Vesperia - An Olden Tale (2013)

A mere twenty four hours ago, you may have read, right here on this very site, that some bands can thrive in poor production, while others can't. Druglord was the former, and Vesperia, while not entirely the latter, needed some improvements to make their mark. Their 2012 demo, titled "The Swordsman," was hugely successful in a number of ways, but lacked the clarity needed to make all of their wild instrumentation work. Fast forward  a year, to 2013, and that time sees a major change for Morgan Rider and his band of merry bearded men. As they put together their new full length, there is a noticeable edge to be heard, a rising clarity in sound and texture that could prove to be the next evolutionary step for Viking metal as we know it. The attached "epic" tag may seem like a buzz word gone mainstream, but one listen to what this Canadian quartet are churning out, and there can be no doubts as to how it applies. "An Olden Tale" is full of ferocity and triumph, sound and fury. And it all comes through like crystal.

Unlike many of the other Viking inspired bands of the modern day, Vesperia take their sound to exciting places. The symphonic and orchestral intro track, 1000 Years Ago, is assembled so precisely that it flows beautifully from your speakers. It sets into motion something special, and not coincidentally, sets a tone that is mirrored throughout the album. The early moments of With Omens Of Sorrow echo those rich sounds, before an unearthly explosion of drums cuts through the mix. But rather than abandon subtlety in favor of aggressiveness, they combine the two in a flawless way. Sure, guitarists Casey Elliott and Frankie Caracci are ripping and shredding through every barrier you may have put up, but it isn't one dimensional at any point. They play off of one another, all the while surrounded by a variety of synthesized instruments. When they back off to give their hands a rest, you are treated to a majestic trip through clean strumming and keys. The ability to jump back and forth between the two is uncanny, and done with great attention to detail. It's no real surprise that a strong vocal leads the way, with Morgan Rider blasting through the wall of distortion with grunts and growls, but also a low timbre.

His presence is never felt more strongly than on The Swordsman, where the balance between voice and instrumental is perfected. It may be the most dynamic four minute and change you'll hear this year, and definitely the quickest. There is little to no time to catch your breath, though, as Forsaken Shores sees the band at their heavy best, smashing their way through another three minute onslaught with not a note or drum beat out of place. We've often given credit to bands who play at this pace without sacrificing accuracy, and Vesperia certainly knows how to manage both. Their music is made that much more ensnaring by their commitment to tone and timing, both in instrumental and through Rider's vocals. And while Huntress may begin sounding like a Weird Al Humppa mashup, it quickly evolves into a melodic death masterpiece. It's hear that drummer Cory Hofing flexes his percussion muscle, shifting tempos and time signatures with blazing speed and perfect placement. Titles are really just words, of course, but if there has ever been a more righteous song title than To Times End We Ride, I haven't found it yet. When the music echoes that righteous power, it is a special moment to behold. And with a series of blasting kick drums and chanting vocals, Vesperia make that happen with ease. The guitar melodies here are unreal, mainly in their ability to be catchy and massively heavy at the same time.

With the pacing of the album so finely tuned, Bring Me Triumph, is almost surgical in its precision delivery. Rider's vocals are devastating here, running the entire range of metal vocal styles, all the while forming the glue that holds this battle together. Caracci and Elliott are at their best, as well, putting on a melodic clinic from start to finish. But it is the flutes that seal this deal, fluttering underneath a sea of guitar riffs and bass strings. But to be considered epic, some misguided souls argue your track times come into play. For those people, however foolish it may be, the title track dispels any doubts. An Olden Tale is seventeen of the most brilliantly conceived minutes the Viking metal genre has heard in some time. It is a microcosm of the entire album in one neat, albeit long, package. You get waves of pure thrash, followed closely by beautiful melodic passages and stunning instrumentals. But when it is all said and done, right around the ten minute mark, the outro is something else entirely. The wind blows, and with it it brings the sound of distant pipes. A heroic and fitting end to this journey.

