Tenhi - Valkama

On their sixth album, "Valkama", which translates as 'harbour' or 'shelter' among other meanings, the Finns originally began telling of a journey that was meant as a fairy tale in a burning, war-torn village and the crossing over dark waters to an island of the dead. The island is called Verisurma ('the place for those who have suffered blood-death') in Finnish folklore, where those dwell that died in war or were killed with a blade, and who shed blood on its shore forever.

Yet, during the ten years that TENHI were working on the album, our reality started to bleed into the otherworld with its own terrors and wars. Year after year, the musicians felt their story becoming more and more real until the point was reached that the band decided to change course.

Although echoes of the original work are still audible in the final music and visible in the artwork, the album now feels more harmonious and comforting, even brighter. The journey from this world to the other is more abstract and peaceful while still crossing dark waters, but after a decade TENHI have found the harbour called "Valkama".

This transition of the story but also the long journey that the band undertook to reach their sheltering harbour are both reflected in the artwork of "Valkama": An old wooden boat serves as a metaphor for various meanings such as a vessel, a coffin, a womb, a shelter, change, and the journey itself.

TENHI could hardly have picked a more suitable band-name. This old Finnish word means a person that is an 'elder' or 'shaman'. And while the shamans of the ancient nomadic Finns are the guardians against but also the mediators between their communities and the spirit world, TENHI are their musical equivalent as a liminal force between dark folk, folk rock, and even reaching out into the normally electrified world of metal. The latter invites comparison with WARDRUNA and HEILUNG, although in a spiritual meaning and certainly not by way of a stylistic comparison.

TENHI were conceived by guitarist and vocalist Tyko Saarikko in 1996. Ilmari Issakainen joined the band few years later. Together they form the creative core of the group. After self-releasing the demo "Kertomuksia" (1997) and the MCD "Hallavedet" (1998), the Finns immediately hit a nerve with their debut full-length "Kauan" in 1999. TENHI started into the new millennium with another MCD entitled "Airut:ciwi" (2000), which was followed by a string of albums from "Väre" (2002) via "Maaäet" (2006) and "Airut:aamujen" (2006) to "Saivo" (2011).

With each new album, the Finns continued to grow a dedicated following that is coming from different musical directions. From the start, TENHI have combined acoustic instrumentation and a traditional vibe with structures based on contemporary rock music. While their previous full-length "Saivo" tilted more towards an ambient-style and panoramic soundtrack feeling, "Valkama" returns to a more song-oriented approach – even though the tracks retain an epic and meandering format.

"Valkama" comes with the trademark Finnish longing and melancholia, but despite its audible darkness, TENHI offer a musical outlet from the horrors of the modern world. In the twilight world of the North, "Valkama" is the silver-lining on the horizon promising shelter and peace.

Release date: June 9, 2023

Style: Dark Folk

Tracklist
1. Saattue
2. Kesävihanta'
3. Valkama
4. Rintamaan
5. Rannankukka
6. Laineinen
7. Hele
8. Ulapoi
9. Elokuun linnut
10. Sydämes on tiel
11. Veden elein
12. Aina sininen aina

Line-up
Tyko Saarikko – vocals, guitar, harmonium and piano
Ilmari Issakainen – guitar, piano, drums, bass and backing vocals
Tuukka Tolvanen – backing vocals
Inka Eerola – violin
Janina Lehto – flute and backing vocals
Jaakko Hilppö – backing vocals

Guest musician
Miika Vuoristo – viola on 'Ulapoi'
Jussi Lehtinen – backing vocals on 'Ulapoi'
Paula Rantamäki – backing vocals on 'Kesävihanta' and 'Aina sininen aina'