I have enjoyed beating myself senseless over the years with the more extreme elements of metal music, but every now and then I do enjoy the more melodic avenues of the genre. Jyvaskyla, Finland’s SaraLee are new to me, but I am enjoying this band’s sophomore release, Damnation to Salvation.

SaraLee play a very familiar brand of melodic Goth/rock laced with keyboards and a dreary atmosphere. Though, the name would have you believe this is a female fronted act, that interpretation couldn’t be more wrong. This male fronted act soars with clean sung passages reminiscent of Sentenced, HIM, Entwined, and Charon.

Opener “Scars” is about as fast as this record will go. Most of the tunes are chord driven with vocal melodies and thick spacey keyboards. There are not too many solo’s or breaks. Most of SaraLee’s music is straightforward with verse chorus patterns. Kind of predictable but for fans of the genre this isn’t to bad.

What makes this record somewhat enjoyable for me is the dismal aura surrounding these songs. Luckily, Damnation to Salvation keeps things gloomy and doesn’t step into the light very often. That darkness alone reminds me of county mates Sentenced and it is even apparent in Joonas’s vocal delivery and lyrics.

This may be no-frills modern Goth/rock/metal that is sub-par to other acts out there, but if you enjoy the genre and the bands compared there is probably hope for SaraLee in you collection. Give this a few spins and you’ll find it catches on very quick.

[Visit the band's website]

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