#aittala

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

Six full-lengths, two EPs, strong and steady since 2008. Dang. What keeps North Carolina trio AITTALA going? Sheer compulsion for music making is my guess. There's nothing like the experience of the real thing, despite the obscene ease and seductive sophistication of AI fakery. To hear and feel heavy music live from their minds and voices and hands of real human beings just like you -- well, there's just nothing like it. Bands with stubborn longevity like Aittala serve as an inspiration to the scene. Pick up an instrument, get to jamming, let your voice be heard.

If this is your first encounter with the band, perhaps "Isolation" is as good an introduction as any. Mysterious strumming, powerful emphatic chords, and wall-shaking disruption clears the path for soulful, soaring guitar soloing and somber Gothic intonations.

The words are relatable to everyone who has felt isolation in the wake of family breakdown, fallen idols, and the loss of true community. We are increasingly siloed into a lonely, virtual existence, housed conveniently in cages of wood and plastic and concrete, subsisting on artificial, processed, and packaged goods churned out by humanless factories. It's a nightmare that H.G. Wells, Orwell, and Huxley hinted at but could have scarcely envisioned in its nihilistic, nightmarish reality.

Lyrics are stained with regret, lamenting a life devoid of meaning, where technology has eclipsed talent. The machine has been slowly replacing us all for generations, now accelerating humanity into the unknown. With little to believe in and reality on a shakey basis, more and more people are wondering, "What's the point?" and losing themselves in a soul-crushing death spiral of drugs, alcohol, greed, violence, debauchery, and inevitable madness.

Born with an expiration date Blessed with the curse you cannot escape The taste is so bitter sweet When you learn you’ve become obsolete

Aittala sees clearly in these desperate times, which makes their sound all the more compelling. Witness the gravity and might of "Isolation" now, as Doomed & Stoned brings you its world premiere. It comes from their new EP, "Ill-Gotten Gains' (2025), available soon on Exitus Stratagem Records (get it here).

Give ear...

SOME BUZZ

Genre-blurring metal duo AITTALA returns with their latest and second EP of 2025, "Ill-Gotten Gains," dropping November 21, 2025, via Exitus Stratagem Records. The EP’s lead single, “Isolation,” is accompanied by a gripping music video that captures the emotional weight and sonic depth of the track.

“Isolation” sets the tone for the EP with its doomy atmosphere, heavy guitars, and unexpected time signature shifts. Lyrically, it explores the consequences of past decisions, a theme that runs throughout the entire release.

The music of AITTALA (pronounced 'EYE-tah-la') crosses many metal genres; it’s hard to put it into just one category. The sound infuses elements of classic heavy metal, doom, progressive, power, thrash, and hard rock with lyrics drawing inspiration from the darker side of the human condition. The AITTALA sound has been cited for being unique, which is no easy feat in the metal genre.

The first incarnation of AITTALA was formed in 1991 while Eric was living in the Netherlands. With fellow American Tim on vocals and Dutch bandmates Ed (drums) and Jon (bass), the band became a staple of the Dutch metal scene.

With the release of the 3-song EP 'Selling Heaven' in the summer of 1993, AITTALA opened for such bands as THE GATHERING and SADIST. Unfortunately, as the demo started to create a buzz in the underground European metal scene, Eric had to return to the US and disbanded AITTALA.

In 2008, the time was right to resurrect AITTALA. From 2009 to 2022, AITTALA released 6 full-length albums: 'Bed of Thorns' (2009), 'Haunt Your Flesh' (2011), 'Effigy' (2014), 'American Nightmare' (2016), 'False Pretenses' (2019), 'Live to Regret (2022) & Machines (EP 2025). Each release showcases a natural progression of songwriting and lyrical content but retaining the core AITTALA sound and evolving it.

The current lineup of AITTALA consists of Eric Aittala on guitars/vocals and Gary 'Zeus' Smith (THE FIFTH, ex-MR BLACKWELL) on drums. They continue to write, record and tour to bring AITTALA to the masses.

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~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

With so much of our shared media being safe and sanitized, it seems that music may be one of the few remaining bastions of honest and free expression -- a kind of litmus test of the human condition. Certainly Raleigh, North Carolina band AITTALA bears both heart and soul on the band's sixth full-length record, 'Live To Regret' (2022).

Written and recorded in the backdrop of COVID-19, Aittala commiserates with the heavy toll this whole miserable mess has taken on our relationships. The 11-track LP mingles elements of doom, sludge, groove, and thrash in seamless fashion for what amounts to a powerful pandemic confessional.

Beginning in down 'n' dirty swing mode, the title track is delivered with all the metal fixings, transforming the track into a groovy vehicle for the band's powers. I have a hunch you'll be humming this one on your way home from work this week.

"Collateral Damage" follows and shifts us to an overcast mood full of dissonant sounds and a dreamlike chorus. I'm sure many will readily identify with its words:

They’re always on your heels So keep looking over your shoulder You have to watch your back And try not to lose your composure

"Saint" is a bonafide doomer, leaning more towards the Warning side of the genre, and features some gorgeous guitar harmonies. As I was listening to the lyrical narrative, it struck me how every anguished note was played with absolute conviction.

"Cannibals" is a classic thrash attack with crunchy chugging guitars and squealing guitar action, while "Big Brother" is as mournfully doomy as it comes. Even with the most winteresque numbers, Aittala has a knack for surprising us, here with a groove metal B-section. The lyrical sentiment is imbued with the stubborn independence of bygone generations:

We fall to our knees and pray As we prepare for judgment day We worship the collective fraud Big brother is now our god

Another highlight is "Juliet (2022)," closing the record with the tale of a demented Romeo and Juliet couple. There are overtones of horror, both through the hypnotic pacing of the song and the tension produced by harrowing guitar chords and a pulsating synthesizer.

Live to Regret by Aittala drops on Monday c/o Exitus Stratagem Records pre-order. Stick it on a playlist with Apostle of Solitude, Crowbar, Famyne, and Paradise Lost, with a dash of Slayer for good measure.

This is the Doomed & Stoned world premiere.

Give ear...

Live to Regret by Aittala

SOME BUZZ

Aittala (pronounced 'EYE-tah-la') has been around since 1991 and in that time has developed a sound that is unique, progressive, and memorable. With a solid core of doom metal, they add hints of power metal, sludge and traditional metal, a feast of variety that is on full display in their upcoming seventh album 'Live to Regret' (2022). Lyrically, the album chronicles a chaotic period of time for members of the band personally as well as the global events happening in parallel.

The band comments on the album:

“Aittala is extremely excited for the fans to hear the new album 'Live to Regret.' The pandemic was a stressful time for everyone, but it’s even much more stressful when you’re dealing with an unhealthy relationship that’s full of tension and animosity on a daily basis. A lot of toxic energy fueled the writing of the album and became something of a way to cleanse the spirit of the toxicity.

"We hope the fans hear the pain, pleasure, and passion that went into the writing of these songs. I think they’ll connect with these songs more than prior albums because they are more personal. Overall, we’re very pleased how the album turned out. It’s definitely the best Aittala album yet and we look forward to building on it in the future!”

The album has eleven tracks, each defying the limits of genre rules. There is the trash inspired track “Cannibals” that confronts the tightening grip of governmental monitoring and control. The sludgey “Big Brother” about the devolution/zombification of the human race due to technology. The smoky stoner infused “Never Forget” that talks about dealing with a toxic person along with many more.

'Live to Regret' will be available on November 7, 2022, via Exitus Stratagem Records and was produced by Eric Aittala and John E. Wooten IV, who also mixed the record along with mastering by Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering. Album artwork by Mariano Pugliese.

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