Svart Records announces November 23rd as the release date for KUOLEMANLAAKSO's Uljas Uusi Maailma. Featuring members of CHAOSWEAVER, SWALLOW THE SUN and BARREN EARTH, and propuced by a TRIPTYKON/DARK FORTRESS member, Uljas Uusi Maailma ("Brave New World") is the band's debut album.

Named after one of the lowest, driest, and hottest places on Earth, Kuolemanlaakso (”Death Valley”) took its first breath in the spring of 2010. The band originally started out as a one-man project of guitarist Laakso (Chaosweaver). Much influenced by Eparistera Daimones of Triptykon, Laakso’s mission was to create an utterly dark and heavy album, full of catchy hooks and originality: a tragically beautiful world all its own.

It was clear from the start that the lyrics would be recited in Finnish. They were inspired by Eino Leino’s (1878–1926) poem collection Helkavirsiä, the mystique of the Finnish forests, and the morbidity of the modern world.

The feedback from an unreleased four-song demo recording was so overwhelmingly positive from fellow musicians that Laakso decided to recruit some of them and thus make Kuolemanlaakso a fully operating five-head outfit. And not just anybody, but some of his favourite bandsmen: vocalist Kotamäki (Swallow The Sun, Barren Earth), guitarist Kouta (Chaosweaver, ex-VERJNUARMU), bassist Usva (ELENIUM, THE NIBIRUAN), and drummer Tiera (DISCARD, CULT OF ENDTIME).

The band packed their bags in February 2012 and flew to Woodshed Studio, Germany, which is operated by none other than V. Santura of Triptykon and Dark Fortress fame. Santura not only co-produced, mixed, mastered and engineered the crushing Uljas Uusi Maailma, but he also provided guest guitars on five tracks on it – upon his own request, as he liked the material so much.

Uljas Uusi Maailma tracklisting:

'Minä elän' (”I Live”)

'Kuun lapset' (”Children Of The Moon”)

'Nostos & Algos'

'Roihusydän' (”Blaze Heart”)

'Etsin' (”Searching”)

'Ikiuni' (”The Eternal Sleep”)

'Uljas Uusi Maailma' (”Brave New World”)

'Aurinko' (”The Sun”)

More on Kuolemanlaakso at this location.