Band:	Vorna
Album:	Sateet Palata Saavat
Style:	Melodic black metal, Pagan folk metal
Release date:	September 2019

01. Ylle Kaartuvat
02. Toinen
03. Syvyydet
04. Sydäntalven Puut
05. Maa Martona Makaa
06. Aalloista
07. Virvatulet
08. Tyhjyys On Tyyni
09. Sateet
10. Kauas

If darkness is an absence of light, then Sateet Palata Saavat is an absence of ingenuity.

With a tag like that, you probably wouldn't expect a review doling out heaps of praise, but that's exactly what's about to happen. It's precisely because Vorna have chosen to pull from such an anticlimactic array of genres that individually have been driven through the meat grinder that makes this album so awesome -- in the literal sense of the word. When the meat grinder starts churning through slabs of melodic black, folk, and bits of symphonic metal, the end result may not seem unique or brilliant on its own, but the blend is so well-portioned and seasoned just right with the appropriate herbs and spices, it makes one salivate at the mere thought.

Okay, so the hype may be coming on a little strong here, but it's rare these days to find this kind of seamless genre fusing in the extreme metal realm that manages to retain a niche audience seal of approval despite its more accessible and melodic influences. While fellow Finns Belzebubs, who definitely have no ties whatsoever to Insomnium, curated their own finely marbled serving of red meats, the mixture was less complex -- a far more common trend among the not-so-extreme extreme metal acts, as their straightforward melodic simplicity is often what grants them mass appeal. Vorna, on the other hand, took on a slightly more daring approach by venturing into uplifting, majestic, and dare anyone say "epic" territories. More often than not, those are the kind of adjectives that destroy album ratings of this nature, but the general flow and layered songwriting protect this relatively ambitious project from becoming lost in itself.

With a smörgåsbord of riffs ranging from middling doom-paced buildups to soaring, crowd-capturing, man-tear-inducing chest bumpers, there's something for every metal fan on this album. Backed by some dynamic and playful drum work deserving of its own mention for not simply playing by numbers or kicking incessantly, Sateet Palata Saavat controls the pace at all times, establishing the mood on a song-by-song and even bridge-by-bridge basis, keeping the listener engaged with a multitude of tonal shifts to latch onto. Vesa Salovaara has proven to be one of the genre's stronger vocalists, balancing his deep, evocative cleans with a clarified higher-pitched rasp, only slightly marred by a nary-noticeable accent which he buries completely by offering some proper growls at points. The only significant downfall here is how familiar it all sounds. Not in the way that you draw specific comparisons to another band or album, but in that you draw several comparisons to an entire roster of other bands and albums. It doesn't mean the food you're about to digest is any less delicious, just that it's not quite as different as you might want or like it to be.

Now if you've been looking to test out a new meal plan, one that checks all the boxes typified by your specific dietary needs, yet allows for some cheat days with a few ingredients otherwise considered off limits, then be sure to study Vorna's culinary expertise in the form of their latest recipe book, Sateet Palata Saavat, on shelves at your local health food store now.