RAINS

Didn't yet know this Finnish band has been finally added (from my suggestion). It's been a very long time since I received their two CD's. This one I had already earlier borrowed from a library and found quite interesting, but the debut from 2009 falls into the category of aggressive, doom metal related music that makes me feel nothing but angry and swear to myself in disgust. I simply can't get past those growls!

I'll handle this album as a totally separate case. What we have here is a powerful and melancholic post-rock with metallic elements, quite instrumentally oriented. Here and there the scarce vocals approach that growl I dislike so strongly, but in the end they appear in such small doses that I can take it. Music is definitely more post-rock than metal all the time. The opener 'Strange Days' starts very calmly, there are some sea bird sounds and a moody saxophone (by Markus "Utopianisti" Pajakkala); the song includes also some heavier momets with depressed vocals but mostly it's impressive post-rock with wide dynamics, featuring guests on two violins and a cello too (who are featured on five tracks in total). A pity the instruments within the 7-piece band are not listed.

'Cherbourg' and four other tracks (out of 10) are instrumentals, quite cinematic in nature and sometimes painting oceanic impressions. By the way, I like the cover art which suits the music well: the woman has an ocean behind her. The leaflet photography is equally elegant.

'Slow Dance', 'This Place is Death' and 'My Hands Are on Fire' are the heaviest and angriest songs, but musically they don't completely leave the post-rock territory for the metal frenzy. The instrumental 'Marie Celeste' starts beautifully with slow and bright piano, bringing the ECM chamber jazz into my mind until the rest of the rock band enters. Not bad! The fine instrumentals 'Atlantic' and 'Ocean Rain' feature the melancholic trumpet of Lauri Nykänen. The gorgeous ending track with some distant, distorted vocals features Pajakkala's saxophone.

3½ stars. I'd gladly rate this album with four strong stars if there weren't those moments of growly vocals. But if you like melancholic, dynamic and emotionally powerful post-rock with some metal elements, this is definitely worth checking out.