CADACROSS
This was an album I highly anticipated. This seems to be one of Finland's best kept secrets and after a debut which had me praising them to no end, I could only hope for something equally as good. Corona Borealis isn't the album I hoped for, however. For some inexplicable reason the band have opted not to follow their own lead and stick with what they did on So Pale Is The Light. In short what has occurred is a trade-off, one where energy has replaced dynamics. The band's first album was a deep, multi-layered classic of sorts, while this newest offering compresses things and takes more from the current high-octane, Viking/Neo-Finnish scene. I'm not thrilled with that strategy but I do confess there is much on Corona Borealis that makes it a worthwhile purchase.If you heard the band's first album and plan on picking this one up as well be prepared to adjust your listening expectations. Though the production and sound quality are notably clearer and the vocals much more apparent on Corona Borealis, the band haven't fashioned the same sort of epic sounding tracks they created for the first album. This one seems much more reliant on keyboards and doesn't quite grab the listener like So Pale.... Honestly, this album could have passed for another band entirely. Adding to this effect is the harsh vocalization that now is so much more audible than on the first album its almost shocking to the ears.
I would prefer to focus on the positives since there are some memorable moments on this album. The band have managed to churn out some nice work with the keyboards, something Finnish bands seem to have mastered above all other countries. The sparse addition of female backing vocals is also an interesting ingredient that helps build and sustain atmosphere and depth. Three tracks on this album really stand above all others, those being the immensely catchy "Learn The Dark", the engaging "Forest Remains Victor" and the triumphant "Wreath Of Seven Stars". Certainly if there is one thing that is not lacking on this effort its the consistent crunch of guitar interplay.
Corona Borealis is one of those albums I would like to recommend to all but I'm stopped short. It has taken me longer than I had hoped for me to get into it and though I like it much more now than I did a month ago, I think this is the type of album that will best be imbibed by lovers of Finnish Metal. Perhaps that is most of us these days, which means CADACROSS still get a recommendation. Best served chilled.
