Metal
Last year I came across the self-titled debut album “Stoned Statues” (2022) from this Finnish band made up of Markus Hakala (guitar and vocals), Jenna Julie (vocals and bass) and Allu Tanskanen (drums). I fell in love with it immediately, so don’t expect any exercise in objectivity here. Even less so when these kids are making music of tremendous quality while trying to make a living and build a name for themselves. People like this deserve support and a platform.
For me, “Guardian” is even better than their debut, and this is a band well worth keeping a close eye on.
The song “Take Me With You” is a magnificent interplay of contrasts between a guitar ostinato and a dark, relentless bass-and-tom rhythm. And, on the other hand, a more ethereal voice winding its way above it all. The chorus has a more open, epic character while keeping its melancholic edge. The middle section’s arrival, with a forceful riff worthy of headbanging, is the perfect antithesis to the almost candid backing vocals, carrying the track to its peak intensity before using the effective trick of stopping and starting the conclusion with only the vocals, then continuing on to a memorable finale.
For those not too used to harsh, drastic, uncompromising music, “Too Late” is a wonderful example these guys have pulled out of their hat, showing how punk and prog can join forces to make a kind of “prunk”. A brutal, vigorous burst of energy from the opening riff through to an interlude that will delight fans of doom-leaning extremes paired with celestial vocals.
And if you’re a fan of The Mars Volta, you’ll find their influence on “Until Falling”, which I’ll warn you now is a merciless song for the listener. A furious track with dark mid-tempo sections and a much-used trick — raising the key for the chorus — though with the curiosity of using it halfway through the composition. Markus Hakala’s closing scream at the end of the track is unsettling; I think he’s going to need some cough drops.
The tom rhythm, with a snare set to buzz mode, cleverly played by Allu Tanskanen, introduces us to another dark, unpredictable track: “Oblivious”. The mood is disturbing, and the intensity, especially in the conclusion, is remarkable, proving once again that this is a truly ferocious power trio. There’s real trouble brewing here.
“Be My Guest” opens with Jenna Julie’s powerful yet delicate voice, and I think she does an impressive job across this whole record. A song built primarily on triple metre, allowing for great dynamism while maintaining a prestissimo tempo alongside an andante feel.
We arrive at the track they chose as the single: “Who Do You Think You Are?”. A fairly logical choice, since it’s a rock song with a more conventional structure and a fairly singable chorus repeating the title. But watch out — the middle section’s riff is anything but commercial, and the gorgeous vocal ending really stands out.
And to rest our ears a little, they give us “Higher”, where the intimate feel of the verses hardens in the choruses, and by the interlude the composition turns thoroughly Sabbath-like. You have to let the band carry you along on this journey they’re offering, and you’ll enjoy it thoroughly.
“Not That Real” is a visceral track that uses the trick of shifting the rhythmic pattern for the chorus. An obvious move, but one that almost always works, and even more so here, where it helps you enjoy the wildness running through the rest of the song, along with hooligan-style backing vocals worthy of the most celebrated eighties-metal compositions.
“You Wanna Belive”, on the other hand, is a bit strange, because conceptually it’s about as standard a song as you can get, with backing vocals that could have been signed off by Paramore themselves, but the arrangements keep twisting it until you’re not quite sure what you’re listening to anymore. And you’re having an absolute blast by the time they finish blowing it apart with minimal bass-and-drums instrumentation, before exploding into an in-crescendo ending. What a track.
The album’s closer is handled by “Guardian”. A slow, dark, intense, powerful song. This rounds off a great record with a gentle ending that brings its own dose of epic scale, calm and beauty, ending up as a brilliant counterpoint to an excellent album.
Let yourselves get excited about Stoned Statues and “Guardian”. I find it a superb record, and we might be looking at one of the bands set to become a reference point on the European progressive-rock scene in the coming years. And once they are, you’ll always get to say, with a bit of condescension, that you knew them back when they were only touring Finland. Seriously, don’t miss this one.
Writer: David Sàez