Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 09/19/2000
Ichor marks the long-awaited return of singer
Taneli Jarva, who five years prior to the album's 2000 release had quit one of Finland's leading
metal bands,
Sentenced, seemingly at the peak of the group's popularity. And listening to his new band project,
the Black League, it becomes easier to see why he quit in the first place, for stylistically speaking, this band pretty much picks up where mid-era
Sentenced stood upon
Jarva's departure (
Sentenced subsequently descended into questionably commercial territory). Joined by drummer
Kimmo Luttinen (his former
Impaled Nazarene running mate) and a number of relative newcomers,
Jarva generally remains faithful to his former band's powerful, post-Gothenburg
death metal style, but with an added sense for atmospheric dynamics that is often reminiscent of
progressive-minded cross-border rivals like
Dark Tranquillity and
Tiamat. Up-tempo rockers (the term may seem like a stretch, but that's really what they are) like
"One Colour Black" and
"We Die Alone" fare quite well, but it's
the Black League's slower, more contemplative numbers that often deliver the most inspiring moments with their beautiful guitar harmonies and mournful acoustic figures. These include album standouts like
"Deep Waters," "The Everlasting, Pt. 2," and the excellent
"Ozymandias," combining mysterious Eastern melodies with thunderous power chords. As it unfolds, the album keeps building momentum, with the crushing riffs of
"Blood of the Gods" and
"Bunker King" providing further highlights before the final epic
"Night on Earth" -- a welcome return for one of Finland's top
metal talents.
~Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide
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