Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 09:38 PM by Nikos Nakos
Genre: Melodic death (with Eastern folk)
Country: Finland
Label: Redhouse Finland Music Publishing
Year: 2014
WHISPERED’s first album Thousand Swords (2010) was quite a refreshing metal album. “Melodic death metal from Finland, that’s nothing new?!”, you could say. However, Japanese samurai themes and Eastern folk mixed through it? Now it gets confusing/interesting. WINTERSUN’s Time I featured a lot of Eastern influences as well, but these guys already did it a few years earlier. While the melodic death metal from Japan usually features modern elements of trance (for example, BLOOD STAINED CHILD), this Finnish band shows us how it would sound with the more traditional sound of Japan. It sounds like WHISPERED has made a step forward with Shogunate Macabre, tackling a lot of the criticism their debut album received.
After the narrated intro in Japanese, you quickly notice they created a better blend with the Japanese elements. They switch less abruptly from metal to folk like on Thousand Swords. Another big difference is that the line-up of this album does not have an official keyboard player. This results in guitars taking up the forefront more often. We get the typical guitar duels from Finnish melodic death, while the keyboard is less dominating and offers more bombast in the background. Jouni Valjakka’s grunts remain raspy, but they sound less overdone or overacted. The background melodies are more diverse than on its predecessor and the album features group shouts, background choirs, clattering swords, narrating voices, you name it. “Hold The Sword”, for example, blends the music with war sounds so you feel like you are in feudal Japan, protecting your lord as a Samurai honoring the bushido code.
I have to admit that I am slightly confused when suddenly “Kappa” introduces jazzy brass interlude… A good song, but kind of a break from the band’s overall theme. It also feels like the tempo of the album has been stepped up a notch, leaving less time for long instrumental passages. It makes Shogunate Macabre sound more aggressive and with the background choirs a lot more dramatic. While some will see this as an improvement over the lengthy debut album, others might miss the epic intermezzos. However, those fans can enjoy the closing 10-minute epos “Upon My Honor” which showcases all facets of the band.
Fans of melodic death in the style of KALMAH, MORS PRINCIPIUM EST and old school CHILDREN OF BODOM should check out this band and take their mind to wander around in old Japan instead of the usual cold North associated with these bands. In general, the songs are shorter on Shogunate Macabre, but with a purer sound and a better blend of metal and Eastern folk. In conclusion, the Finns have taken a good step forward by working on a lot flaws from debut album. Shogunate Macabre is a more entertaining, more straightforward album than their first release, leaving you with little time to get bored.
Pay a visit to WHISPERED’s official Facebook or homepage.
