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Eternal Tears of Sorrow > Saivon lapsi > Reviews
Eternal Tears of Sorrow - Saivon lapsi

Deeper into the dreary depths. - 89%

hells_unicorn, November 19th, 2014
Written based on this version: 2013, CD, KHY Suomen Musiikki Oy

There have been a number of noteworthy leaps in evolution of sound insofar as melodic death metal has been concerned over the course of the past 12 years. Sadly, a good number of these sudden changes had less than stellar results, with the particular cases of In Flames' Reroute To Remain and Children Of Bodom's Are You Dead Yet? bringing about the most disappointment. Truth be told, most of the bands in the Swedish and Finnish scenes that managed to maintain their credibility ended up doing so by sticking to what they were already good at, but there were a few exceptions that stayed strong even after revamping their sound a bit, the most potent of the bunch being Eternal Tears Of Sorrow's 2006 stylistic switch up Before The Bleeding Sun, which saw the band leaving the consonant, keyboard rich realm of Kalmah and Children Of Bodom for a symphonic take on things that veered a good bit closer to a Gothic, Nightwish sort of sound.

Being the 3rd album out of this Finnish mainstay since the aforementioned change in direction, Saivon Lapsi is largely a measure in building upon the existing template rather than exhibiting the sort of constant self-reinvention that can lead to incoherence. One wouldn't be too far off base in approaching this as a continuation of what was heard on Before The Bleeding Sun and Children Of The Dark Waters. It hits with the same general mixture of aggression, nostalgia, balladry, and clean vs. harsh duality that is actually not all that dissimilar to the "love triangle" vocal mix style where a male clean voice protagonist is introduced to complement the stereotypical beauty and the beast duet (see Sirenia's early works and Amaranthe for examples of this). The primary area where it differs is that the songs are a bit more memorable and have just a tad more impact, due in no small part to a somewhat more power metal oriented approach that is somewhat reminiscent of Nightwish's Century Child.

Much of the impact factor that this album exhibits is felt right as the exposition is unleashed, culminating in a series of mildly epic switches between lofty yet compact songs and haunting instrumental interludes. The band reaches back to their debut opus Sinner's Serenade in resorting with a woeful sounding ambient keyboard prelude dubbed "Saivo", before launching into 2 rather impressive thrashers with loads of atmosphere and an emphasis on the harsher side of the equation. These songs could be seen as somewhat similar to the handiwork of recent Arch Enemy up tempo slayers, but with a more restrained lead guitar approach and a greater degree of depth and sorrow. Afterward things move into a less frenetic place as the next instrumental "Kurra" features some atmospherics and an acoustic guitar line that sets the stage for a series of less thrashing numbers, of which "Dance Of December" proves to be the most memorable with its droning melodic lines and rocking demeanor.

For the most part, this album is a consistent display of high impact melodic death metal with a rather massive symphonic affect, though not quite as bombastic and overt as what Nightwish adopted during the mid 2000s. Perhaps the other lone song worthy of a mention for its auspiciously well accomplished impact is "Beneath The Frozen Leaves", which manages to sound triumphant, mysterious, and downright creepy depending on what section of the song is playing. Picture a cross between one of the faster numbers off of Follow The Reaper and cross it with something from Nightwish's Oceanborn such as "The Devil And The Deep Dark Ocean" and you'll have a good picture. This whole album succeeds in being yet another notch in the growing collection of Finnish melodic death metal classics, though it may prove to appeal a bit more to power metal fans than otherwise. One can only hope that this band's output will continue to remain consistent, because they've yet to put out a dull album.

The Sound of Finland - 90%

eternaljester81, May 31st, 2013

No country has its own sound quite like Finland, and few bands embody that sound like Eternal Tears of Sorrow (ETOS from here on). On "Saivon Lapsi", the band's seventh full-length, and third since its 2006 resurrection, the Finnish sound continues to bleed through every moment.

Keyboard-saturated, gothic/melodic death metal remains the order-of-the-day for ETOS, along with supremely catchy songwriting and a varied vocal approach. Intertwining guitar/keyboard leads provide ample melody, along with the liberal use of both male and female clean vocals. However, the extreme vocals of Altti Vetelainen are utilized in the majority, which, along with plenty of crunchy riffs and very sturdy rhythm section, keep the album steeped in more than enough aggression. Choir-led sections and acoustic bits contribute a dark atmosphere, completing the package. Much like country-mates Amorphis and Insomnium, ETOS have a way of transporting the listener to a misty evening in the Land of a Thousand Lakes.

