Vuolla – Blood. Stone. Sun. Down.

[schema type=”review” name=”Vuolla – Blood.Stone.Sun.Down.” description=”Label: Schwarzdorn Production” author=”Basak Günel” pubdate=”03-06-2016″]

“The last phase of losing the trust”.

Hailing from Finland, Vuolla has been delivering us a mixture of post-rock and doom metal since 2009. The band has released several EPs in the past but they are slowly making their way in the scene with their first debut album “Blood.Stone.Sun.Down”, which has been released recently!

First things first,  I would recommend you to listen to this album in a tranquil atmosphere with candles and a little bit of darkness to get into the mood. Do not rush with it but listen to it again and again to feel the doom and also to understand what kind of feelings the band tried to convey in the record.

When I first listened to the album, there were so many musical elements – especially the the perfect transition between different genres- that caught my attention so I had to listen to it more carefully and understand the darkness and doom blended within. So in this sense, the listeners will not be listening to a post-rock album only but they will hear elements from doom/death, gothic and even dark-progressive metal. The band created this harmony quite well; there are definitely influences from some big names – especially from Swallow The Sun- but it’s clear that they have a vision and they know what they are doing.

One highlight of the record is hidden in the guitar riffs and the synths. I can even admit that the tones in these elements captivated me more than the vocals sometimes as they give the album its magical atmosphere and the album has a whole different meaning with the captivating instruments. These magical tones can be felt in songs like “Death Incredible” , “Chambers To Fill With Longing” and “Film”.
Another highlight of the album is the harmony of the harsh ‘doom-y’ male vocals and the ‘gothic’ clean female vocals. Although I found the harmony of male and female vocals – especially the growls- also quite successful; I think that the female vocals could have been a bit better in a professional sense. The growls had more feeling and passion within the songs than the clean female vocals and I found the female vocals quite ‘weak’ compared to the overall sound of the album. Nevertheless songs like “Quiet Cold” (which is one of my favorites!) and “Rivers In Me” (which is probably the most progressive song in the record) show how well the band uses both vocals in the overall album. With a better production and a more improved vocal technique, I am sure they will create more wonders!

Despite some flaws in the technical aspects, “Blood.Stone.Sun.Down” definitely proves how well Vuolla manages to create a blend of different genres with diversity in the musical elements. Definitely recommended to the fans of some darkness and doom!

Line-up:
Kati K – vocals, keyboards
Kalle Korhonen – vocals
Ilari Kallinen – guitars
Mika Laine – bass
Timo Ruunaniemi – drums

Tracklist: 01. Death Incredible 02. Emperor 03. Chambers To Fill With Longing 04. Rain Garden 05. Shadow Layer 06. Rivers In Me 07. Film 08. Quiet Cold

Links:
Vuolla Facebook
Vuolla Official