Vorna – Sateet Palata Saavat

Band: Vorna
Title: Sateet Palata Saavat
Label: Lifeforce Records
Release date: 27 September 2019
Country: Finland
Format reviewed: Digital Promo

For those not in the know, VORNA are an intriguing band that’s been around since 2008 when they released their “Menetetty” demo and have grown from strength to strength, to release “Ajastaika” in 2013 and the “Ei valo minua seuraa” album in 2015 respectively. It appears they’ve generated much interest in their home country of Finland with a tour to promote their album – which starts on the 29th November 2019, with a couple of Finnish festival dates to occur in 2020. To date (citation needed, of course), it appears it will only be a matter of time before the band will be fortuitous enough to gain a touring slot with a bigger band and play in mainland Europe, the UK, or quite possibly outside of Europe with any luck. On the basis of their current album and online reports of their latest album, they’ll certainly make new friends in hitherto undiscovered lands for sure.

So, what’s to be expected from VORNA, and what do they sound like? Well, if you got on very well with the latter day albums of AMORPHIS, found yourself quite partial to OMNIUM GATHERUM, and enjoyed INSOMIUM then you’re in for a sonic treat, and set your rampant scepticism aside in wrongfully assuming it will be another CHILDREN OF BODOM clone. They describe themselves as “Finnish melancholic metal”, but in general the whole album is quite uplifting and empowering to listen to. The album is choc-full of sweeping symphonic parts, but the beauty of VORNA is the fact they are implemented perfectly into their particular sonic tapestry of folk tinged symphonic black metal without becoming a “Parping Casio keyboard gone too far” – a criticism that can be cast against the likes of SUMMONING’s later albums. Tracks such as “Syvydet” are a perfect case in point, featuring a mix of clean and growled vocals, that is deeply melodious and beautifully executed that flows very well into shredding guitars and lead solos that work to a bewitching effect.

A particularly worthy thing of note with VORNA’s sound is they don’t commit that typical crime of bands that have folk elements in them, those stupid filler tracks where the band has some jam session and disappear up their own arses with some plinky plonky acoustic guitar, strings, and horn sections that can become annoying and a bit “Pound Shop MTV Unplugged”; something that disjointed you could be forgiven for thinking someone at the pressing plant has trolled you by dropping sections of Mike Oldfield and Clannad tracks onto the CD. No such complaints here, thankfully – and when the mellow sections kick in (albeit briefly), they are borderline Sólstafir-esque and are integrated perfectly into the general structure of the tracks.

However, to be critical – whilst the songs on “Sateet Palata Saavat” are pretty awesome it can also be argued that it does sound like somebody threw AMORPHIS, INSOMIUM, and OMNIUM GATHERUM guitar and synth rifffs into a blender with a teaspoon of latter day Enslaved as a garnish if one wishes to view the album with a very cynical, weather beaten analysis. It’s almost like the Japanese saloon car of bands in the fact that it’s dependable, works very well, beautifully crafted and is actually a very pleasant place to be. But similarly, like a Japanese car – will it be one that you’ll remember in the future? Will VORNA’s “Saveet Palata Savaat” stir the soul like owning an Alfa Romeo, or to get away from rambling shambolic car analogies – be remembered as fondly as DARK TRANQUILITY’s “The Gallery” album? Nevertheless, VORNA are certainly worth keeping an ear on and a band you shouldn’t miss. 8/10 Goth Mark

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8.5/10 To Greatness and glory!
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