Some bands choose quantity over quality, some choose quality over quantity and some, like Whispered, choose to do both. Their new album may only have 8 songs, but don’t let that fool you, other than a lot of other recent releases, this album is actually over an hour long. And all the songs feel well thought out, down to the last detail.

The album starts with the first single ‘Ikikaere’ which feels instantly familiar and skilfully connects the past with the present by bringing all the elements of their established sound without feeling like a mere copy of past hits. ‘Heavenbound‘ is a bit harsher and straightforward than most of the songs on ‘Honorbound‘. ‘Shadowblade‘ then starts off slowly but then turns furiously fast and blast-beat driven. It has a darker, less hopeful atmosphere to it.

‘Battlecry‘ has a pretty clear concept, warriors marching into battle although the odds are stacked against them. The melody is nicely catchy and makes it easy to hum, sing or scream along, even after just a few listens.

‘A Warrior’s Dream‘, the shortest song on the album, might have the most clear and direct influences from Japanese music of all the songs on the album. Next up is one of my favourites of the album, ‘Gods of Rain‘ which, due to its length gives the song time to develop slower and more intensely. After a calm intro with strong Asian influences the song grows heavier but keeps flowing naturally between rapid parts and quieter passages.

‘Where the Spirits Thrive‘ is a fast, kinda groovy track that features some very nice guitar riffs. It’s an intense hail down before the final chapter of the album.

As usual Whispered finish their album with a massive long song. The title track of the album ‘Honorbound‘ is a seven-part, almost twenty-four-minutes long epic finale to the journey. It’s easily the most ambitious track they have released to date. The song takes its time setting the scene, with the music growing more and more ambient, before the vocals finally cut in as well after over 5 minutes. Just this song alone could have justified releasing a record. It works both as a conclusion to the rest of the album, as well as a full story of its own.

Whispered is:
Jouni Valjakka (guitar/vocals)
Mikko Mattila (guitar/backing vocals/shamisen)
Olli Paajanen (bass)
Filip Gäddnäs (drums)

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