Kauan was formed by Anton Belov (formerly of Helengard and Inea) in February 2005. At the beginning, their sound was a blend of folk metal,[4] black metal[4] and doom metal. In September 2006, Lyubov Mushnikova joined the band on violin. Guitarist Alexander Borovikh joined prior to the recording of their debut album, Lumikuuro, released 4 August 2007 by BadMoodMan Music. Borovikh left the band prior to the recording of their second album, Tietäjän Laulu, which was released by BadMoodMan Music on 30 November 2008. The album incorporated ambient and post-rock elements.
Kauan released their third album, Aava Tuulen Maa, on 18 November 2009 on Firebox Records/BadMoodMan Music. By that point, the band's genre had evolved to a melancholic mixture of atmospheric neofolk and post-rock. In 2010, Belov and his wife, vocalist Alina "Witch_A" Belova (formerly of Inferno and Semargl), released a full-length album on Firebox Records with his other project Helengard.
On 26 June 2011, Kauan's fourth album, Kuu.., was released by Avantgarde Music. The album featured a strong post-rock/ambient sound with elements of doom metal. Mushnikova left the band later in 2011.
Belov assembled a full band lineup in 2013, including Belova as keyboardist as well as bassist Alex Vynogradoff (also of Vin De Mia Trix), viola player Anatoly Gavrylov and drummer Anton Skrynnik (ex-Dimicandum). This lineup performed on Kauan's fifth album, Pirut, released by Blood Music on 15 December 2013. That same year, the band self-released a digital compilation box set, Private Release, reissued in part in 2014 as Muistumia by Blood Music.
The next Kauan studio album, Sorni Nai, was streamed on 15 October 2015, and released on 20 October.[9] A concept album consisting of one continuous song sectioned as seven tracks, it explored the mysterious 1959 Dyatlov Pass incident.
The band's seventh studio album, Kaiho, was released September 22, 2017. It featured vocals by Finnish folk singer Marja Mattlar
IV
Kauan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ja sielut itkevät salaa
Maailma viilenee ja palaa
Yhtäaikaa
Kun virta vain kovenee
Eika kukaan matkaa tee
Sinne missä se kuolee
Kun valheet hallitsevat
Ja sydämet kylmenevät
Vain viisaat selviävät
Käsittävät
Kosketus aaltoon
Joka vyöryy hiljaa
Tekee ihosta peilin
Ja silmäsi totuuden heijastaa
Juoksee joen lailla
Uiden pilvissä
Auringon säde valaisee
Viimeistä kertaa
The lyrics in Kauan's IV describe a dark and reflective tone while presenting a commentary on the negative aspects of human nature. The first stanza discusses the bleakness that envelopes the world when illness takes over and people are forced to hide their emotions. The world freezes and burns at the same time, highlighting the dual nature of things in this state. The second stanza talks about when the stream only gets harder, and no one travels to the place where it dies. This could be interpreted as the metaphor for our unconscious gradual descent towards terrible things that only a few wise individuals manage to comprehend. The final stanza attempts to provide hope of some sorts in this imagery. The touch or connection to the wave that slowly swells represents a sense of understanding and oneness with the universe. It makes our skin into a mirror that reflects our true self and looks into the truth of existence. This wave runs like a river and floats us in the clouds, and the last burst of sunlight brightens the horizons one last time.
Line by Line Meaning
Kun sairaus valtaa alaa
As illness takes over
Ja sielut itkevät salaa
And souls cry silently
Maailma viilenee ja palaa
The world cools and burns
Yhtäaikaa
At the same time
Kun virta vain kovenee
As the current only gets stronger
Eika kukaan matkaa tee
And no one makes the journey
Sinne missä se kuolee
To where it dies
Kun valheet hallitsevat
When lies reign
Ja sydämet kylmenevät
And hearts grow colder
Vain viisaat selviävät
Only the wise survive
Käsittävät
They understand
Kosketus aaltoon
Touching the wave
Joka vyöryy hiljaa
That rolls quietly
Tekee ihosta peilin
It makes the skin a mirror
Ja silmäsi totuuden heijastaa
And reflects the truth in your eyes
Juoksee joen lailla
Running like a river
Uiden pilvissä
Swimming in the clouds
Auringon säde valaisee
The sunbeam illuminates
Viimeistä kertaa
For the last time
Writer(s): Kauan
Contributed by Connor P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.