Kalmah - For the Revolution

[Chris the Mad Scientist @ WSOU]

With four albums under their belt, Finnish “swamp metal” masters Kalmah have risen quickly from obscurity into the forefront of Finland’s melodic death metal scene. Known as contemporaries of Children of Bodom and Norther, Kalmah’s sound is different through their use of symphonic metal elements and, more recently, deeper death grunts used on 2006’s The Black Waltz. Their newest album, 2008’s For the Revolution, balances old and new to create a sound that is uniquely theirs.

Opening with the title track, “For the Revolution,” the quick-moving solo section that starts the song transitions beautifully into a strong lead riff, backed by excellent keyboard elements. The song moves quickly, with Pekka Kokko using both screaming vocals punctuated by blast beats, and death grunts on the slower-moving verses. Adding a new element to the band’s sound, the band uses gang vocals during a brief interlude section, before moving into a long, technical guitar solo by Antti Kokko, followed by a short keyboard solo from Marco Sneck. The alternating vocals and matching drums create a driving, motivated atmosphere, building energy as the song continues. Ending with more gang vocals, the song fades out on continued blast beats and a sustained keyboard chord. “For the Revolution” is a strong opening to the album, perfectly showcasing the band’s new and balanced sound.

“Dead Man’s Shadow” moves slower and places heavier emphasis on the death grunts, as well as utilizing keyboards to establish the lead riff. Janne Kusmin’s drumming is much more even, giving more importance to the beat and creating a very marshal tone. The keyboards on this song are much bigger, as well, taking on a variety of different tones and sounds. The end fade-out moves nicely into “Holy Symphony of War,” which is much faster and has an excellent opening solo to grab your attention. The gang vocals on the refrain are incredibly powerful, and are performed much better here than a lot of other bands using them today. The solo on this track is contrasted very nicely by the drums, and with little use of keyboards, the song has a much more technical, pointed sound than the previous two. It’s one of my personal favorites, and should effectively keep listeners interested.

“Wings of Blackening” starts off with the same tempo as “Holy Symphony of War,” but quickly begins alternating that with faster sections using blast beats. The song then slows down somewhat, using death grunts to accent the syncopated drum patterns, before the drums smooth out and the tempo becomes more constant. The rhythm guitar line from Kokko is very good here, maintaining its tone at certain points, while rising and falling through other sections, not letting it stagnate at any point. The speed of this song contrasts sharply with “Ready for Salvation,” which opens with a very slow acoustic section that builds into a doom-influenced opus using mostly death grunts and an excellent bass section from Timo Lehtinen. The tone of this song is very dissimilar from anything on the album thus far, making it a good midway point to keep listeners involved. “Towards the Sky” is considerably faster, but it builds on the previous tone very nicely. Drums are at the forefront of this song, driving at certain points and less dynamic at others, and making the energy build up at all times. Even the slower parts of the song serve as a building point for other parts of the sound, especially the very technical solo from Antti Kokko. It all culminates beautifully in the final refrain, leading to an excellent fadeout and preparing nicely for the next song.

“Outremer” opens with a slick lead riff backed by majestic keyboards, and quickly speeds up leading into the first verse. The vocals alternate again between screams and grunts, punctuated again by different drum styles. The refrain leads beautifully into an intricate, technical solo by Antti Kokko, spanning two movements and leading back into a verse perfectly. This song best displays the band’s older style from Swamplord and They Will Return, with a raw and unpolished sound making heavy use of symphonic elements. By contrast, “Coward” sounds much more similar to material from Swampsong and The Black Waltz, with very smooth drums and more traditional keyboard sounds. This song puts the most emphasis on death grunts of any song on the album, and the bass line on this song adds a lot to the tone, making it much deeper and more layered. Closing the album is “Like a Slave,” which balances the previous two songs nicely by using all the elements of the band’s sound in equal measure. The drumming alternates between smooth and syncopated throughout the song, while the guitars combine an amazing lead riff with a perfect harmony line. Both death grunts and screams are in fine form, and the gang vocals used on the refrain wonderfully accentuate the proper words and notes. The solo here is one of the best on the album, traded off between Antti Kokko and Pekka Kokko nicely before moving back into the thick lead riff and harmony section. This is an excellent ending to the album, providing an in-depth look at the band’s different sounds and the blending that is possible.

I believe that, out of Finland’s many melodic death metal bands, Kalmah have shown the most promise and the greatest potential. Although Children of Bodom and Norther have progressed nicely with their new albums, Kalmah have created a well-balanced sound while showing incredible musicianship and amazing songwriting skills in the process. I look forward to the day when they are recognized for their originality and stand apart from the rest of the crowd.

Album Score: 9.5 out of 10