Whoa, where the hell have this band been all my life? Well actually as the cover art of 2009 album release ‘Darkness Walks Beside Me’ looks slightly familiar I can only assume they must have slipped through my fingers and this is something that I want to put to rights having heard new release ‘Routa’ straight away. Put in simple terms the Finns have unleashed a monster of an album here. It is apparently going to be spread out over two discs although my promo has somehow gone and squeezed 79 minutes worth of music onto the one disc and every second of it is completely lacking in filler. This lot only actually formed in 2008 the fact that they have brought out a work of such maturity so early into their career is something that needs to be applauded. Essentially a duo we have Mikko Heikkilä providing clean vocals and Tuomas Saukkonen harsh vocals and all instruments. Others pop in to collaborate live and additional vocals on the recording are provided by the singers of Amorphis, Moonsorrow and Sotajumala.
The album is split into two parts on the discs. The first being Talviaamu and the second Talviyö. Throwing these words into an image search I am shown pictures of snow and more snow so could take a guess at these words translating as something like bloody cold and brass monkeys! (It is actually sensibly translated as Wintermorning and Winternight, obviously words that are common in Finland and seemingly not split into two). As for the music I am instantly transfixed on pressing play by the sheer grandiose majesty spilling out my speakers. Opener ‘Core Of Winter’ is a chilly masterpiece with keyboards and weeping guitar riffs literally overflowing. Clean vocals come in and add a feel of depressive hopelessness. It is really quite beautiful and this is an album that really prospers with the volume being turned up to an ear-splitting level. There is plenty of melody coursing through this sombre opener and a bombastic instrumental assault bolts in on the chorus where we get the accompaniment of great throaty harsh vocals. The two voices then join forces and literally overwhelm you before this first song mournfully fades out. I could go onto describe each and every one of these 14 numbers but it would be one of those reviews that comes in at pages. Track titles speak all about the subject matter ‘Frozen’, ‘Wreath Of Ice’ and simply ‘Cold’ have spring, which is trying its best to take over from the winter having second thoughts just outside my winter. ‘Frozen’ itself has a killer clean vocal charge which is one of the albums many highlights.
Musically it is impossible not to think of a few other Finnish groups here and I hasten to add this is as good as many of their already fantastic opuses. Think the aforementioned Moonsorrow and Amorphis along with Insomnium and Swallow The Sun and you will be in the right region. Tuomas is an excellent musician and has served time in various other bands that this makes me want to check out as none of them are what I would call household names (Before The Dawn, The Final Harvest and Dawn Of Solace) he along with collaborator Mikko are also members of Sinamore another band who basically slipped through my radar. If you have also never really heard any of the group’s other projects then you won’t be disappointed if you grab ‘Routa’ and use it as a starting point. Considering the length of the album and everything else clamouring at me to be played I can but only allow it my full attention and have given it quite a few spins without the slightest notion of hitting a skip button or turning it off before it is fully done. Summing this up is easily done with the words ‘Routa’ is a fantastic album and comes very highly recommended.
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