A FINAL STORM

This is one of those albums that I listened to in my preparations for the 2011 festival season since Khoma was announced as one of the performers at the annual Metaltown Festival in Gothenburg. I knew surprisingly little of the band before experiencing their third studio release and even the connection to Cult Of Luna managed to pass me by completely unnoticed. In retrospect, I guess that it was for the better since I've never been a huge fan of that band's repertoire and acknowledging the association might have made my initial experience feel biased.

It has now been a bit over six month since I've started listening to A Final Storm and I'm still not entirely convinced that this is really the right time for me to review this album. On the other hand, taking any longer might only prolong the inevitable conclusion that I've come to so far. This album is a pleasant but ultimately a disappointing release from Khoma where the band strips most of their progressive and metal elements by exchanging them for mellow pop/rock sound that many today describe as indie (even thought we all know that this definition is inaccurate). Those who are familiar with the band's first two albums will certainly acknowledge the change of direction, even though some might argue that Khoma has always had a melodic approach to their music that was on the verge of sounding cheesy and commercial.

I generally remember very little of these eleven compositions except maybe for the gorgeous vocal performance by Jan Jämte, who actually sounds even better live, and the subtle instrumental arrangements. There is really not a single standout track here that could compare itself with those off The Second Wave, but that's definitely my personal preference doing the talking here. A Final Storm simply falls short in the song department and I'll keep it at that.

**** star songs: Army Of One (4:53) From The Hands Of Sinners (4:31) Osiris (3:09) A Final Storm (6:43) The Tide (4:44) All Like Serpents (4:42) By The Gallows (3:11) Mist (4:30)

*** star songs: Harvest (4:39) Inquisition (3:46) In It For Fighting (3:51)