I’d like to buy a vowel please, Pat.

Looks like Finnish moody, melodic death metal bands have given up on vowels this year. First Wolfheart’s Tyhjyys and now Noumena’s Myrrys. And the other commonality between the two, is that both are excellent albums.

Noumena have been lurking around since the late 90s, but with only 4 (this is the 5th) albums in that time, they never quite made into the same pantheons as country mates Amorphis, Insomnium , Swallow the Sun, or even recent riser Wolfheart, despite being in the same musical ball park is sound and quality. After a 7 year hiatus they returned in 2013 with the splendid Death Walk With Me, and now with just a 3 year wait, the band has released their 5th album, and it’s a consistently killer effort delivering exactly as you’d expect.

This is big crunchy, despondent melodic death metal as the Finns can only do so well. It’s got the trademark deep growls, delicate dancing leads, wilting depressive harmonies and hints of gloomy doom metal mixed in. And Noumena are simply masters of the style. They have perfected the balance of despondent doom, and big catchy, slightly morose melodic death metal.

Antti Haapanen has a killer deep growl, arguably the deepest of the band’s peers, and once again  Suvi Uura lends her unique voice to the proceedings with some gorgeous, not cliched female vocals. But she does not even appear till the third, standout somber slower track “Kirouksen kantaja”, which is  fine as opener “Kohtu” is an just intro and  “Metsan Viha” is kind of a just Ok, more upbeat song.

“Sanat pimeydestä” is another, shorter, faster song and while it’s enjoyable, with Uura adding a nice  chorus, but Noumena clearly excel more at the slower, gloomier moments as heard on “Sanansaattaja” and pure doom closer “Syvällä vedessä”  the album’s two killer, 9+ minute centerpieces that highlight how damn good these guys are when they lock into a more rending gait and crestfallen harmony.

That said, “Roihu” delivers a pretty tasty upbeat romp, the best of the faster numbers by far, and “Muhehuone” is somewhere in between, with a heavy Amorphis vibe, though glossed with Uura’s wise croon. “Pedon Veri” is initially the album’s fastest track, but seems a bit forced, before it gets into more morose pastures.

In truth, I’m enjoying Myrrys just a little better than Tyhjyys  as it plays to the bands strength more than Wolfheart’s more aggressive shift. Either way, both are excellent examples of top notch Finnish metal that deserve your ear.

[Visit the band's website]

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