J-Man
Progressive melodic death metal from Nordic countries is a genre that is divided into two main camps: innovative and truly masterful groups like Edge of Sanity and Opeth, along with countless uninspired clones trying to relive the glory days of progressive melodeath. Ikuinen Kaamos is nowhere near the musical prowess of the masters of the genre, but they wouldn't sit comfortably next to the countless Opeth clones out there either.
Closure is a 2008 EP release from this Finnish quintet, released two years after their 2006 debut full-length The Forlorn. The band, while firmly rooted in traditional progressive melodeath, has their own distinct sound that will stand out to even experienced prog metal fans. The sound is similar to that of Opeth, but Ikuinen Kaamos relies more heavily on modern keyboard sounds and has fewer acoustic elements. If Opeth were to ditch most of their 70's blues and folk rock influences, they would sound a lot like Ikuinen Kaamos. All in all, if you like progressive death metal on the less extreme end, Closure should appeal to you.
This EP is 27:48, which is a pretty great length for an EP. It's not too short, but it isn't quite the length of an album either. This gives you a pretty good sample of this band. Closure is 3 tracks, two of which are well over 8 minutes. The songs are pretty epic and are very dynamic and powerful. There is rarely a time when the music isn't extremely captivating. The first song, Closure, has a nice prog rock-dominated opening with clean vocals, and it only gets better from there. Your Gallows is the heaviest song, with some very dark music throughout. The Absence is the real treat on this EP for me. There is a doom metal influence throughout the track, filled with proggy instrumental interludes and powerful vocals. This is twelve-and-a-half minutes of pure excellence.
The musicians play as a very tight unit, and are all very talented. I'm not sure who plays keyboards, but they really add another dimension to the music. A special note goes out to the vocalist Risto Herranen. He wasn't on the first album from Ikuinen Kaamos, but he sure does a great job here! His growls are fantastic (as are his black metal screeches), and his clean voice is filled with pure bliss.
The production is fantastic. Powerful when it needs to be, yet clean and quiet during the softer sections. This is a prefect mix for this type of progressive death metal.
Conclusion:
Ikuinen Kaamos is a band I've only become acquainted with recently, and I look forward to buying and reviewing their other releases. Closure is a really promising EP, and considering the band has generously offered is as a free download from their official website, this really should be given a try by anyone interested in progressive death metal. I'll give this highly recommendable (and free) EP a 3.5 star rating. If you like progressive melodic death metal, don't miss out on this one!