Review Summary: Having emotional weight not often expressed in melodeath
For the most part, an album doesn’t have a long time to impress before the listener decides whether to pursue a full listen or multiple listens. For an album lucky enough to be heard in full and then god forbid be granted further listens, the listener can be rewarded for their dedication. This is one such album for me. On the surface, it appears to be yet another Tuomas Saukkonen led melodic death metal venture, but by resurrecting the Before the Dawn project, Saukkonen has put faith in the latest incarnation of musicians to further this particular musical legacy which last recorded in 2012 with the excellent “Rise of the Phoenix”.
To achieve his goal, Saukkonen took a risk. Not with returning guitarist Juho Räihä (also of Swallow The Sun) or bassist Pyry Hanski (also of …and Oceans), but by tapping wildcard vocalist Paavo Laapotti. Laapotti was the 2022 finalist of the Voice of Finland, once singing the BTD’s “Deadsong” seemingly piquing Saukkonen’s enthusiasm.
New album “Stormbringers” is the product of this new collaboration and my word there’s some quality here. Suspense builds and the platform is suitably set by “The Dawn” before “Destroyer” rumbles into gear with twin guitars that quickly dissipate with the first spotlight on Laapotti. The moment is taken with aplomb and a procession of strong clean singing builds momentum into the song, a catchy mid tempo entree. Laapotti provides both cleans and growls which is often layered to provide depth, a necessary edge. “Reveries” is classic Saukkonen, an opening riff that his other current project Wolfheart could employ but is smartly reserved for this record and the lungs of Laapotti. Saukkonen fulfills drumming duties for this recording and being a proficient multi-instrumentalist, nails this assignment in addition to guitars, keyboards and secondary harsh vocals.
An early album highlight is found in “Downhearted” which opens with an Omnium Gatherum keyboard effect and another trademark Saukkonen opening riff and supporting leads. The formula of spotlight on Laapotti is repeated but this isn’t any ordinary melodeath tune. And it’s the clean singing that really elevates this song to one having emotional weight not often expressed in this subgenre. The passage of verse to chorus is genius and this is carried through till the end. Harking back to my initial statement on full and repeated listens, this indeed grows with multiple spins and rewarded this particular punter over and over.
A peak like this often results in a dip but songs “Chains” and “Divided” suffer no such ignominy, but rather continue the consistently high quality on offer. Following the Maiden-esque lead in, Laapotti shows his versatility on “Divided” with growls in verse and cleans echoing in chorus over intricate riffing and layered melodies.
Old fans of Before the Dawn and Wolfheart should be joined by all followers of melancholy melodeath including heavyweights Insomnium, Dark Tranquillity and Omnium Gatherum to tap into this record.
A further songwriting highlight is found in “The Dark” with the singing melding beautifully with the playing to produce another emotionally charged banger. Such is the quality of the songs that they all could operate as singles which is virtually unheard of in melodeath. “Chaos Star” a case in point. Whilst the album is mainly mid-tempo, the brooding closer “The Weight” offers a late slowing of pace, and strips back some vulnerabilities with the devastating personal lamentation “for what it’s worth, I am still here”.
Albums like these sometimes sneak up on you and I wasn’t expecting a yearly high point with this but fully absorbing “Stormbringers” paid dividends.
