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Rating: Kalmah is a band that generally settles on levels that should be called "Melodic Death Metal", and perhaps it is indeed so, but unlike many of their colleagues belonging to the "Swedish" current, they have an extra turbine that mobilizes them and, without having to resort to masturbatory and ends-in-itself "shredding" Power of many of their more prestigious countrymen, they display an excellent technique and an inspired vein of a clear and evident brutal matrix.
Therefore, do not expect, when listening to them, epic and too hovering chinks or who knows what else.
By all means, the references to melody and the sad and ancestral effusions in this album are definitely there, but they are dictated mainly by a foundation firmly rooted in the most violent Thrash and, in certain steps, also in good Black Metal.
The songs are eleven and they all (or almost) work as excellent examples of technique seasoned with truly superlative ferocity and enviable skill. The singer and guitarist, as well as the band's leader, Pekka Kokko, showcases all his talent, which apparently, for him, almost always means just speeding up and giving solos at lightning speed on bases thought out and executed to "break" in a total way. Moreover, his growl, though not deep and guttural, but rather phlegmy and enraged, fits well into the intricate, always complex and pounding structure of the songs. But it is not only the band leader who can boast about everything he manages to do: all the other members churn out note after note without hitting a single wrong one, starting with keyboardist Marco Sneck who, amidst one outburst and another still, provides precious and always vibrant touches of symphony, which in a certain way recall the Scandinavian Black metal, managing to draw only the best from it; and then, too, we should not forget drummer Janne Kusmin who, for his part, despite the swirling and inhuman tempo changes that the songs impose on him, showcases an execution power and a technical profile capable of making most of his more famous colleagues pale.
And therefore, without losing ourselves in other chatter about the musical profile of these five Finns, it must be said, at the end of all discussions, that this "The Black Waltz" is certainly worth the price, and indeed it is appreciable in many of its episodes: "Defeat", "To the Gallows" with an attack that reminded me a lot of Iron Maiden, "The Black Waltz", "The Groan of Wind", which ranks, at least in the opinion of the writer, as the best track on the CD, the most thought-out and engaging, most closely tied to Death styles and attitudes, with in addition a cyclical solo that repeats for almost its entire duration and which, moreover, is a textbook example of how Melodic Death should be (and in many cases isn’t), or, to stay on the "Speed" theme, "Mindrust", which, aside from carrying the usual certain garnishes of the other songs, explodes in speed with the same roar as a falling building without losing impact, as any well-known Black Metal band would know how to do.
Finally, I would feel inclined to recommend this album to those who are already familiar with "Swedish Death Metal", and which is, without any compliments, another "kick in the balls", as another reviewer wrote on another occasion about their work, which will certainly not go down in history as an unforgettable album, but at least it invests heavily in honesty and impact, without giving up on technique.
Ah! If only In Flames were more like Kalmah! There would be reason to celebrate them, and not just for the laurels quickly burning under their chairs, but also for their compositional and musical merits.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Defeat (05:32)
Wasting feeling breeding inside me
A shadow of something crawling behind me
And I´m pretending there´s nothing in there
But hearing those whispers makes me to believe
Here -I lay in my bed tasting bitter sweet
Smell -In my breathe reminding smell of death
Dreams -In my head slowly fade away
The end -Is nearby me and I want it to be
The king - Inside my head seducing me to betray
You -The only one making myself me
The loss -In my life great it will be
The game -Is taking me and the prize is defeat
Defeat
Inevitable, my destiny
Best friend I´ve ever met
Hands stretching up to reach the sky
Grobing for a lifehold a place to stay
Fingers are slipping and I´m falling down
Into the world I know the world of sadness
Room -In my heart empty as a well
Still -Waiting for the victory to take
In vain -I´ve lost this game before I´ve even born
Defeat -My destiny all I ever get
02 Bitter Metallic Side (04:27)
And life goes on with harmony
Day after day those same routines
And lifetime filled with happiness
The most greatest joy
So great is the sea so small your boat
But you don't know if you don't row
And so great is the sky above your blue eyes
But you can't see behind the lies
In the smallest crack of your life's track
Is a chance for me to attack
Now the time is right for you to say
Your last goodbyes
Face yourself, your own dreams
I am your real demon hidden in your mind
I'll show you my own world, I'll take you down to the
Bitter metallic side
You're lying next to me and you're too good to me
And I think you know I can't let you go
Bitter
Bitter
Bitter
Bitter
But don't throw away your last coin
I have to do this all my own
I only want you to know
I'm buried deep down in your soul
So great is the sea so small your boat
But you don't know if you don't row
And so great is the sky above your blue eyes
But you can't see behind the lies
Face yourself, your own dreams
I am your real demon hidden in your mind
I'll show you my own world, I'll take you down to the
Bitter metallic side
Bitter metallic side
Bitter metallic side
03 Time Takes Us All (04:22)
In every revolution there's a man with a vision
He agitates and incites to follow his vocation
He speaks the golden words turns us against the system
Into the stand we rise him and make a low bow
Time takes us all -makes me wonder that who'll need his call
Time takes us all -makes me wonder that who'll need his words
We all have to hail the man behind the pain
We all have to hail the man behind the pain
Soon he will take all the control becomes a mindless dictator
And we just can't believe he was the One
Under the protection of his faithful indoctination
He dominates and rules and distorts the truth
Time takes us all -makes me wonder that who'll need his call
Time takes us all -makes me wonder that who'll need his words
We all have to hail the man behind the pain
We all have to hail the man behind the pain
We all have to hail the man behind the pain
11 One From the Stands (04:35)
A condemned man in a prison cell charged with a crime he has done
He draws a picture on the wall a symbol of victory
He clothed peoples thoughts in words declared peace and liberty
The iron fist clenching his throat depriving humanity
A political prisoner a propagandistic weapon
Of the proletarian dictature against the other world
After he has been released
Got his name on the paper
A part of a macabre tradition
Released as a gift
And we´re all staring at the news
Nodding our heads in approval
We think that the the world is better now
Although he is already dead
A condemned man in a prison cell charged with a crime he has done
He draws a picture on the wall a symbol of victory
He clothed peoples thoughts in words declared peace and liberty
The iron fist clenching his throat depriving humanity
[Chorus:]
We don´t give a damn
He is not one of us just one from the stands
And afterwards we have cleared ourselves
Justice has done
Justice has done
Justice has done
Soon another one will come declares peace and liberty
Speaks the words want to be heard words of alteration
But he will be arrested he will be condemned
But never mind there are more in the stands
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