MUSIC REVIEW: Merta - “Virta”
I think, by now, everyone would be surprised if I didn’t write a review of the upcoming Merta album, since I have developed a deep and abiding fondness of them since last October. Also, I happen to follow them around a little bit due to the convenience of being their current merch rep! So, having enjoyed their last live show with Battle Beast, as well as their latest single, it only made sense for me to reach out to Playground Music for their latest release, “Virta,” to review, which is out on April 5th, 2024.
Don’t miss the Off the Record interview with vocalist Juhis Kauppinen!
This next paragraph is dedicated to my history with the band, so that you can compare your taste against mine. If you’re not interested, feel free to skip past this paragraph and head down to the review in proper!
I learned about Merta back in 2021, as they were doing a brief tour with my then-favorite band, Ember Falls. The two acts had released “Minä” and “Ruins” respectively within a few months of one another, so Ember Falls’ album support tour coincided with Merta’s album release show. Alas, I confess that I didn’t pay much attention to their set, but the name stayed in the back of my mind thereafter. I met them again opening for Arion at Olympia-kortteli in Tampere in 2023, as I was behind the merch table for Arion and they were the support act for the show, so I offered to handle their sales as well. I enjoyed the set that night as much as I enjoyed meeting a few of them, but again, I still didn’t really get hooked yet. It wasn’t until they opened for Machinae Supremacy in October 2023 that I really paid attention to their performance and I wondered if there was a world in which I could get really into them. They then became my second-most-played band of 2023, despite me only starting to listen to them in November, so suffice to say, I did indeed get into them. Both “Kokonainen” (2020) and “Minä” (2021) are excellent albums and I’m glad I was late to this party, rather than never getting there at all.
As I understand it, Merta is the passion project of Juhis Kauppinen, who doubles as a local sound engineer based out of Kerava. As the band’s singer-songwriter, he seems to be the one that needs credit for both the fantastic sound and style, as well as the deep and poignant lyrics that Merta have always encompassed.
The album begins with the most recent single, “Harha” [illusion], which I’ve been enjoying for a while now, largely thanks to its driven and catchy chorus, as well as its lyrics. Worth saying off the start that Juhis Kauppinen is a complete wizard with the Finnish language and doesn’t do it in a way that gets boring. Finnish is a very easy language to rhyme thanks to the flexible word endings, but can often sound blocky and arhythmic if not done with any style. Juhis has a masterful ability to create nothing short of incredible poetry in his language. Even more, I love what he does with the musical texturing. The stadium chants, growls, and atmospheric sounds that get blended into the climax of this song are truly incredible. Also, the lyrics are as beautiful and poignant as expected.
Next is “Mielivalta” [arbitrary use of power], which is a personal highlight because it’s one of the heaviest songs, as well as one of the most upbeat and catchy. In fact, I’m rather surprised that this wasn’t a single. The vocal texturing in here is magnificent and the chorus is too good. Juhis also has a knack for just popping into extremely high notes in a way that I just love. We hit another single by track three, “Katso mua silmiin” [look me in the eye], which is one of those songs that isn’t fast, but has really high energy and a strong dynamic push—it doesn’t need to be blasting at highest octane to make its point and the combination of the high vocals with really crushing growls in the backing vocals is magnificent. The chorus may easily get stuck in your head and the C-part shakes it up and adds some texture.
I hate to sound like a broken record by calling Merta “heavy Happoradio” all the time, but I really honestly can’t find another band that compares to them in sound the same way. The title track, “Virta” [stream/current], is a great example of this, which does largely come from the production, particularly in the guitar sound, as well as the casual shifts in vocal range up to high notes to add variety. Great singalong choruses also seem to be one of Merta’s strengths, but I also love the way the songs often get even more interesting in the instrumental parts towards the end… they don’t let things get boring, rather, they keep your attention grasped until the last note has played.
