There’s a certain weight that hits you the moment you press play on “Poimit menneisyydestä tuhkaa” by Alas. It’s not the violent burst of screamo that defines so many other tracks in the genre; instead, it’s something far subtler and more delicate—a slow burn of sorrow that takes root and lingers long after the final note fades.
Released on September 18, 2024, as part of a joint single drop with fellow Finnish screamo act moshimoshi, “Poimit menneisyydestä tuhkaa” stands as a haunting testament to Alas’s mastery of melancholic storytelling through sound. Translated to “You Gather Ashes from the Past”, the title alone hints at a deep excavation of memory—of sifting through the ruins of what once was, only to be left clutching the cold remains of something long gone. It’s a mood that permeates the entire track, giving the song a distinctly introspective quality, as though the band is guiding you through their personal reckoning with loss and the passage of time.
Alas, hailing from Jyväskylä, has always been a band that wields emotion like a finely sharpened blade. While their earlier releases often leaned into the cathartic chaos of screamo’s traditional elements, here they embrace a more controlled, poetic restraint. The guitar work, full of delicate tremolo picking and mournful, reverb-soaked chords, feels like a slow waltz with despair, twisting and turning but never fully releasing the tension it builds. It’s less a scream of anguish and more a resigned whisper, each note collapsing under the weight of its own sadness.
Lyrically, the song is almost painful in its simplicity. Though sung in Finnish, even non-native speakers can feel the emotional pull through the vocal delivery alone. Frontman Ville’s voice, often buried beneath the crashing instrumentals in their heavier tracks, is given more room to breathe here. His raw, almost fragile performance feels like he’s grasping at fleeting moments of clarity amidst the haze of the past. There’s a poetry to the way Alas constructs their songs—each lyric, like a snapshot from a dream, vague enough to invite personal interpretation, yet precise enough to leave an imprint of its own.
It’s the kind of song that invites contemplation. I found myself staring out of my window after the first listen, the autumn sky darkening and the trees shedding their leaves in the distance. The slow fade of daylight mirrored the feeling “Poimit menneisyydestä tuhkaa” evokes—of watching something slip through your fingers, powerless to stop it, but unable to turn away. It reminded me of all the times I’ve stood at the edge of something, knowing it was over before it had even begun. There’s something universal in that feeling, and Alas taps into it with such honesty that it’s hard not to feel a personal connection to the track.
For those unfamiliar with Alas or the broader Finnish screamo scene, this single is an excellent entry point. It shows the band’s softer, more introspective side without sacrificing the intensity that’s earned them praise from publications like Stereogum and an international following. If this is any indication of what we can expect from the upcoming Split EP with moshimoshi, fans are in for a deeply emotional, sonically rich experience.
Poimit menneisyydestä tuhkaa is a song about the inevitability of time—about how we carry our past with us, even as it disintegrates, slipping into ash. Alas might be a band rooted in the raw, chaotic world of screamo, but this track proves they can craft moments of staggering beauty amidst the chaos. It’s not just music; it’s a memory in motion, fading but unforgettable.
