This Joy" and "I Need You" have a more positive mood and a faster tempo, but they still fit perfectly into the overall concept of that distinct northern music full of mysteries and insightful melodies.
Overall, this album does not feel like a conceptual piece, unless one considers all of The Holy's music to be one big concept. I would say that "Ländmark" is a soundtrack. Perhaps it is a soundtrack to a new stage in the band's life, but on the other hand, it could become the soundtrack for a road trip or an entire spring, the first signs of which are already in the air.
In total, the album includes nine songs, three of which were released as singles between the spring of last year and the middle of this winter. The silence on the airwaves was finally broken, and "Ländmark," whose title can be translated as "Landmark," became closer than ever before. The album opens with the incredibly soulful "Familia," which also became the first single from "Ländmark." In addition to its magical music, it is also imbued with a special meaning.
Describing this song to the Rumba publication, the members of The Holy explained that, as the title suggested, the song told of the power of family and that dimension of love which people do not get to choose. They noted that everything else was probably temporary, and within a family, a person could encounter the heaviest manifestation of love. The musicians added that it represented joy and grief, encounter and death, growth and pain, but it remained exhaustingly beneficial.
A music video full of symbolism was also filmed for this song, very much in the spirit of The Holy and my beloved "Land Before Time" from their first album. The central characters of the video are the band members themselves, portraying a family. Initially, everything goes well with peace, quiet, and preparations for a shared meal. However, over time, everything begins to spin out of control, and along with the escalating arguments, the table itself begins to burn. Reviewers leaned toward the idea that Finland was actually at the center of the action, and the fire represented the political squabbles into which it had been dragged. For The Holy, who rolled out an entire album on the topic of the Great Depression in Finland, there is nothing new about throwing in political allusions. And they, like no one else, do it well, with a special artistry and sensitivity.
The second single from "Ländmark" is a track with the whimsical title "The Incredible Ibex," which attracted a great deal of attention from Finns because it was here that The Holy, for the first time, albeit partially, performed in their native language. "The Incredible Ibex" combines powerful guitar riffs with a delicate delivery of the remaining musical components.
The song turned out to be dynamic, consisting of similar but non-repeating fragments. The lyrical heroes constantly slip away from one another, but within this lies the intimacy of their driving force.
The final single from the album was the song "Any Given Day." According to the band, in this song, they explored ways to stay informed and aware of events even in the midst of storms.
Speaking to the German portal Visions, Eetu Iivari described the song by noting that it had a confident mood, but at the same time, it was very melancholic. He added that the original demo was five times faster, explaining that they had wanted to fit as much energy as possible into a small space.
In addition to the singles, the album includes six more tracks, three of which—"Pihlaja," "Heretic Anthem," and "Savages"—are essentially instrumental. The entire album represents indie in its finest traditions: soulful, melancholic, and full of hope. Eetu Iivari's voice dissolves into the music, leading the listener into a new journey. This is felt especially strongly in "Disobedience." In turn, "All This Joy" and "I Need You" have a more positive mood and a faster tempo, but they still fit perfectly into the overall concept of that distinct northern music full of mysteries and insightful melodies.
Overall, this album does not feel like a conceptual piece, unless one considers all of The Holy's music to be one big concept. I would say that "Ländmark" is a soundtrack. Perhaps it is a soundtrack to a new stage in the band's life, but on the other hand, it could become the soundtrack for a road trip or an entire spring, the first signs of which are already in the air.
Rating: 9/10
- Tuuli TalvinenFounder & Editor-in-ChiefAuthor