Year: 2020
Total Time: 40:58
Label: Out Of Line Music
In a survey conducted last year on which country has the most metal bands in Europe, Finland was unrivaled in the first place. 70 bands per 100,000 population, when the runner-up Sweden has 45 while Greece in the fifth place (first country outside Scandinavia) only 18 bands! So, in the country where metal is part of its culture, to stand out from the rest you have to do something very remarkable. But is this the case here?
I AM YOUR GOD come from Rovaniemi. They were founded in 2018 and this year they present their debut “The Resurrection”. Their music could be described as Melodic Death Metal of the old classic Finnish school, but with a modern touch. Thus, listening to them, CHILDREN OF BODOM and the modern IN FLAMES, will immediately come to your mind, while their intense melodicity will remind you of BLOODRED HOURGLASS.
Ten songs are included in the album, with a total duration of forty minutes. From the first track “Nothing To Leave Behind” you understand what will follow. “Screams”, fast riffs, loud drums and melodies in the chorus, usually with clean or harmonic vocals. “Believe Again” continues energetically with Julius Vetamajarvi showing his exceptional vocal abilities while “The Loop” differs from the rest by having a folk touch that makes it stand out. The ballad “Fall With Me” is a very beautiful moment, while the other tracks do not have to show anything special. I’m not saying they’re bad songs, it’s just that you’ve heard it all before.
The production is excellent. Matti Hietala and Joonas Erkkonen on guitars provide lots of good moments with Matti in charge of the lyrics as well and a solid performance from Atte Autio on drums. These Lapps are great musicians. What they know, they do well. The point, however, is that this is all heard before a thousand times. They are no different from all the classic bands of this genre. It’s the worst thing to not be able to have your own musical identity.
“The Resurrection” is definitely not a bad album. It has its good moments. But an album is judged in time. I wonder how many times you will hear it again after the first hearing. You will repeat a couple of tracks. Others over time will be forgotten. So, if they do not want to be called “another melodic Death Metal band from Finland” and if they want to stand out from the rest, the gentlemen will have to work on offering something better. Unfortunately, the “resurrection” did not come. We are waiting for the next one.
Rating: 4.5/10
Editor: Nick Vlachos
Related Link: I AM YOUR GOD – Bandcamp Page
