Kalmah - Swamplord Review

Kalmah Swamplord

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Tracklist:
Evil In You
Withering Away
Inheritance of Berija
Black Rouija
Dance Of The Water
Hades
Alteration
Use The Word

Ranking: #58 for 2001

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4
excellent

Chart.

other reviews

Pedro B. (3.5)
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4.0
excellent

Hardhat USER (6 Reviews)

2007-03-17 | 18 comments | 45,916 views

Summary: In a genre full of copy-cats, Kalmah, while keeping within the Power?Melo-Death borders, manages to set themselves apart enough to be interesting. Combining the staple sound of the genre and much more, Kalmah's debut album is a winner.

2 of 2 thought this review was well written

Melodic Death Metal...It seems to be a stagnant genre these days, full of carbon-copy clones and bands with nothing new to offer. All the bands reuse each other's sound, resulting in the basically the same CD being released approximately every 5 minutes. In a genre full of so many bands, but so little diversity, it's hard to pick out the gems. Luckily, Kalmah isn't hard to find, and while not breaking any creativity boundaries, Swamplord is a great CD for any Melodic Death Metal fan.

Kalmah is a Power/Melodic Death band from Finland...But I think I might have already said too much. That description can be a huge turnoff to people, even enough for some to just dismiss Kalmah entirely. It's easy to see why; Metal from Scandinavia is all too easy to come by, and many people would rather avoid it all together. But don't write off Kalmah right away, because they have alot to offer for any metal fan.

It's definitely apparent that Kalmah draws their sound from other bands in the Scandinavian scene, as they sound similar to many of the 'Extreme Power Metal' heavyweights, including Children of Bodom, Norther, and the like. Harsh vocals, melodic guitar harmonies, strong rhythm guitar and solid drums characterize Kalmah's sound; but that same description could be used to describe any number of other bands in the genre, and this is where Kalmah loses many of its fans.

Kalmah isn't a same-old same-old band, though. While having the staple sound for their genre, Kalmah has many qualities that diversify their sound and set them apart from their peers. A huge factor in separating their sound from others is Kalmah's keyboards; Instead of using them as a lead instrument such as COB, Kalmah stows the keyboard away in the background, using it for more atmospheric purposes. Such is seen in the first riff of the whole album, on the opener Evil In You. The orchestral keyboard lies in the background and gives the guitar an extra punch. Although it does sometimes come out, as in Dance of The Water and Alteration, the keyboard is mainly used as a tool to build the foundation for the sound, as opposed to the soaring lead keyboard of some bands before Kalmah. Another distinguishing factor of Kalmah is the lack of classical influence they take. While bands like COB have obvious neo-classical elements in their music, Kalmah has none.

The vocals on this album are nothing unique, but are great nonetheless. Kalmah uses the harsh, mid-ranged vocals that are typical for this kind of music. They occasionally dive into lower-ranged roars, and while they add diversity to the vocal style, I think they present the only problem with Kalmah's vocals. They sound like the roars of someone who either isn't trained or just doesn't have the range to deepen their voice. They are not a huge flaw, but they are an annoyance and luckily are only used occasionally.

The guitars on this album are one of the highpoints. Kalmah brilliantly showcases all the skills of their guitarists, giving each element of their playing a spot to shine. The guitarists have developed a great formula, combining just the right amounts of melody, shredding, and technicality; There’s not enough technicality to take away from the melody, and vice-versa. There's some shredding, but never enough to be considered wankery. And there are harmonies all over the place, intertwined flawlessly into every song.

The flaws of this album are often in the eye of the beholder; If you like Power and Melodic Metal, then this album will be no exception. But if you want something original and groundbreaking, this probably isn't the place to go. Kalmah, in many ways, sounds the same as alot of other bands. They also, in many other ways, distinguish themselves. Whether or not it sets them apart enough is up to the listener. Another major flaw in this album is the length; With only 8 songs and clocking in at 36 minutes, this CD is barely longer than a demo.

Overall, Kalmah is a catchy and accessible band that is worth checking out. Whether or not they are your style is up to you, but listening to this CD raises a question...Does it matter how original a band is if they're better than the bands they copied off of? You'll have to decide that for yourself, but this is a quality debut from a great band, and it's definitely worth getting.

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