The album starts off with ‘Prelude for the…‘,  a more classical piano intro, that after a while evolves into a more sci-fi soundscape and that transitions almost seamlessly into the heavy but groovy track ‘Broken‘. It’s one of my favourites on the album. The mix between slightly coarse vocals, the heavy riffs and and the more playful keys just works really well.

‘Ghost in the Machine‘ which was originally released as a single back in 2023, sounds a bit too familiar for my liking, even though I can’t quite pinpoint what it reminds me of.
The first single of the album ‘In Motion‘ is a lively song that especially showcases Sami Vuorenheimos wide range of vocals. Read more about the single in our previous article.

Another song I very much enjoy is ‘Ground Zero‘. The raspy vocals during the chorus give it additional depth, that in addition to the lyrics just cutting very deep, but who doesn’t enjoy a bit of emotional damage from the music they’re listening to. (Somehow this song gives me similar vibes to Negatives ‘Until You’re Mine‘)
One of the softer songs of the album is ‘Afterlife‘. Sami does a great job in conveying a great amount of emotions through his voice while the music adds a sorrowful yet also moderately hopeful atmosphere.

‘Dark Matter‘ switches between heavy growled verses and a clear upbeat chorus. The melody is extremely catchy, it reminds me of ‘Bones‘ from Amorphis, given maybe just a little less perfection especially during the clear vocals Sami’s voices cannot quite compete with Tomi Joutsen, but he also has many more years of practice. Another thing I enjoy a lot on this track are the keys that kinda spin through the song like a red thread.

For the final single of the album ‘Pulsar‘, singer Sami found inspiration in trying to combine the sound of Muse, RATM, and Diablo with his own style.

“Allan gave me a song to write lyrics for, and I listened to it on repeat with my eyes closed. I thought about what images and thoughts it evoked in me, keeping the theme in mind. Pulsar was born out of a minor existential crisis.
‘Pulsar’ takes the listener on a journey through the mysteries of the universe and illustrates the endless possibilities as well as the things the human mind cannot comprehend. Inspired by Sigmund Freud, I came up with the idea for a story in which the protagonist moves forward like a ship heading toward a lighthouse, toward the light of the pulsar. The idea that death could be a goal for humans fascinated me at the time. This evolved into a magnificent story about life and its continuation (or renewal) into the next phase.” Sami continues.

The next song, ‘Pariah‘ has some video game and computer music influences in its composition. It’s a perfect blend of sensitivity and anger and it’s almost impossible to not bang your head along at least a little bit. The heavy lyrics fit like two peas in a pot.

‘Freedom Fall‘, another song that had already been released a few years back, brings an eerie calm almost like the eye of the storm. While I like the overall idea of the song, I don’t particularly enjoy the vocals on this one, they just sound a bit too much like Danzig.

‘Nocturnal Queen‘ starts with a calm keyboard intro, which is always something I can appreciate. This song yet again shows a different side of what Sami can do vocally. While I quite enjoy the whole album, this song just hits very close to home and speaks to me on a deeper level than the rest. There is nothing I would change on this track.

‘World of Gods‘ which features Hille Sadehelmi, is with nine minutes by far the longest song on the album, but it feels like just the perfect length to give it time to evolve. The two of them harmonize nicely together and Hille’s vocals add a nice softer touch to the song, that keeps it interesting.

The physical album and Bandcamp exclusive bonus track ‘In The Dark‘ finishes the album off with a bang. It’s faster and harder than most of the other songs.

If you want to hear some of these songs live come to the album release show on Wednesday 23th at On The Rocks in Helsinki.

Blackment is:

Sami Vuorenheimo – vocals
Saalas Ruokangas – guitar & backing vocals
Allan Välimaa – guitar
Väinö Huhtanen – bass & backing vocals
Sebastian Nyandoto – keyboards & backing vocals
Akseli Aalto – drums

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