The predecessors Winternight Tragedies, ChaosBorn or Eskhata are show-pieces of Nordic-cold musical art. Concerning the new album the term art is not less inappropriate. At first sight Location: COLD seems unspectacular and done without any risks: the producer and the studio stayed the same and the visual packaging did not change either – the band keeps up the tradition of the endearing wolves on the cover.
The acoustic tools also are the same: raging songs, egregious refrains and fantastic melodies. The keyboard still got its place, but it’s not present all the time – mostly it appears when breaks are set effectively; and this aspect contributes to the alternation additionally. CATAMENIA’s peculiarity is represented in their sweeping, in the front whipping compositions. Despite all high speed, the Finns fortunately don’t forget to have an eye on the power of mid-tempo parts. Some marginal changes happened in the vocal area, the clear voice is used more often without exaggerating this stylistic device. A fistful of songs start with a few slower measures, but they are detached by typical high speed attacks quite soon. The secret is to enforce these passages by the disposal of groovy interferences. CATAMENIA plays some trumps already with the opener The Tribe Of Eternity: end-to-end high classy melodies, controlled slamming and a hissing voice. After this promising beginning, Gallery Of Fear closes in and the danger to fall into monotony is counteracted with a short keyboard interlude; the speed is throttled to create anew contrast.
Three compositions stick out of the arsenal in high quality songs a little bit: at first Coldbound, which is blessed with a sensational melody and meliorated by clear vocals in supplementary dimension. I don’t want to miss this track in the set list! Then certainly the title song Location: COLD must be mentioned – predestined as one hymn among many, a bit more borne and a chorus, which lends itself best to be bellowed!
Repeatedly the keyboard shows up after two thirds of the playing time and takes over the melody line to augment the dynamic vastly. The Day When The Sun Faded Away functions the same way offering a guitar chord which will for sure unleash hell when played on stage. I don’t want to mischief the other songs, if I do not mention them specially – all material holds a quality level I only can admire. The band gets on with another tradition, namely the one to perform in national language taking place in the form of furious rushing Tuhat Vuotta. All this may sound not new, but CATAMENIA does not set the main focus on novel influences or experiments, but rather ranges within one stylistic, pushing it forward to perfection with every release. The creative capability seems exhaustless and my nerves are on the edge envisioning future outcomes.
What is the reason that I don’t disperse the maximum amount of points? Yep, the cover version I Wanna Be Somebody is nice but dispensable; in addition to that, Expect No Mercy sounds unspectacularly. Apart from these disfigurements, this album displays an accustomed premium release! My ardour for this is expressed best with a citation occurring in the title song: I want to live and die in Location: COLD!!!