In their previous demo, Vesperia gave us a lot to digest and a lot to think about. And we came back to it, time and time again, wishing only that the production screws could be tightened up to support the intense variety of sounds emanating from the speakers, into the air around us. But where "The Swordsman" faltered, "An Olden Tale" thrives, giving you everything you have come to expect from one of the most diverse and interesting Canadian metal bands with a focus on production and mixing that makes it sound all the more powerful. This is the vision of the band come to life, an epic and remarkable journey through depth and tone, one that never settles for less than the best possible outcome. It would be easy to overlook how important that is, but don't allow yourself to look past it. Rider, Caracci, Elliott and Hofing are playing at a level that deserves notice. And while tags like epic and Viking might not mean as much as they used to before the copycat explosion, they ring true here. This album will be a favorite now, and quite possibly a legend in years to come.

9.5/10

Official Site - http://vesperiametal.com/
Bandcamp - http://vesperia.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/VesperiaMetal

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Valtari - Hunter's Pride (2014)

Remember when music was a perfectly cyclical, and bands released albums on a schedule, of sorts? You could count on a new disc every two years, with touring in between. But when the inspiration goes, so does the schedule. Maybe it'll be three years in between albums, maybe even four. Soon, you don't have a whole lot of firm dates to looking forward to. Luckily, the new wave of modern metal has your back, and Marty Warren, the lone set of hands behind Valtari, is right on time. Almost two years to the day after the release of his debut album, "Fragments Of A Nightmare," Warren slips us a gentle reminder that inspirations are many, and their results are even greater. His new album is ten tracks, clocking in at a robust 42 minutes, which may seem short by some of today's standards. But this is an album that can change the game entirely. The tracks are shorter, the riffs more insistent, the drums more dynamic, and the vocals more grating on the inner ear. This album, "Hunter's Pride," is everything you could have hoped for, two years after you thought you had gotten everything you wanted.

Like a bullet from a gun, there is no subtlety in how the release happens, a veritable explosion of sound and technical detail. What is immediately apparent on "Bitterness" is the sheer depth of sound Warren has crafted here, leaving you standing up to your neck in layers. The blasting gallop of drums forms the base, the foundation for what grows upward. He achieves just the right tone on the kick, a resounding thump that remains as rocksteady as it would need to be. But the star, at least in this instance, is the guitar work. It might not seem fair to classify his style as acrobatic, but when the shoe fits, you have to put it on and enjoy it. The riffs and fast and furious, but not out of control, or even raw. His rhythm and lead work on "Undefeatable" serves as a fitting microcosm of the album, rolling side by side every step of the way. The addition of a winding piano sequence only furthers that unity. While there is a common thread that runs through the entire length of the album, there is also a great deal of versatility built in. If straightforward melodic death is your genre of choice, "Can You Hear Me" has everything you could be looking forward. It's a full speed ahead crusher, complete with a vocal performance that bleeds maturity. Warren has harnessed every bit of his energy, leaving no doubt that he has arrived.

Having now realized his full potential, tracks like "Shatter The Myth" must seem all too easy. It's here that he creates the best contrast of sounds, laying out a great melodic opening, only to give way to an unrelenting stomp of distortion and gritty screams. An outro packed to the brim with endless double kicks and huge riffs is the end of the track, but only the beginning of the assault. It is a challenge, from our perspective, to make it through the duration of "In Slides" without the guitar lead taking over your mind. Once again, the layering of guitars is key, but executed with flawless precision. Tracks like this one find that fabled place between melody and brutality, leaning on both but favoring neither. The vocal lines, to this point, have shown a tremendous amount of growth, and this is no different. When you reach the halfway mark of the album, you may stop ever so briefly and ponder the title "With A Child's Smile;" rest assured, the album has derailed in favor of a Sesame Street learning exhibition, or a beautifully strummed acoustic lullaby. No, Warren continues to push the limits of modern engineering and music construction, testing the very strength of his mix with a flood of massive riffs and a drum kit that simply cannot be contained. That, more than anything else, becomes the theme of Warren's instrumental work; he bends the parameters until you would expect them to break, as on "Enshrined In Ice," only to hold strong in the face of a weighty set of tightly packed layers.

