VANGUARD – Succumbra

This is how I like it! What VANGUARD came up with as their first album is off the score! World be prepared for that new Finnish impact. I first encountered VANGUARD at the Wacken Open Air 2004 and got infected. Since then I’ve been waiting to get my hands on their first work.
It’s clear from the first second on: Something special has grown up in the high north. Not only in numbers the Finns make an impression. All seven acquire from a huge musical fund. Sure, the idea to come up with a cello player is not new and a contrastive female voice joining deep grunts is very in at the moment, but still it sounds good. Though, in case of Jori and Suvi we do not have leading and supporting vocals, but two soloist voices. The whole piece bristles with energy launching an emotional firework. There is no need for VANGUARD to fear being compared with Tristania, Sirenia or early Theatre Of Tragedy. They can cope with that.
It’s hard for me to recommend certain Songs. Therefor the whole piece is too much of a single piece of art. Still highlights are Forgive, Bitheon and Wurmtod. It will be hard to escape the power of Succumbra once you listened to it anyway. So just dive in and enjoy.