I will be the first to tell you that I am not a big Kalmah fan. I am not a big Black/Death Metal fan in general.
That said, I was fairly impressed by the album.
From the intro of the first track, Defeat, I knew that this was going to be a different album. However, that doesn't mean that the typical Kalmah elements weren't present. Everything was done well and in sync, from the guitar harmonies, to the death metal growls (the band has moved more toward death metal lyrics on this album, instead of their usual black metal style), to the thumping bass. There was one thing that bothered me, and that was the drumming. It sounded very stock to say the least and feels like I've heard it done before. The thumping really didn't appeal to me.
The guitar work is amazing, as it always is with Kalmah. The thumping rhythm coupled with the smooth flowing guitar harmonies make this album what it is. A little less shred-o-rama on this album keeps me happy and entertained. The album has great solos and, although not as shred-happy, are beautiful compliments to the keyboard solos.
The keyboards are tastefully and artfully done. They add a whole other dimension to the album and their treble tone is a good compliment to the chunky deeper tone of the guitars.
The only part of the album that bothered me at times was the drumming as I said before. Petri Sankala does a good job as a new drummer of keeping up with the intensity of the band, but the beats feel recycled and stocky to me. But he's consistent and overall he does a good job, especially as a new member of the band trying to get a feel for things.
The stand-out tracks to me were Defeat, Svieri Doroga/The Black Waltz, and Mindrust. Defeat really captures the whole essence of the album and is an excellent opening track. The eerie melodic clean toned guitar in Svieri Doroga is the perfect prologue to the title track of the album, which features some of the best guitar work on the album. As for Mindrust, the best way I can describe it is as a ball of energy exploding in your face at 10,000 mph. The dueling solos don't hurt either.
Very solid album. Kept me happy and energized from beginning to end.