AS  you land face first in the final trio of songs, led by "Tyrant," you can only marvel at how high the energy level has remained throughout the album, not falling victim to the peaks a valleys an album of this style and magnitude would often stumble on. Part of this is due to track lengths, with this each one standing tall around the four minute mark, give or take. It allows for exposition without being extraneous, and tidal shifts without the need for twists. As Warren screams through the chorus here, he shows no sign of slowing. It's the balance, though, that shines brightest, hammering home the entire notion of what melodic death metal really means; a foundation of heaviness, scattered with clean melodic elements. "The Gift" isn't organized chaos, like we have noted about other modern artists, but clean lines, smooth architecture, and just enough light to allow for additional growth. It's intensely catchy, as the rest of the album has been, without a trace of effort to be accessible; Warren just makes music that is easy to listen to. The title track, however, is the victory song on a victory album. Every riff is more technically sound than even those before it, and each and every scream cascades through your speakers with maximum efficiency. There is an intelligence factor, too, with the smallest touches of piano doing so much to further the melodic aspect.

Let's be honest with ourselves; there are bands that get better over time, bands that get worse, and bands that reach their peak and never move from it again. After his first album came through our office, we weren't sure where Marty Warren would fall in that hierarchy. We were fairly certain that his talents and drive would ensure he wouldn't regress on the next album. But we also weren't positive that he could continue to improve after such an impressive performance. Yet, somehow, "Hunter's Pride" not only shows a massive amount of growth and foresight, but an undeniable dedication to his craft. This isn't melodic death, by the book and one dimensional; no, that would be too easy and lack the rewards. This is something else entirely, something that that is hard to put a label on, and even harder to say it confidently. Through the course of ten tracks, of optimal length, perfect timing, and delicate balance, Warren carves out a new niche for himself that isn't the most easily replicated. In fact, I would think he has put himself in a class all his own. He has reached a peak, and the only way to go his up.

9.5/10

Official Site - http://www.valtari.info/
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/Valtari

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Leka - Catopia (EP) (2013)

Anyone who has been fortunate enough, or unfortunate enough depending on your viewpoint, to have a pet has surely wondered what goes on in their minds. Cat owners, in particular, have to wonder what kind of plans are being hatched in that furry dome. With their popularity on the rise thanks to the various channels of the internet, it only makes sense that world domination is on the docket each and every day. Leka, a one man progressive death metal project from Finland perpetrated by Juuso Leinonen, has invested a good amount of time into this possibility. And through his melodic death compositions, he has concocted a satirical tale about the rise to power of our furry overlords, and their rule over all of mankind. Roles now reversed, with us as the pets, and them as the owners, a new world order is in place. And with the five tracks of "Catopia," their story will be told for generations to come.

With guest appearances attached to much of the album, not the least of which is the beautiful voice of Elise Karlsson, there are a lot more pieces at play than just one mind. But as "Offering to The Fluffy One" proves, this is no joke. If you aren't bruised and battered by the neverending stream of double kicks and machine gun snares, the high levels of distortion will surely catch up with you. But between savage beatings, Leinonen infuses a healthy amount of avant jazz stylings, something you would never expect here. Their effect is felt, but it cannot derail what is otherwise a blistering assault on the ears. "Hail The Evil" is no different, employing the full armory of weapons at his disposal. As the clean vocals of the verse give way to the explosiveness that follows, Leinonen may have found a perfect storm to sweep you up. Lyrically, the cat has risen, "An ancient evil, older than time itself, worse than the antichrist." The contrast of the early part of the track is not lost here, with that repeated clean passage setting up each subsequent explosion. By track's end, a chorus of voices, clean and harsh, chant together.

More than the other tracks, though, "The End Starts Now" is the perfect mix of metal and satire, with Leinonen crafting a track that is musically diverse, but also punishing when it needs to be. A true album highlight comes just before the two minute mark, as Karlsson and Timo Olkkola duet in a Vaudeville style, one that brings to mind recent works of uneXpect in it's bizarre nature. Once again, the creativity in the lyrics shines through, as Leinonen drops the bombshell line "It's useless, like dolphins, converting to Christianity, with no reason why." The words may poke fun, but the delivery is applause worthy. It would be damn near impossible to pick out a track that stands out more than the others, but the marriage of opposites on "Turncoat" might take the proverbial cake. In the verse, you have a blackened death metal delivery that rivals the best acts in the business; showing once again that satire may be tongue in cheek, but this isn't a gimmick. But you also get a soaring chorus, a  dynamic and powerful vocal component. You have the story at your disposal throughout the album, concluding with the aptly titled "The Purge." Every bit of blood and guts that is coming is captured in both the instrumental and the vocals, a terrifying means to an end.

