From Finland hails Sinamore, and 2006 brings us their debut album called A New Day on Napalm Records. Labeled as a cross between Katatonia H.I.M., with a little Sentenced thrown in for good measure, and that statement is pretty accurate for the most part. Sinamore are heavier than H.I.M., but not quite as catchy, and they are not nearly as doomy as Katatonia, but pretty close as far as the gothic sound is concerned. It can also be said that they are not as "out and out" metal as some of Sentenced material. So what makes this band stand out from a seemingly crowded field? For one thing, the songs for the most part are pretty damn good. Sure, they mimick the H.I.M. keyboard sound almost to a tee, but then these huge crunchy metal guitar riffs come in, as they do on "Misery Carnival", and all thoughts of poppy hard rock songs go out the window. Singer/guitarist Mikko Heikkila probably gives the band their gothic touch, as his melancholic vocals add a somewhat somber tone to the otherwise heavy rock and metal song structures. In fact, sometimes his vocals are somewhat of a downer, and too monotonous for his own good, but for the most part it works within the framework of the songs. If the band wants to gain higher acceptance though he might want to add a little variety to his delivery in spots.
The dark and somber tone that blankets much of the album is very indicative of the Finnish scene, and these guys sure do manage to conjure up some bleak yet heavy moments throughout the CD. Tracks like "Fallen", and "A New Day" feature some crunchy guitar riffs, yet there are moments of haunting emotion punctuated by majestic keys or Mikko's dramatic vocals that conjure up plenty of gothic and pastoral images. If you like things a little more upbeat, there is the heavy rock of "Drama For Two", which mixes in some faster riffs and death metal vocal sections, which gives the back end of the CD some extra beef. This might be a style that the band could dive into more on future releases. In addition, the closing track "The Art of Regret" is a doom meets gothic gem, with punishing guitar dirges and Mikko's best vocals on the album, dripping with emotion.
A New Day is a very promising release from a band that perhaps only needs some fine tuning to really make their mark. They have the songwriting skills and the chops, now they just need to focus and put it all together. So be on the lookout, these guys could be the next big thing.
Track Listing
01. Follow Into The Cry
02. Crimson Leaf
03. Sleeping Away
04. Darkness Of Day
05. My Rain
06. Fallen
07. Misery Carnival
08. A New Day
09. Drama For Two
10. The Art Of Regret
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