Aarni

Aarni

Aarni is an avant-garde metal band from Finland, which consists primarily of Master Warjomaa and, occasionally, some session musicians. Although many sources claim the existence of other band members, these are fictional characters (probably created by Warjomaa himself) and include a French count born in the 17th century and a cartoon character with a T-shirt with Aarni's logo.

Aarni's music bears similarities to funeral doom metal (in Reaching Azathoth, for example) and is sometimes similar to folk metal (The Weird of Vipunen). Their style has been described as almost orthodox doom metallish Lovecraftian-Jungian Kalevala avantgarde music. The band themselves sometimes use the term Chthonic Musick. The lyrics of Aarni include varied themes such as Finnish folklore, transhumanism, paganism, parapsychology, psychoanalytical theories and mythology. The lyrics are sung in English, Finnish, Latin, and perhaps occasionally in French, Ancient Egyptian, and/or Glossolalic.

History

Aarni was founded in 1998, in Finland, by Master Warjomaa (occasionally known as Mahatma M. Warjomaa). Master Warjomaa is also an active member of a doom metal band called Umbra Nihil, playing lead guitar. Aarni released a demo in 2001, and a split album with Umbra Nihil the following year. After a second demo in 2002, Aarni finally released its first full-length album, Bathos, in 2004. Aarni was signed to Firebox Records's subsidiary label Firedoom Music, but is now signed to Epidemie Records. Aarni has announced the future release of a second album, called Tohcoth, and implied that it was in the recording stage.

Controversy

Band members

On Aarni's official website, the band section contains four members (also referred to as "Responsible Cultists"), as well as information concerning each of them. The four members of the band are Master Warjomaa, Comte de Saint-Germain, Doomintroll and Mistress Palm. Warjomaa commented on this in a 2004 interview:

The number of Aarni is five and five is the number of Aarni. Think a while about this and you will see... because Aarni consists of four personalities plus me. Why four? Because I've chosen to adhere to the (Jungian) concept of quaternity - four personality types, four seasons, four equinoxes, four elements, four stations of the sun, four stages of the human life, four cardinal directions, four Qabbalistic worlds, four limbs of the human body, four main themes in Aarni's songs, four basic human brain circuits of Timothy Leary's theory etc. Visualize the pentagram representing human existence: there's four points combined in/ruled by the fifth. It's all of course symbolic. Or is it?

Master Warjomaa

File:Aarni Master Warjomaa.gif

Master Warjomaa of Aarni

Master Warjomaa is the alias of the band's only non-fictional member. According to the band's official website, Warjomaa was born in 1974. It is stated that he is influenced by Joe Satriani, Taoism, Camel, and H.P. Lovecraft, that he belongs to the Homo Superior species, and that his favorite place is Cydonia. Along with many other artists, Warjomaa has named Black Sabbath, Candlemass, Hawkwind, King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator as his musical influences. In a fan interview in June 2006, Warjomaa stated:

"While I prefer a female unicorn deity to a gaseous alpha male vertebrate of cosmic heft anytime, I'd rather choose no deity or deities at all. I think it's high time we stopped worshiping gods and started to aim at becoming gods."

Comte de Saint Germain

Le Comte de Saint Germain (translated from French: "The Count of Saint Germain") is one of the claimed members of Aarni. His role in the band is stated as "Sensation, alchemical processes and keys to secrets". It is written that he was born in 1665 and is an "ex-human", which probably implies that he is not alive as of 2007. It is not stated whether le Comte de Saint Germain was an actual individual that lived centuries ago or if he is an entirely fictional character. It is possible that le Comte de Saint Germain has something to do with the Count of St Germain, an actual count living in the 18th century.

Doomintroll & Mistress Palm

Doomintroll is represented by a cartoon-style drawing of a person with a very prominent nose, a pipe in the mouth, the Aarni logo on the T-shirt, and a hand sticking up the middle finger. According to Aarni he "originated" in 1998, (also the date of the formation of Aarni) which would make him 6 years old at the time of the release of the band's first full-length album. It is written that Doomintroll belongs to the "Duumipeikko" species. "Duumipeikko", roughly translated from Finnish, gives "Doomintroll". This is a reference to the popular Finnish cartoon series, Moomin, in which Muumipeikko is one of the main characters. According to Doomintroll, the band wants to support the anarcho-shamanistic attitude of moomintrolls.

Mistress Palm (also referred to as Mrs. Palm) is the fourth claimed band member. She is depicted as a rather elderly woman in an apron holding a toilet brush and opening her mouth as if angrily screaming. She has been thought to be a computer program or artificial, phlogiston-driven rectoplasm.

