Vanha
Within the Mist of Sorrow

Vanha is Finnish for old, so chances are that this band is Finnish, right? And old? Well, I can’t say if they are old but they are from Trollhättan in Sweden and they are a duo who have recently released their debut album called Within the Mist of Sorrow. It is an album with a misty and dark cover, one that looks rather exciting and musically they are about as exciting as they look with darkish and melancholic doom metal. This duo certainly shows both lots of quality and promise.

Musically it is dark, doomy, melancholic, and heavy with growls and clean vocals, with distorted guitars as well as strings and piano. It is an album with depth and power, it is exciting and dramatic, although it may not be that original as they follow in the footsteps of bands like Katatonia or My Dying Bride. But they produce their album really well, it has a very strong sound and I also like that they keep away from awfully long songs like some doom bands have a tendency to make, and that they keep the whole album fairly short with little over 40 minutes of playing time.

I like this album; it has a nice feel of darkness and melancholy and that is an atmosphere that I like. I think they have been really successful with the songs and the overall feel of the album. Sure one can argue about the originality and that is always a valid point but you tend to care less about that when an album is as good as this one. I think they have made really successful debut album and they show good promise as well, Vanha might well be a name to remember – something that of course is a bit harder if you are getting old and senile, if the band name applies to you.

I can recommend this album, especially if you like the similar bands and that kind of music. And in the end I think that this misty and melancholic album has a lot to offer and I really like it. The duo has certainly managed to put together a very strong album.

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