Artist: Insane Apollyon
Country: Finland
Label: Final Agony Records
Formats: LP
Year: 2025
Not too long ago I spent a few words on a vinyl compilation from unreleased early tracks from Sacellum Luciferi, a rather obscure Black Metal band from the deepest trenches of the Finnish underground scene. But, here’s yet another one: Insane Apollyon. Insane Apollyon was a short lived solo project by Mikko Tiili who also went by the pseudonym Ahriman or simply Insane Apollyon. Maybe he was best known for his contribution to Vornat, a band that has its roots as deep as 1992 and, albeit not quite prolific, is still said to be active until today.
Mikko Tiili committed suicide in 1997, not too long before his 20th birthday, which obviously meant an abrupt ending of the project. With no recordings being officially released, the music that was composed under the Insane Apollyon moniker was kept hidden for some two decades. In 2018 Breath Of Pestilence released a compilation of tracks that were only spread to some friends and other close contacts. Now, another seven years later, Final Agony Records pressed these tortuous tracks on vinyl as well.
The majority of the songs on this self-titled compilation seem to be more like separate ideas rather than a coherent set of songs. While that does take away a bit from a smooth listening experience, it certainly adds to the overall atmosphere at the significant sense of Mikko Tiili being a tormented human being – there was never something that would ever make this a smooth listen anyway. Sometimes the music is slow and sombre, other times it is a little more upbeat with a steady and basic rhythm. But it is always raw and repetitive. This may all be due to his rather limited musical abilities, but what it lacks in ingenuity and finesse, it makes up for in honesty and purity. This is not the kind of music you listen to for its great compositions or brilliant harmonies. This is the kind of Black Metal that is ugly and angular, perhaps most comparable to a very slow version of Ildjarn. Not even that far removed from Finnish bands such as Kurjuus or affiliated acts. In addition to the regular tracks there are extremely haunting Dark Ambient tracks, more of a soundtrack to an otherwise silent horror movie than anything else. As a whole this 25-minute compilation is an intriguing listen that makes you wonder what a person Mikko Tiili really was.
This compilation is not for those who seek to add something “good” to their collection, instead ‘Insane Apollyon’ can best be seen as the preservation of Mikko Tiili’s work. Therefore this obscure piece of music is mostly for archivists and completists… and those odd few who tend to be attracted to audial terror that holds middle ground between Ildjarn and Abruptum.
