THESE STONES CRY FROM THE EARTH

THENCE is a Finnish duo of multi-instrumentalists that, after a couple of years of work, put this beautiful 57 minute opus together. The most immediate comparison that comes to mind is GREEN CARNATION's "Light of Day, Day of Darkness". Next to a similarly long title, the albums have a similar mood and sense for melody and melancholy, often reminding of PINK FLOYD, but also of KATATONIA and ANATHEMA. Good company if you ask me.

The track alternates between heavier metal parts with clean downcast vocals and soft interludes with brooding acoustic arpeggios, ambient synths and some nice Floydian guitar and sax interventions. The main melody and riffs that constitute the opening and at the end of the piece remind me a lot KATATONIA, especially their end 90's album 'Discouraged Ones'. The music builds up to a climax that resolves around minute 49. It would have been the ideal moment for closure, as the quiet 8 minutes that follow don't add much and stretch the mood too long. Even if they are fine by themselves, I miss an element of surprise, a change of chords or mood, or simply an abrupt end that would have made a stronger impact.

A wonderful album for fans of a gentle gloomy Floydian take on metal, similar to GREEN CARNATION, ANATHEMA or KATATONIA. The band gets carried away in their enthusiasm and could have improved their work by cutting some corners for the sake of a more concentrated impact. For sure one to remember for the top 10 year list.