Hietala, Marko: Roses from the Deep

Long-time Nightwish bassist and co-vocalist Marko Hietala has released his second album, and it’s a very good exercise in symphonic metal with bits of traditional metal and even folk thrown in here and there.

The album kicks off with a bang: “Frankenstein’s Wife� is super catchy with a chorus that has stuck in my head. It’s followed by “Left on Mars,� which features original Nightwish singer Tarja. I expected a little more from the pairing, but it’s still a strong track. “Proud Whore� is one of those songs that features traditional heavy metal, and the guitars and drums get pretty aggressive toward the middle of the tune. JP Leppäluoto, Hietala’s buddy from Northern Kings, provides vocals on “Two Soldiers,� a lovely song, quite ballad-like. “The Dragon Must Die� starts off almost with an Irish jig and then moves into conventional metal, while moving to a nice acoustic part, and then a symphonic flourish with the Irish job bit reprised. It’s a standout tune, and the longest on the album at more than eight minutes.

Going to the second half of the album, there are some nice distorted guitars and keyboard parts on “Rebel from the North� and “Impatient Zero.� Also, “Roses from the Deep� is a poignant heartfelt song to close the album (if you don’t count the edited version of “Impatient Zero�). But on balance, the songs on the first half are a bit stronger in my opinion.

Joining Hietala on this album are Tuomas Wäinölä (who plays guitars and helped write and arrange the songs with Hietala), Bob Engstrand (keyboards), and Anssi Nykänen (drums).

Marko formally left Nightwish in early 2021 to focus on his mental health. It’s hard not to root for a guy in such a situation. Hopefully, those issues have improved for him. Musically, this album proves that he has more than landed on his feet. It’s easily recommended for those who enjoy the more theatrical and melodic side of metal.

Track Listing
1. Frankenstein's Wife (5:25)
2. Left on Mars (5:01)
3. Proud Whore (5:02)
4. Two Soldiers (4:50)
5. The Dragon Must Die (8:12)
6. The Devil You Know (4:23)
7. Rebel of the North (4:00)
8. Impatient Zero (5:59)
9. Tammikuu (4:34)
10. Roses from the Deep (6:31)
11. Impatient Zero (Edit) (4:16)

Added: March 12th 2025
Reviewer: Aaron Steelman
Score:
Related Link: Artists @ Bandcamp
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Language: english

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