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Throughout their career, Kalmah have often been (unfairly) spoken of as a Children of Bodom imitator. This is quite untrue, and at first I thought the best way to combat this opinion would be to write this review without mentioning COB at all. Then I thought a vigorous refutation could possibly work, until I recalled the numerous attempts at just such a refutation already made in reviews of previous Kalmah albums, and how ineffective they have been. Therefore I decided to prove the differences between the two groups by examining their similarities: both are from Finland, and both are representatives of the new Finnish sound that has been developing over the past ten years. Both groups play a combination of death, black, power and speed metal, with harsh vocals and heavy use of synth. And further, both groups have an incredible dynamism in their music, a very elusive quality that is an investing into every moment of their work with urgency and spirit. An imitation is something that copies the superficial qualities but fails to attain the essence. And the superficial qualities of the two bands could not be more different (except of course if they were to be in different genres), yet they share a similar essence. One is reminded by of COB when listening to Kalmah, but after such an event there is always some confusion as to what it was that triggered it.
Kalmah’s fourth album “The Black Waltz” is in many ways similar to their previous work and there are no major changes. Any fan is certain to be well pleased. However, there definitely has been a progression over the years. “Swamplord” was cold and devious in comparison with their more recent releases, with more delicate and hypnotic songs. “They Will Return” and “Swampsong,” with a new rhythm section, improved production and increased technicality, established the band’s sound: technical yet profound, aggressive (in the classic death metal tradition) yet inspiring pathos. And how does “The Black Waltz” fit into this? The overall feeling of the album is far more grave (perhaps because of Pekka Kokko’s almost exclusive use of death metal vocals, opposed to his normal alteration between death and black), much less bouncy and much more deliberate. There is a fine variety of songs, from the slow and sinister title track to the epic “The Groan of Wind” to the swaggering “To the Gallows” to the exciting and vibrant “Bitter Metallic Slide” and “Defeat.” Catchy melodies are skillfully arranged and compiled, giving the familiar Kalmah sound. And one final note. This album is the first without keyboard player Pasi Hiltula who departed after “Swampsong.” Marco Sneck, his replacement, is certainly competent and well-suited to the band, but he lacks the supreme quality of his predecessor’s playing. Hiltula’s groove and candy-colored synth voices will certainly be missed.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Defeat |
| 2. Bitter Metallic Slide |
| 3. Time Takes Us All |
| 4. To The Gallows |
| 5. Svieri Doroga |
| 6. The Black Waltz |
| 7. With Terminal Intensity |
| 8. Man Of The King |
| 9. The Groan Of Wind |
| 10. Mindrust |
| 11. One From The Stands |
: 47.17
| Buy other Kalmah albums |
