When a promo manages to name drop Insomnium, Turisas, Monnsorrow and Omnium Gatherum it its one sheet press release, you get my attention, if just to see how bloated the claims are. But this Finnish act has somehow managed to cull from all of their fellow Finns and drop a solid third album full of innate Finnish hues.

Apparently starting out as more of a straight forward folk/pagan/black metal act, Vorna (a character from Finnish folklore) has spread their wings, added some impressive keyboards and added an air of instantly recognizable Finnish melodic death metal and despondency (i.e Insomnium) to their blackened sound. And it does indeed result in something that pulls a little something from their above mentioned peers. I’d even add some of Sentenced’s sadness to the description, just listen the opening riff of “Aalloista” or start of “Sateet”.

The album impressed me initially due to opener “Toinen”, where a gorgeous piano/keyboard waltz graces the chorus and has me pulled in right away. And while the rest of the album never quite gets that spectacular again, it comes close, and there’s enough solid material and moments to keep it an intriguing, thoughtful listen. The sprawling,  aforementioned “Aalloista”, more triumphant  throes of “Viratulet” and delicate shimmer and dramatic build of “Sateet”, certainly are worth a listen, especially for fans of the more morose Finnish tones, as they meld them with a more black metal back bone very effectively.

All the lyrics are in Finnish, and the clean vocals of Vesa Salovaara have a nice somber timbre to them amid his harsh blackened rasps. It all has a gorgeous, crisp production and should keep fans sated until Insomnium’s Heart Like a Grave Drops later in the autumn.

[Visit the band's website]

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