"Saivon Lapsi" is a worthy effort from start to finish, and a great follow-up to "Children Of The Dark Waters". Listening as a whole has the best affect, but check out "The Day", "Beneath The Frozen Leaves" and "Angelheart, Ravenheart (Act III - Saivon Lapsi)" for good sampling of what ETOS are all about. Fans of the band's past works should find nothing but enjoyment.

(originallly written for www.metal-observer.com)

No Lapsi Left Behind - 78%

OzzyApu, May 2nd, 2013

It’s been four years since Children Of The Dark Waters, but longer in terms of a full-length that was really good. Eternal Tears Of Sorrow take their time between releases now, and in theory that should help clean their songs of clutter. Makes sense, but if the songwriting becomes too far gone, then all hope is lost. Saivon Lapsi thankfully is the band returning to their senses in terms of ripe compositions that capture the same vastness of Before The Bleeding Sun while maintaining its own prestige. There’s charisma to this that got lost on the previous release, but even with that returning here, four years is quite a long wait just to get back on track.

Ringleader Altti Veteläinen and his symphonic circus return with power. The guitars are crunchy, bass is hefty, riffing is tighter, nifty harmonies are plentiful, and symphonic / clean elements are better applied. Separating the instrumentals is a strange move that I don’t think helps the songs they intro in a transitional sense, but they’re fine as build-ups. For flow there’s not one point where there’s any major dip in quality. Some songs are a little less impressive like “Beneath The Frozen Leaves,” but overall it’s a solid effort from a band giving their symphonic brand of melodic death. It’s like Kalmah but with less showmanship and more in terms of melancholic atmosphere and melodies. “Legion Of Beast” reminds me of Insomnium in terms of the stylish leads as the driving force. Lastly, epics like “Dance Of December” and the continuation of the “Angelheart, Ravenheart” saga are reflective songs with more scope to them than directness.

One big complaint I had with the last album was the lack of appropriate clean transitions and hooks. They felt too forced and / or contrived to be of any help in amplifying a song’s feeling. That’s (mostly) not an issue here, with songs like “The Day” and “Swan Saivo” making great use of clean vocals (male and female), Altti’s hoarse screams, and key / guitar leads bleeding out some melodramatic hook. I still don’t consider Jarmo Kylmänen, with his accented, nimble singing to be that good of a clean vocalist. Altti’s venomous screams worked better alongside a projected, proud lead like it did back in the band’s greatest era. The crisp, spotless production suits either, but the preference remains the same.

This isn’t the album I was hoping for after four years (or eight since the last good one), but it’s something I’d definitely like to keep. Everything from the aggressive drums to Tolsa’s euphonious keys are ear candy. There’s lots of heavy / power metal influence like Kalmah, but in a more atmospheric way like Stratovarius, too. Add that to the symphonic melodic death angle Altti’s been going with since the reformation, and that’s the gist of the band’s formula. Eternal Tears Of Sorrow was a formidable force on Chaotic Beauty and A Virgin And A Whore, and while I might backflip if I heard another one of those from these guys again, I know I’ll take what I can get.

A very great awakening after 4 years of slumber - 90%

Hellphoenix, March 1st, 2013

Let's just start by saying this is one of the greatest releases for this band. They've waited a long time to release this album. True, but I can guarantee it's worth the waiting. The work they've put through in this album is really worth mentioning. They've managed to improve their performance and live up to their legacy. So this album is a must buy.

The atmosphere of this album is very promising. The band did not turn themselves into a total symphonic death metal band. If I were to specify their genre I would definitely call it symphonic/melodic death metal. Their techniques have really improved and their range, too. Altti's vocals have improved a lot, going from a high, distinctive pitch to a low, more of a death metal pitch. Some of their tracks aren't consistent with their genre such as "Sound Of Silence", but it really fit the mood they are driving you into. The usage of the clean vocals in this album is more of gothic metal, but they still manage to keep it more of a melodeath type.

Their guitars have really progressed in producing the melodies since their latest release. The mix between the rhythm and lead guitars is really good, too. The keyboards provide a very good atmosphere for the album of both symphonic and melodic death, not falling to any of the two genres completely. "Angelheart, RavenHeart Act III (Savion Lapsi)" was a great epic sequel for a 3 epic tracks of melodic/symphonic death history. To be honest, I was sad at the end of this album because I wanted more of this music to play, I couldn't get enough of it.

Bottom line short story version, "Savion Lapsi" is a great joy ride to those who values true music. If you are a fan of this band, this album would be a very good release to add to your collection. If you like the the unparalleled mix between symphonic and melodic death, buy the album. If you want to experience a wondrous journey into the minds of a great artists, buy the album.