Kuolemanlaakso - M. Laakso - Vol. 1: The Gothic Tapes (2016)

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Hailing from Finland, today we have a very strange and totally awesome release from Kuolemanlaakso. Departing away from their typical Death/Doom influences, this release is Markus Laakso’s brainchild, allowing it to be weirder and less straightforward. While not the typical release for this band, this release delivers eight very unique tracks that showcase a different creative side from some of the band members.

Opening with the gloomy “Children of the Night”, we instantly hear the difference when it comes to tempo and atmosphere. Laakso’s vocals are quite good for the genre, making the tracks quite mysterious while having the authentic deep Gothic Rock/Metal sound. With the catchy and somewhat “Rolls the Dice with the Devil” and “Where the River Runs Red” following up next, the band manages to sound like a mixture of bands like The Vision Bleak, Type O Negative and even some hints of H.I.M… all in a very good way.

With all the lyrics in English, this is another departure to the traditional approach of only Finish lyrics, but this is only temporary for this unique album. Two of our personal favorite tracks are the dark and moody “The World’s Intolerable Pain” and “She Guides me in my Dreams”, both of which features some more elaborate vocal arrangements and the sweet singing of Helena Haaparanta of Crimfall fame. For the people looking for harsh vocals, “No Absolution” is probably the heaviest track in the album.

Showcasing even more versatility, the superbly catchy and emotional “Deeper into the Unknown” completely changes the pace of this release as it is quite contrasting from the previous track. Closing with the mesmerizing “My Last Words”, we are left quite impressed by the level of creativity this release showcases. While most traditional Kuolemanlaakso releases are straightforward, this album is quite unique and very diverse.

Overall, “Vol. 1: The Gothic Tapes” showcase M. Laakso’s true musical vision and it still features the signature gloominess of Kuolemanlaakso to the max. Appealing more to people that like Gothic Metal/Rock and Dark Metal, this release is truly unique and quite well crafted, showcasing great musical talent. If you like different and dark releases, this is one album you can’t miss.

Band: Kuolemanlaakso Album: M. Laakso - Vol. 1: The Gothic Tapes

Label: Svart Records

Release: August 26th, 2016

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Genre: Gothic Rock/Metal / Dark Metal

Country: Finland

Rating: 92/100
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