12 Gauge

Yes, Kalmah have always been a band that has never fallen short of quality material and also stayed true to their sound and genre. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against a band's sound evolving a little as the years go by or if a band finds a new sound that works better for them and they enjoy more. But I would like to point out that Kalmah is not one of those bands to change their sound so drastically as to lose an entire era of fans.

As with their previous albums, 12 Gauge is a cut above regular Finnish melodic metal where a huge part the genre falls into the very predictable melodic metal cliché. You can look forward to acoustic intros that give way to an intensity of blasting drums and heavy riffing (Rust Never Sleeps, 12 Gauge), a very strong and distinct bass that rarely disappears and Pekka's trademark switches between screams and low growls although the growls still continue to be the primary vocal style. The drums patterns are pretty catchy and never get monotonous. I'd actually have a very fun time tripping on them if I wasn't so preoccupied listening to Antti Kokko's extraordinary skill being executed flawlessly. Extremely creative and memorable riffs (Rust Never Sleeps) that stay with you long after you listen to them and typical Kalmah-style über-melodic lightening paced solos (One Of Fail, 12 Gauge, Hook The Monster) are all part of the 12 Gauge experience.

As far as the keyboards go, one thing I've always loved about this band is unlike the usual 'keyboards dueling with guitars' bullshit, you find that the keyboards instead provide an underlining melody that sets an ambience which compliments the music beautifully (Sacramentum). Quite a prominent element on this album that drew my attention are the slightly warlike chants that sound as if they're coming from the Swamplord's own personal army (Swampwar, Hook The Monster).

Godeye is my least favorite track on the album. It's not particularly bad but apart from the main riff, is rather bland. That being said, the only other thing I'd have to complain about is how short the track list is.

This album wouldn't disappoint a Kalmah fan and would appeal to a large part of the extreme melodic death metal fan base. The band is definitely a force to reckon with in this genre. As mentioned in one of the other reviews above, 12 Gauge is indeed a strange name for a Kalmah album and I was apprehensive about it to say the least -especially since it seemed they were straying from their 'balls out' approach to music with their previous more mellow release- but after listening to the Bullets Are Blind single, I was sure this album would be something to look forward to. You get to see the thrashier side of Kalmah. I wouldn't say it's their best work but definitely a very solid album with a lot to offer and would be well worth your money.