Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 04/30/2002
Like the Finnish strain of
Scandinavian metal that
Kalmah practices, the band has consistently refined itself (and its music) into a shining emblem of the genre. By the time of
They Will Return's 2002 release, the group, and its small but respectable movement, was crafting a unique amalgam that was at once listenable and uncompromising. The addition of new drummer
Janne Kusmin and bassist
Timo Lehtinen broadened this ambitious band's already wide musical horizons, and
Kalmah, also including guitarist/vocalist
Pekka Kokko, guitarist
Antti Kokko, and keyboardist
Pasi Hitula, sent its hyper-
metal beyond all reasonable technical and melodic limits on this, the group's second full-length release. The excessiveness associated with
death metal in all its forms isn't set aside on
They Will Return, it's simply channeled into melodic and lyrical invention. Highlights like the amped-up
"Principle Hero" and the title track -- with its fine solo section -- showcase
Kalmah's terrifying dexterity, but there is a purpose to the polyphony, a meaning to the melody; it isn't just about showing off. This purpose seems to stem from the appreciation of music past, present, and (most rarely) future, as demonstrated by a forward-thinking approach to a form that is nearly archaic in modern terms.
Kalmah has a talent for avoiding redundancy, so while
They Will Return doesn't expand the vocabulary of
metal, each track does manage to achieve a stunning kind of freshness that can only be attributed to commitment and artistry. Not just for
death/
Scandinavian metal fans, this recording should interest anyone who openly embraces real
metal in all its varieties.
~Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
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