Don't be deluded into thinking of Kalmah as some Gothic
metal band as the tranquil cover with the swamplord might suggest. Eight
tracks of solid melodic death metal in tradition with the style of bands
such as Children of Bodom, In Flames or Dark Tranquillity give the cover
creature little time to rest its trident.
The line is hard to draw, but unlike Childre of Bodom,
Kalmah has cut back in keyboard coloration and added more pace to its
songs than In Flames. The pace is not really an effect of stepping up
on drumming though. In Flames' recordings often give me the impression
of being obscured too much by dominant vocals, Kalmah's assets are the
melody-carrying instruments in full force. An exception to this general
impression is the finish of the first song "Evil in You," which
fades smoothly into Bach-style classical keyboard.
Technically perfect solos and an especially catchy
intro to "Hades" earn a recommendation to peek into Kalmah's
debut album. In particular if you're a die-hard fan of the aformentioned
bands of the genre. See their website for samples.
