Suotana announces its third album.
Formed in 2005 in Finland, the band composed of Ville Rautio (guitar), Pasi Portaankorva (guitar), Rauli Juopperi (drums), Tommi Neitola (keyboards), Tuomo Marttinen (vocals) and Rauli Alaruikka (bass, Iku-Turso) unveils Ounas I, on Reaper Entertainment.
The band opens the album with Lake Ounas, an ambient introduction made in collaboration with keyboardist Veli-Matti Kananen (Kalmah, Fleetburner, Violet Sin, Rasa) on which we get familiar with the epic sounds that lead us to Through the Mammoth Valley and its catchy rhythmic. Vocals add a more aggressive dimension to fast riffs, completed by some majestic choirs and sharp harmonics, just like on the massive The Ancient, a composition which perfectly knows how to couple heaviness and raw Folk influences. The different vocals allow, just like leads, to give a rather lively rhythm to the cold and impressive warlike charge before the more soothing break, quickly followed by the resumption of violence, then by Legacy and its abrasive Thrash influences. The Black/Death topped by majestic orchestrations will of course resurface with an unconcealed ferocity, creating a very complementary sound which can definitely take the shape of a storm with fast riffs or more impressive and slower parts, sometimes accompanied by choirs. River Ounas, the album’s longest track, allows us a moment of respite before letting a heavy and majestic sound crush us, before the heady melodies appear. The whole is again perfectly managed to let each element express itself, including soaring keyboards on the break before the heady and catchy sound reignites, orchestrated by a narrative voice as well as an increasingly unleashed vocalist. The album ends with Land of the Dead, an equally epic cover of the Austrian band Summoning for which the band will call upon Mora, a Greek-born singer, to perfectly recreate the majestic atmosphere.
Ounas I perfectly writes the new page Suotana’s universe, anchoring itself even more in this dark and catchy mix of epic sounds, majestic orchestrations and wild screams. A perfect companion for a journey.
90/100