#TombOfFinland 🇫🇮 Across the Barren Fields

Band: Tomb of Finland
Title: Across the Barren Fields
Label: Uprising! Records
Release date: 19 August 2022
Country: Finland
Format reviewed: High-quality Digital Recording

I was curious about this album and band just because I saw their description by themselves on Instagram: “Rotten melancholy and death from Finland since 2009”. Then, I saw their musical description: Melodic Death/Doom/Black Metal. That was enough to arouse my curiosity even more. Well, all things Black Metal related do that to me lately; and the “Doom” part, I wasn’t sure if it would catch me ‘cause I’m not a great listener of Doom Metal, I tend to think that slower tempos are just not really for me… and I’ve been proved wrong so many times! I can’t avoid laughing at myself sometimes…

But I’m talking only from my particular taste, of course music is a very personal thing and I always give my honest opinion about the albums I review. Mostly related to the emotions that the music can provoke on me. Because an outstanding Metal album is, for me, one that is able to move me, in addition to riffs, great solos, blast beats and other elements.

Having said that… Well. This album trapped me right from the start. “Across the Barren Fields” has all the genres in their description mixed in a perfect way, at least for me. Guitar melodies are massive and overwhelming, they lead you through 43 minutes in a fantastic ride over desolated and frozen lands, and as I’m writing this I realize that the title album couldn’t be more accurate! Vocals are rotten, really dark and enhancing that “coming-out-of-the-grave” effect. Damn, some gutturals at “Perpetual Entombment” are so sick! And the Doom sections are more than tolerable for me… nahhh just kidding! I’m really loving it!! When the tempo slows down, guitar melodies shine; drums turn into a very intense thing; and then usually vocals turn more deep, cavernous… I’m enjoying this a lot!

The first song, “Waiting for the End”, is strong enough to trap me instantly into a cold and melancholic swirl of guitar melodies; and when the solo arrives, I think I’m totally frozen! It’s so good, so intense… All along the album, the guitar’s tone is speaking that gloomy language that don’t let you indifferent. And as I’ve said before, vocals are deeply obscure, how not to love that guy! (and maybe he is familiar to some of you: Olli Saakeli Suvanto is also the vocalist in Kaunis Kuolematon).

I don’t really know what inspires these guys when composing and writing their music, but they carry that Finnish dark melancholy to the limit. I’m overwhelmed how “Nightfall” starts, that guitar tremolo underlined by the kick-ass drums and then, after some seconds, a gloomy short passage (oh is there a subtle synth in the background?), until the vocals freeze all the blood in my veins and… bam! Then, everything explodes with high intensity. The song goes changing tempos in a way I realize is so good that it almost hurts.

To sum up, Tomb of Finland are great at bringing cold, agony and despair to the listener. And after that… a great healing sensation remains. At least, they did that to me. Will you miss it? I give this album 9/10 Sílvia

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9/10 Epic Storm
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