KALLOCAIN

A big step forward in terms of production, "Kallocain" features a much deeper sound than was heard on Paatos debut, but still keeps with the band's distinct style of melancholy and delicate sounds. Actually, I'd go so far to say that this album is darker than "Timeloss", featuring more, and longer moments of brooding atmosphere and effects which punctuate the appearance of Petronella's vocals. There are fewer up-tempo passages and, taken as a whole, the lyrics are fantastically more depressing, leaving the listener satisfied, but somewhat odd feeling after a complete listen-- like a loved one has just died.

Undeniably beautiful, but sometimes hard to approach and finish make "Kallocain" a mixed bag for me; it's uniqueness alone makes it worth investigating, but I have a hard time saying whether or not it is better than their debut.

Songwriting: 3 Instrumental Performances: 3 Lyrics/Vocals: 3 Style/Emotion/Replay: 3