Style: Progressive Metal, Alt Metal (Mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Katatonia, The Contortionist
Review by: Christopher
Country: Finland
Release date: 14 April, 2023
In Israel, national military service is mandated by law for all citizens aged eighteen years old (with some exemptions). In Finland, it seems that all citizens must serve by law in a metal band (presumably with some exemptions). Finland has a population of roughly 5.6 million people and I swear to god every single one of them must be in a metal band because the country is bursting at the seams with them, from titans like Nightwish, Oranssi Pazuzu, Wintersun, Amorphis, Moonsorrow, Apocalyptica or up-and-comers like Sisare, Perihelion Ship, Human by Nature, Humavoid, Devenial Verdict and Pressure Points. While reading you’ve probably thought of another five I’ve missed. Given the country’s prodigious output, metal’s got to be their main export, perhaps even the backbone of their economy.
Today’s group of conscripts to the Finnish cause to improve global aural intake are Alase. A Matter of Time is the sophomore effort from this promising quintet of musicians in search of a permanent singer. To that effect, despite providing vocals for seven of the nine tracks on this album, Juha Tretjakov (of the aforementioned Pressure Points) is credited as a guest. Markus Hirvonen (not the Insomnium drummer—there are four Markus Hirvonen’s listed on Metallum and all of them are Finnish) who provided vocals on their debut returns for “Fate’s Intervention”, while core band-member Janne Lunas provides lead vocals on “Feeling Free” and backing vocals/screams on many other tracks, alongside his guitar and writing contributions.
Katatonia are the main band that spring to mind while listening to Alase. A similar mournful thread runs throughout the compositions, albeit with proggier tendencies: smatterings of The Ocean’s take on post-metal, and some more complex The Contortionist style djenting infuse the generally thick percussion and atmospheric guitar work; the songs operate on a spectrum, from the outright maudlin Katatonia vibe to the heavier djent-inspired songs, and everything in between. Tretjakov’s cleans, which proved such a pleasure to listen to on Pressure Points are similarly satisfying here, his timbre a smooth blend of Akerfeldt and Renske—perfect for the somewhat gloomy vibe.
While A Matter of Time is solid, enjoyable and well-composed, it does lean a little on cliche. Big alt metal hooks, some djenting for complexity points, a bit of post-metal build up for tension. Alase know how to make accessible prog metal, but they shine brightest when they mix things up a bit; when they lean on the formula, the songs start to blur into one a little. The thicker metal riffs, a couple of brief forays into synthetic beats in both “Life Ahead” and “Feeling Free”, and the harsh vocals tend to enliven the album after a couple of more sombre tracks. Hence why “Out of Place” stands out as one of A Matter of Time’s best songs—wonky polyrhythmic riffs and intense atmospheres make it a more dynamic listen than some other tracks. Indeed, the middle of the album sags a little under the weight of the more maudlin tracks, whereas the opening and closing few tracks are somewhat more lively. It makes for an uneven listen but Alase provide many a worthwhile tune.
Finland has a hell of a lot to offer in the music stakes, and Alase are a worthy addition to their country’s incredible output, but struggle to distinguish themselves against the best of their contemporaries. A Matter of Time shines brightest when Alase break away from the accessible and gloomy side of their sound and emphasise the heaviness and intensity, and I hope future releases capitalise on this.
Recommended tracks: Out of Place, The Source, Feeling Free
You may also like: Inhalo, Pressure Points
Final verdict: 6.5/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram
Label: Independent
Alase is:
– Janne Lunnas (guitars, vocals)
– Mikko Häkälä (guitars)
– Ari Miettinen (bass)
– Ville Aatsinki (drums)
– Ninni Swan (lyrics)
– Juha Tretjakov (vocals)
– Markus Hirvonen (guest vocals)
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