There's a slathering quality to the arrangements, which gives the album a fat, heavy sound, especially with Jaakko Järvensivu and Mikko Lehtinen's guitars, but one they managed to create without using a multitude of guitar tracks. Vilho Rajala's drums, an impressive display of athleticism, energy and finesse, and Roope Lehtinen's bass have a similar kind of thickness. Along with these massive sounds, striking contrasts in style, rhythm and tempo, and clever, intricate detailing make Kill the Light a densely textured piece of work. Songs like "I Buried You," "Dead Man," and "Embody Me" are well-crafted blends of heavy riffing, crunch, groove, catchy melodies and staccato, often layering two or more of these on top of each other. Each of these tracks rocks in a very infectious way, but My Fate also throw in some mood-altering surprises. In "I Buried You" they slow down the ultra-crunchy battering for a darker-toned interlude, only to gradually quicken the pace again, leading to a hammering conclusion. Greater contrasts are heard in the closing segments of "Dead Man," where the song's swinging rhythms and bursts of speed shift to a weighty crawl, and "Embody Me," whose rollicking movement gives way to two radically different, percussion-dominated sections.

In other cases, the variations are so extensive as to make tracks seem like mini-epics. The punk and thrash-flavored "Sacrilegehymn" goes through numerous changes in tempo and punchy rhythms, switching briefly to more melodic passages. So diverse are the "verses" that it's impossible to use the word without qualification, each having at least three distinctly different-sounding parts, while the refrain and coda(s) are similarly complex. In the intro, which is repeated later in what could be called long segues or micro interludes, guitar effects sounding like the aural equivalent of a roller coaster's path jump out, a contrast to all the pounding as well as a touch of whimsy typical of My Fate. As is the case with every song on the album, Antti Ojanen's vocals are a major part of the diverseness in "Sacrilegehymn." At the beginning he goes through at least five different voices in less than thirty seconds, among which is perhaps his best one: deep and rough, guttural but not a growl, used here in such a way that the words hurtle out of his mouth with foundation-shattering force. Unlike the usual one- or at the most two-dimensional growler/shouters, this guy produces endless gradations in extremeness, excelling at most intonations and switching between them with extraordinary deft. On Kill the Light, his protean rough styles are more brutal and dominant than on Happiness Is Fiction, while his many blunt-edged, cleaner ones are used more sparingly and with greater confidence, besides being aggressive enough to never seem weak in comparison to his more extreme singing.

Even more varied than "Sacrilegehymn," "Dim the Light" begins with some kind of tooting sound darting around (another touch of quirkiness), which is then mirrored in all-instrument pounding: a huge percussive sound that continues in the first verse, while on top Antti does some fierce, jerky shouting, quickly shifting to melodic zaniness. The chorus is a total shock, its melody lilting, its vocal one of the smoothest Antti's ever done. In the last part of the song the main riff goes through several transformations in rhythm and tempo, effectively mimicking a light slowly flickering out.

It's amazing how music that seems so layered can have such a "live" feel, and how songs whose individual parts sound so different from each other can be so cohesive. During the first several listenings, you may find yourself frequently checking to see which track you're on, unsure whether you're hearing one of their flawless pauseless transitions from one song to the next or another brilliant break. But the music never gets chaotic, as there's always some kind of anchoring force--sheer momentum, the band's mastery of build-up, Antti Ojanen's commanding presence--that enables My Fate to maintain coherence while keeping you pleasurably off-balance.

"Cold Hive of Death," "Baneflow Cycle," and "The Darkness Beckons" derive much of their cohesiveness from the way each establishes a precise type of atmosphere that engulfs the listener. Defined in some of the album's greatest lyrics (those of "The Darkness Beckons" having especially exquisite phrasing), these "worlds" are created by the songs's rich textures, detailing, and dark melodies. Thematically reminiscent of Happiness Is Fiction's "I Am the Ocean" but more complex, "Cold Hive of Death" welcomes the extinction of vile humanity with violent, friction-filled verses and interludes pounding out rage and madness, and a bottom-heavy, gorgeous chorus yearning for the "sweet, tender cold hive of death."

A similar escape is sought in "Baneflow Cycle," but here the focus is on the "endless baneflow" of life's false hopes and the inevitablity of "reaching hell [on earth] again." Described by Vilho Rajala as a "deep ocean of melancholy," this song uses changes in speed and rhythm--from sludgy to agitated--and vocal variations--hissing, growling, choking, etc.--to create an undertow of oppression. The soulful main melody establishes a ominous, sorrowful tone in the the opening and renders the chorus a work of melancholic beauty, its power magnified when it returns unexpectedly at the end of the song after a perfect build-up. Going beyond hopelessness to the perhaps inevitable embracing of darkness and "the purity of evil," the closing track creates a menacing atmosphere with battering riffage and percussion. The chorus, which is nearly as strong melodically as that of "Baneflow Cycle," has a touch of black metal-style rhythm, and sounds like an outpouring of the forces of apocalyptic night. Its surprise return at the end of the song is not only another heart-stopping thrill but a dramatic closing statement for the album. Antti's performance on "The Darkness Beckons" is an especially powerful one, as he spews threats, taunts, and exhortations, adding to the song's ominous atmosphere. His recently announced departure from the band is a huge blow to My Fate fans and an additional reason to appreciate what his talent and creativity have brought to their music.

"Give me something more," Antii shouts at the beginning of Happiness Is Fiction's "Scknss." In comparison to the majority of aggressive metal bands, "more" is exactly what you get with My Fate: more variety in almost every area, more texture, more emotional resonance. One reviewer of Happiness Is Fiction exclaimed with amazed satisfaction over the presence of so much "stuff" on the album. An even greater abundance of "stuff" can be found on Kill the Light, making it a musical feast to savor and be consumed by. If the words aggressive, dark, melodic and Finnish are a magical combination for you, get Kill the Light, and you'll find all that and more.

written by Maud

Playing time: 46.04