Year: 2021
Total Time: 36:01
Label: Nuclear Blast
Esa Holopainen. Need recommendations? He is the main guitarist of a really important band, the Finns AMORPHIS, with whom he has released 14 complete albums from 1991 until today. This year, taking advantage of the circumstances and the quarantine that entered the planet due to Covid 19, he found the opportunity to try something that he had in mind for a long time. To release his first personal album.
The album, called “Silver Lake by Esa Holopainen”, consists of nine compositions and hides many, many surprises concerning the artists who participated in this project of the beloved guitarist. Those are Jonas Renkse of KATATONIA, Håkan Hemlin of NORDMAN, Einar Solberg of LEPROUS, Björn Strid of SOILWORK, Anneke Van Giersbergen Ex – THE GATHERING, the famous Finnish actor and singer Vesa-Matti Loiri and of course Tomi Joutsen, Holopainen’s mate and singer in AMORPHIS. All of the aforementioned musicians, with their experience and contribution, added points at the final result, also in the composing part, since several of them participate also in the compositions of the album.
Of course, what the listener is going to hear is by no means AMORPHIS. The presence of Esa, as well as its characteristic playing and the way he is composing, may bring the band in our mind at some parts, but the album is something different, more personal and independent. The sound is quite progressive, sometimes heavier, elsewhere following more DIRE STRAITS paths, showing Esa’s artistic concern and, at the same time, confessing the reason why he decided to release an album of its own. At the same time, unlike AMORPHIS, here Esa has an active role in the lyrics.
The journey in the world of SILVER LAKE begins with the self-titled and very beautiful instrumental “Silver Lake”. “Sentiment”, “Ray Of Light” and “Promising Sun” are three songs that Esa had composed a long time ago. “Fading Moon” with the amazing vocals of Anneke, is one of the highlights of the album. Close by is “In Her Solitude”, the most “AMORPHIS” song of the album, perhaps due to the vocals of Tomi Joutsen.
Overall and without knowing if SILVER LAKE will ever have a second album to present, this debut is dynamic, full of ideas and certainly having a lot of inspiration. Esa Holopainen deposits parts of his soul and surely no one will be left disappointed by the final outcome.
Rating: 7/10
Editor: Fanouris Exintavelonis
Related Link: SILVER LAKE by Esa Holopainen – Facebook Page