It's no secret that metalheads are notorious for their love of their pets. As I sit writing, I have two sets of eyes fixed on my jugular, waiting for the time to strike. But this project, this work by Juuso Leinonen, has brought together many of the things we hold most dear; our pets, our music, and the crippling fear of being overthrown. It can't be stressed enough that subject matter does not disqualify an album under any circumstances, whether it be about Christianity, Goblins, or even cats. If you can't reconcile the lyrics and themes here, you would be more than welcome to digest what is one of the most intensely successful instrumentals we've heard in recent memory. But adding in the well thought out lyrics and story, you have an album that is something else entirely. Leinonen characterized the album as a "story about cute demonical creatures seizing the control over mankind," and he has done more than enough to get that across to us. But every riff is followed by a sly smile, concluding "Catopia" with the lyric that seals the deal; "It's so fluffy, So fluffy I'm going to die."

9/10

Bandcamp - http://leka.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Lekaband

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Event Relentless - Beyond The Speed Of Light (Demo) (2013)

Almost four months ago to the day, we wrote that sometimes, life just isn't fair. The talent pool is like the one you swam in at your friend's house years ago; there is a shallow end and a deep end, and rarely is it a gradual progression from one to the other. On Exthenia's debut, "Dominate The Wind," we were introduced to a group of young men whose talents run deep, and run wide. Six months into their run, and they have already joined the upper echelon of melodic death. It's with this in mind that we branch out, as rhythm guitarist and vocalist Juho Raita steps out on his own. It isn't a complete departure from his lead band, but this solo project is the sum of one man's talents, visions, and execution. For this first demo, "Beyond The Speed Of Light," Raita takes on all of the duties from start to finish, and shows that while he is part of an exceptional group, he is just as explosive on his own. Two songs may be a small sample size, but what it lacks in length, it more than makes up for in staying power.

What stands out from the onset is the focus on composition, something Raita does with delicate skill. The combination of ringing piano keys and humming synthesizers gives added depth to the main melodic death theme of "Beginning Of The End." His voice, straight from Exthenia to now, is raspy in tone, but with a knack for being as intelligible as it is fierce. Not to be forgotten, the guitars here are solid in both lead and rhythm capacities, showing that he is anything but one dimensional in his musicianship. With multiple layers coming together around the three minute mark, he creates a fairly flawless soundscape. But it is the title track that best exemplifies the versatility Raita possesses, allowing the keys and guitars to come together as one, a successful marriage of melody and majesty. Even with programmed drum beats, the pop and crack of snare and kick bursts through your speakers at just the right frequency. Would a live drummer be preferable? Of course, but what you have here is a suitable replacement, doing enough to fill what would have been a sizable void in the mix. There is plenty of fodder for hair swinging and head banging in the latter half, with bending guitar strings and some dense chugging strong enough to start a mosh pit or four.

When you have it, you just have it. Juho Raita made a statement with his work in Exthenia, a band that will go as far as they choose to; but his solo work says more about the man himself. By taking on every aspect of the production, every instrument on the demo, and every word on the page, he is investing himself in a way that many outside of the music world could fully understand. By putting so much of himself into the music he makes, he allows you, the listener, into his head, if only for the eight minutes or so the album lasts. But that few minutes is more than enough to see the bigger picture. This isn't a melodic death album, or a folk album, or a power metal album. It isn't any one or two of those things, either. It hovers somewhere in the void between all of those styles and more, bending and swaying between that shared space. Just when you think you know exactly where it's going, a punch of keyboard or a shift in riff takes you down a tangential path. Raita might not have the whole world figured out, but he knows himself well. And that is what makes "Beyond The Speed Of Light" a worthy window into his mind.

8/10

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/eventrelentlessband

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