Website

At the top of the band page is written "4=1". The motive of this equation is maybe to consider the situation of the 4 declared members and one actual member and/or can be a reference to the Jungian concept of quaternity. On the news page (also referred to as the "Unspeakable Tidings"), the news are listed chronologically. However the dates are said to be written in the form corresponding to these in the Discordian calendar. These dates follow the "DD/SS/YYYY" form, as stated on the official website. Therefore e.g. the year 2007 CE is noted as 3173 AM.

Lyrics

The lyrics are sung in English, Finnish, Latin, and occasionally in French, Ancient Egyptian, and/or Glossolalic. The official website claims that rumors have said the band also sung in Swedish and Enochian. However the website does not give any argument for or against the factual accuracy of these rumors. In several songs, the lyrics refer to the Cthulhu Mythos. In an interview with Nocturne Magazine, Master Warjomaa admitted writing lyrics in Ouranian Barbaric and Enochian, thus confirming certain rumors.

In "Squaring The Circle", the lyrics say "zero equals two". This may be a reference to the ideas of Aleister Crowley and similar to the "4=1" statement on top of the band page of the official website. In "The Thunder, Perfect Mindfuck", it is said "I am the shameless and I am ashamed" as well as "I am falsehood and I am truth". These could be considered paradoxical and controversial as the Gnostic poem the lyrics are based upon, The Thunder, Perfect Mind.

Line-up

• Master Warjomaa - Creating, playing, and producing most of the lyrics and music.
• Rhesus Christ (from Umbra Nihil) - Session drums for Bathos..
• Albert Frankenstein - Session vocalist for Bathos.

Discography

Demo 2001

File:Aarni Demo 2001.gif

Aarni's 2001 Demo

Demo 2001 was released independently by Aarni in 2001. It was the first CD release of Aarni. Its cover features a picture of the Conte de Saint-Germain.

Track listing:

1. "Myrrys" - 5:00

2. "The Black Keyes (of R'lyeh)" - 5:53

3. "Metsänpeitto" - 0:58

4. "Persona Mortuae Cutis" - 5:52

"Persona Mortuae Cutis" is a cover version of the Slayer song Dead Skin Mask translated to Latin.

Aarni / Umbra Nihil Split

File:Aarni Split.jpg

Aarni's split CD with Umbra Nihil

Aarni / Umbra Nihil Split was released through Firebox Records in 2002.

Track listing:

• Aarni

1. "Ubbo-Sathla" - 3:37

2. "Myrrys" - 5:00

3. "Transcend Humanity" - 12:00

4. "Liber Umbrarum vel Coniunctio" - 6:18

5. "Reaching Azathoth" - 11:55

6. "Anima" - 4:14

• Umbra Nihil

7. "Follow and Believe / Fall Without Relief" - 9:12

8. "A Mere Shell" - 8:25

9. "My Way to the Lakeshore" - 2:04

10. "Determination" - 7:09

11. "Water in Lungs" - 8:31

Duumipeikon paluu

File:Aarni Duumi.jpg

Aarni's 2002 demo

Duumipeikon paluu was released independently by Aarni in 2002.

Track listing:

1. "Myrrys" - 5:00

2. "Lampaan Vaatteissa" - 6:03

3. "The Weird of Vipunen" - 7:22

4. "Transcend Humanity" - 12:00

5. "Reaching Azathoth" - 11:55

Duumipeikon paluu and Demo 2001 were re-released together in 2003. "Duumipeikon paluu" translated from Finnish means "The Return of Doomintroll".

Bathos

File:Aarni Bathos.jpg

Aarni's first full-length album, Bathos

Bathos was released through Firedoom Music, a sub-label of Firebox Records, in November 8, 2004.

Track listing:

1. "Ονειροσκόπος (Oneiroskopos)" - 1:31

2. "Squaring The Circle" - 7:50

3. "Quinotaurus (Twelve Stars In Sight)" - 3:48

4. "Kivijumala" - 11:45

5. "V.I.T.R.I.O.L." - 6:33

6. "The Thunder, Perfect Mindfuck" - 8:32

7. "Mental Fugue" - 6:49

8. "Niut Net Meru" - 9:20

9. "Kesäyö" - 8:59

Vilpir from Umbra Nihil played session drums on the album. Oneiroscopy means interpretation of dreams. V.I.T.R.I.O.L. is an acronym for "Visita interiora terrae rectificandoque invenies occultum lapidem" in Latin, meaning "Visit the innermost of the earth and by rectifying what is there, you will find the hidden stone." The Thunder, Perfect Mindfuck is a reference to the gnostic poem The Thunder, Perfect Mind.

Pandemia

Pandemia is the name of a song by Aarni that was only released on internet, available only on the official Aarni website. It was originally recorded in 2002, and was later remixed and released on the internet in July 2003.

External links

• Official website
• Official MySpace entry