Himukalt – Knife Through The Spine (2021)

"‘Knife Through the Spine’, was the one [album] that really started to set her apart from her peers... Kärkkäinen’s brand of power electronics on ‘Knife Through the Spine’ was refreshing. It featured all the troupes we love about the genre, but it also added something else that stopped it all merging into one. The cascading abstract motifs were punctuated by a delightful pulsating pneumatic drone and explosions of aggressive electronics. All of this was peppered with anxiety and a feeling that things should be better but aren’t... The vocals are again undecipherable, but this adds to the charm... Ultimately ‘Knife Through the Spine’ is an exercise in restraint and balance... a wonderful feeling of movement without constantly ripping our heads off." (Vital Weekly)

"...a dark, disturbing, and at times extremely aggressive record that has a tighter, more specific focus in its sound. However, her unique take on the style, as well as her nuanced approach to creating music results in a fresh, unique release that sounds like no one else... Himukalt's sound is more personal and any sense of violence is more self-inflicted in nature. The depressive mood is akin to Maurizio Bianchi's early work, and the more violent outbursts are complementary to the bleaker, harsh moments in Atrax Morgue's discography... Ester Kärkkäinen has demonstrated impressive growth and change to her Himukalt project... she takes the dark, harsh sounds in a different, more personal direction... Kärkkäinen's inner demons make for a more captivating experience on the listening end." (Brainwashed)

"Sharp, gritty and to the point. Her sound is a hybrid of unhinged power electronics blended with a post-mortem stench, including minimal layering, throbbing synths and obsessive loops. The heavily flanged vocals, interwined into the rotting fabric of the music, are spliced into chunks of indecipherable murmurs and visceral shrieks. Don't make a mistake though and think of Himukalt as another clone of the usual PE terrorists. This is a strictly personal and original statement, a detailed depiction of self-loathing, as Kärkkäinen is mapping her psyche in front of us, channeling her negativity into an impressive album" (Corrupted Delights)

""Ester Kärkkäinen zeigt mit "Knife Through The Spine" der zartbesaiteten Gesellschaft stolz den Mittelfinger und zelebriert damit ein derbes Output, welches auch erst einmal verdaut werden will... wer auf Power Electronics steht, der sollte jedenfalls mal diese Sache anvisieren... so zelebriert Ester Kärkkäinen eine kernige Symbiose aus Power Electronics, dessen Blüten mittels Noise und anderweitiger Verfremdungen zum Ausdruck finden. Besonders die teils kräftigen 'Rhythmen' wissen dabei gut zu fruchten... "Knife Through The Spine" eine durchaus konsumierbare Angelegenheit, die Unvorsichtigen allerdings ziemlich schnell den Todesstoss versetzen könnte. Weicheier also Finger weg!" (Raben Report)