Rioghan
Different Kinds of Losses

Finnish trio Rioghan gives us the debut album Different Kinds of Losses, it follows a relatively successful EP called Blackened Sky that was released quite recently. This album with a cool and interesting artwork gets some guest sports by the likes of Jonas Renkse from Katatonia and Einar Solberg from Leprous, no small profiles in the progressive metal scene. And Rioghan probably have a good chance of becoming a good profile as well, the question is if Different Kinds of Losses is the way there.

It is gothic, progressive, atmospheric metal, often in a lower tempo, a bit poetic, storytelling, or epic. We get ten tracks, all with a one-word-title, a bit uncommon, but not unique. The style is the same, in a way it sounds pretty fresh, but it is nothing really new – not that progressive in the true meaning of the word. The singer is decent, when she goes more aggressive it kinds of falls flat but otherwise it sounds good. There is a strong variation of depth, I think they occupy the listener for most of the almost fifty minutes the album plays for. What can make it seem a bit static is that the tempo is mostly low, but the Riogan is a poet and poems tend to be a little slower in pace; but I still feel that they should have gone for more energy here and there.

Different Kinds of Losses is a good album, it has good songs, compelling atmospheres and things like that. I find it easy to like and to enjoy. I can miss a few more fast-paced additions, but I am not sure that it is that important. It could possibly have created that hit song that I am missing when listening to this album as there is nothing here that really stands out from the rest, and I think that is something that would have benefitted this album. Still, I cannot complain that much as they show that they have both good ideas and the quality to deliver on those ideas.

If you are a fan of the progressive metal, especially the more gothic and atmospheric branch of that subgenre, it is an album worth checking out. I don’t think that it is an album that really stands out and shatters anyone’s list of favourite albums, but it is a solid effort, a good album plain and simple. Rioghan makes a good debut album that is a little too slow to really start mixing it with the best.

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