“Ethän yksin jätä” [don’t leave me alone] is a beautiful, slow ballad that centers around Juhis’ vocals and a piano, with gentle atmospherics to add dynamic push when needed. Word on the street is that Klaus Suominen (that would be Happoradio’s keyboardist!) did the piano parts in this track, so no wonder I’m always associating Merta with them! “Kaamos” was yet another one of the singles, which I love for having an almost djenty crushing feel to the beginning. The word refers to the specific darkness created by the dayless days of winter in the north of countries like Finland, where there is no sunlight at all, which could certainly reflect the mood of the song. The chorus softens up, yet adds harsher vocals and a more gritty sound as it concludes.
“Tahdon samaa” [I want the same] is another slower song that some might consider a ballad but I would not, as it does indeed quite start slow, but the dynamic rises throughout, giving it a lot of driving force. The layering of vocals with backing shouts really adds to the impact. Then, during “Tahto” [will], they kick up the energy, adding stadium shouts and some punchy guitar riffing before entering the verses, which have softer vocals that lure the listener along to the chorus. This is a welcome bit of extra life at this point in the release, leading to “Irti vihasta” [letting go of anger], which is another upbeat, driven track that has a particularly fun and fierce chorus that will surely be great live (though let’s be honest, all of these songs would be great live). The ebb and flow of this album’s dynamics is very well-crafted. There’s another extremely interesting C-parts in this one as well!
The album then wraps up with the first single from back in 2022, “Tiimalasi” [hourglass], which is yet another one of those wonderful tracks that starts soft and builds up… there’s something very final to this song that makes it a perfect closing track. It’s got a certain atmosphere or energy that you also hear in movie and game scores as things are resolved at the end (think “Encore” by Happoradio). Furthermore, I have the distinct impression that Juhis is one of those songwriters who cares about the messages he’s putting out there and hopes that people will think a bit more deeply about life and what is has on offer for us. It’s an awesome way to wrap things up, no question, even if it was a bit of an odd move to use such a track as a lead single back in the day.
“Virta” is one of those albums that’s so deceptively cohesive that, if you don’t pay attention, you might accidentally disregard it as a bit same-y, though once you listen a little more closely, you’ll actually find that each song has its own spice and sound, which has indeed changed a bit from what you can hear in “Kokonainen” and “Minä.” It certainly impresses me that Merta now have three full albums where I don’t feel particularly compelled to skip any tracks after multiple listens. It’s very hard to decide whether they’re a heavy pop-rock band or a poppy rock/metal band, but that’s part of the charm—they can act as a gateway to both genres from either end. Furthermore, a lot of the lyrical content seems to be on the side of modern man not needing to be a patriarchal shithead anymore… he can still be everything he wants to be and reap the same benefits he always has, he just doesn’t need to oppress and punch down on everyone around him in order to have that anymore. If that’s not a great message to be sending out there, I don’t know what is.
It’s really a treat to have a band that suits your present tastes to a T. After losing Ember Falls last year, I wondered if/when I’d ever find another band that I like as much and it seems that Merta may very well be that band. Isn’t it fortunate then, that they only use the heavy metal genre for flavor, rather than defining themselves by it, considering my current mood is not that interested in metal? Yet they still have everything I love about metal, like a heavy low end, powerful growls, and brilliant stage energy and presence, while maintaining an upbeat, modern, melodic sound with elements of pop and iskelmä to add texture, topped off with truly brilliant lyrics. I could really see these guys becoming the Next Big Thing (TM) in Finland (and if they ever dare to make an album in English, they might very well be able to take over the world)!
Don’t miss out on Merta live in April as well, and if you do come to see them, pop by merch, buy some shirts, and say hello!
April 12th - Helsinki, On the Rocks
April 13th - Turku, Nirvana
April 20th - Tampere, Hönö Baari
April 26th - Järvenpää, Shed
April 27th - Kouvola, House of Rock
Tracklist
Harha
Mielivalta
Katso mua silmiin
Virta
Ethän yksin jätä
Kaamos
Tahdon samaa
Tahto
Irti vihasta
Tiimalasi
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