Finnish metal legend, Marko Hietala is here and stronger than ever with his new album, Roses from the Deep!
Kicking open the album is Frankenstein’s Wife, overlayed with operatic style vocals, the riffs are classically heavy, the underlying twang of the bass creating a strong, Meat Loaf-reminiscent track that captures attention from the opening notes. Left On Mars is the only feature track, the range of vocal power between Hietala and Turunen is incredibly impressive, the choir-like elements play off the keyboard elements well whilst the contrast of the isolating lyrics with the combined vocal energy adds a deeper twist to the track. Proud Whore is truly a showcase of the shredding abilities of Wäinölä, the grittiness of the riffs over the drawn-out vocals give the song a new wave of heavy metal energy to it without being over the top.
Two Soldiers is the token ballad of the album, always something that captures my interest, the cinematic elements of the acoustic guitars and the haunting lyrics create an almost melancholic feeling and the spoken words in the middle really amp up the intensity making it one of my favourites from the album. The Dragon Must Die flips the theme on its head and presents us with pure power metal energy laced with a folk metal twist. Deep and distorted, the bassline takes the forefront alongside thrashing drums that move seamlessly into 80s-style synths and squealing guitar solos, a mesh of instruments that toes the edge of overwhelm whilst letting each member showcase their full abilities in only 6 minutes.
The Devil You Know is infused with an intense, mind-melting riff over a repetitive kick drums, the storytelling element of the lyrics amplified tenfold by the powerful vocals and underlying synths. Track 7 is a fighting song, every element of the track is strong from the lyrics to the prominent distorted bass that carries the rhythm and pushes the tracks forward. A good guitar solo can make or break or a song and the one featured here is definitely one that pumps up the energy. Impatient Zero is the third and final single of the album, it’s very similar in energy to the previous track, once again coming back to the distorted fuzz of the bass adding an aggressive edge to the song whilst the synths really shine as they close out the track.
Tammikuu is a special track, Hietala taking his track back to his roots and displaying his emotions in the lyrics with it being the only song in Finnish but also seemingly written around the bassline, the drums following the lead with a slamming precision that hits strong and deep. Finally, we meet the title track, another slower track, the lyrics are slightly morbid upon a closer listen but the cinematic edge makes it a great emotionally charged track. Closing out the album is Impatient Zero (edit) which is the same great track, just 2 minutes shorter.
Overall, Roses from the Deep is an incredibly strong album that satisfies any and all desires of metal fans!
Tracklist:
- Frankenstein’s Wife
- Left On Mars
- Proud Whore
- Two Soldiers
- The Dragon Must Die
- The Devil You Know
- Rebel Of The North
- Impatient Zero
- Tammikuu
- Roses From The Deep
- Impatient Zero (Edit)
Marko Hietala: Facebook
Release Year: 2025
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Category: Album
Country: Finland
Reviewed by Jodie Louise
