Review: “Shadow Companions” by Nobody

Seven months after last summers EP “Neurotic Age” and yet another collection of acoustic Folk inspired Black Metal songs has been crafted for our listening pleasure. The culprit is of course the ever prolific Finnish artist Tuomas Kauppinen, a man who with this record has given us no less than five albums and four EPs in five years. Once again wrapped in cover art from Don Artvaara and mixed by Jaakko Luomanen (ex-Lähiöbotox), this latest burnt offering from Nobody is simply Kauppinen performing acoustic guitars, bass, electric guitars and drums as he tells his stories.

As with the last record, the spirit and charm of the 1970’s remains at the heart of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds or perhaps Johnny Cash inspired sounds with  “Hellfire” offering a classic dark tale. The protagonist is Archbishop John, a man who abuses his power by brainwashing a small community while he carries out depraved acts on the females of the species. Its a story as old as time and told with grit and integrity, exposing the truth behind the lies as a stark warning. The acoustic guitars are a perfect marriage for the nature of the narrative and with a bluesy feel it has all the hallmarks of a classic piece of hangover music. Unorthodox acoustic guitars and possibly a steel guitar give “Get Me” a distinctive air with hints of influence of Country or Southern music creeping in as firewater is consumed a plenty. What’s interesting about this one is that it was clearly done in one take live from the floor and the vocals sound very different, stepping outside of the borders and boundaries of Kauppinen’s more recent works. Moving back to a more familiar path “The Forest Has My Woman” is a woods mans tale with deep Scandinavian roots. His woman has disappeared into the wilderness without a trace and as he searches he fears she has eloped with another man. You can almost hear the logs crackle on an open fire as this one plays out, its such a classic story and performed so well that its endearing and charming at the same time, lending itself well to the approach of a man and his acoustic guitar without the need for anything else. A haunting tale of domestic abuse at the hands of an alcoholic nanny, told in the first person from a child’s eyes “Blunt Force Trauma” is a murder ballad of the highest order. It’s the kind of sombre dance macabre that puts you on the edge of your seat, making you wonder if it was a nightmare or a harsh reality. All in all, a mighty fine addition to a discography that boasts some seriously impressive works [8/10]

Track Listing

1. Hellfire
2. Get Me
3. The Forest Has My Woman
4. Blunt Force Trauma

“Shadow Companions” by Nobody is out on 14th March 2025 via Inverse Records and is available over at bandcamp