HARDWARES

Place Kiuas reverently in that same velvet-lined jewel box reserved for Nocturnal Rites and Evergrey, this third record from the ethereal Finns evoking those band’s catalogues for timelessness as well as a certain delectable confounding of influence or subsequent genre slotting. I suppose the base is melodic death, but there’s also power metal and prog metal, not to mention, at least on an emotive level, a rarified sense of doom and even misty Zeppelin-esque folk roots. ‘Of Sacrifice, Loss And Renewal’ demonstrates the welcome weirdness and versatility of vocalist Ilja Jalkanen – really, one of the most dynamic and dimensioned voices I’ve heard in years, one of those utilized here being a totally interesting half-aggressive death vocal that I’ve never heard anybody try before. Elsewhere, there’s even a gorgeous acoustic ballad on which Jalkanen duets with his sister. Keys are of a clean Bodom style, and there’s easily a dozen other cool sounds massaged in that demonstrate that this band tries harder. All comes to a head for ‘The Summoning’, on which Kiuas (er, it means the stove used in a sauna) show flashes of all their weaponry on a track that manages epic grandeur along with proud metal melody that sticks to the circuits, again, Evergrey’s particular and rarely duplicated sense of drama tapped with ease.