While I tend to think more of Sweden when it comes to Scandinavian countries that are regularly pumping out quality heavy metal, Finland’s also had its fair share of noteworthy bands over the years and it’s always exciting to discover ones I was unfamiliar with before. One recent find is Helsinki based Amoth, who formed back in 2006 and pull in equal amounts of progressive rock/metal and heavy metal with a theatrical flair that’s sure to remind listeners of King Diamond. This year’s The Hour of the Wolf finds Amoth returning after a six-year gap, and it finds them reuniting with vocalist Pekka Montin who last appeared on 2011’s Crossing Over and is also a recent recruit to Ensiferum. While these guys may only have four releases total over their sixteen-year history, after spending time with The Hour of the Wolf it’s clear they’re focused on quality over quantity and have some surprising twists and turns to offer listeners.
A lot of the Scandinavian heavy metal bands I’ve reviewed over the years have utilized that same emphasis on speed and galloping riffs that defined the classic NWOBHM period, but right from the start of The Hour of the Wolf it’s clear that you’re in for something that pulls from a wider range of influences. The appropriately named “Alice” opens things up with bouncier guitar work that feels like it’s paying homage to Alice Cooper along with some 80s AOR, but by the halfway point the type of shredding you’d expect from NWOBHM also makes an appearance. This is only scratching the surface of what Amoth has to offer on this album, as some of the later tracks take on a darker aesthetic that has a bit of a gothic tone while the two-part “Wind Serenade” offers up instrumental tracks that fall somewhere between Joe Satriani and 70s progressive rock. There are even some jazzier moments, and with Pekka Montin providing keyboards for the first time in the band’s history the material often strikes a fine balance between melody and heaviness. The production values help to make these different elements stand out, as when that heavy metal fire comes roaring back in this album has the power one would expect but the melodies also are able to soar into the clouds. No matter where Amoth chooses to go there’s a theatrical feeling to the material, which suits the horror aesthetic the artwork is channeling and is where I’m reminded of King Diamond. Admittedly a few of the longest songs do start to drag, as “The Man Who Watches the World Burn” and the title track lost my attention around the halfway point, but the sheer amount of variety and proggier solos mixed with heavy metal hooks that the rest of the album offers make up for it.
I’m not familiar with Pekka Montin’s performance on the most recent Ensiferum album or Amoth’s 2011 full-length, but he left a strong impression on me throughout The Hour of the Wolf. “Alice” starts things off on the melodic side of the spectrum, with a mix of powerful heavy metal singing, falsettos, and soaring choruses that would feel right at home on 80s rock radio. It showcases a little bit of everything Montin can do in one track, and the performance remains varied for the remainder of the album. At certain points his voice gets a bit gruffer and heads almost towards thrash territory, while “Traces in the Snow” shows off a pitch that’s much more gothic inspired and reminds me more of HIM or The 69 Eyes than the influences I wasn’t expecting quite this level of variety to the vocals, and it helped to make Amoth stand out a bit more from other bands of this type.
There are some moments that drag a bit and lose some of their impact, but the dips into progressive rock and even some jazz give Amoth a bit more staying power than some of their peers. They succeed when finding that perfect balance between melodic hooks and shredding, powerful heavy metal, and it’s clear that the longer time spent between releases has really allowed this band to get much closer to their full potential. I think if they can either reign in some of the lengthier moments or vary them up even more that album number four could get them into that A level, but this effort has been a pleasant surprise that I’ve found myself wanting to return to. The Hour of the Wolf is available from Rockshots Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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