For the Baronborn in 2015, it’s time for the debut album: “Beneath the Blazing Abyss”.
For it, the style adopted is the classic blend death/doom, at least according to the biographical notes which, like many others, fear the aforementioned mixture as a genre in its own right. Which isn’t true because it’s either death or doom; at least in the opinion of the scribe. In this specific case we can easily talk about the first of the musical styles mentioned, with abundant slowdowns in which we dig deeper into the human soul to explore its peculiarities, if they exist.
Beyond the definitions which, as we know, are time consuming, it is important to observe first of all that the sound developed by the Finns is simply monumental. Both when they go at three hundred kilometers an hour and when they decelerate to the point of almost stopping. Which is probably the main characteristic of a combo devoted to musical aggression during the faster songs, in contrast to the peace of mind found in the slower ones.
As a second note, it is worth noting that, as happens more and more often nowadays, a conspicuous atmospheric component is inherent in the LP; which explodes in the long, articulated and successful suite which responds to the name of ‘Bound to the Funeral Pyres’. Furthermore, in it the artistic philosophy that underlies the musical structure of the LP itself is clearly perceivable. And that is the already mentioned cross between rapid, convulsive, rumbling segments and moments in which it is pleasant to close your eyes to enjoy the daring melodies composed with evident naturalness (‘At the Dawn of Damnation’).
Tommi Astala, in addition to performing on the acoustic guitar, he is a singer with a deep growling, the kind that does not allow compromises, which is scary just to listen to it due to the abysmal depths of the ether that it reaches like a bathyscaphe, just to give you an idea. He is joined by him Jerry Tamminen who, in addition to being a guitarist, lends his parched uvula to the vocal lines, making them varied and unpredictable. Not only that, acting as a programmer for all the special effects that can be heard here and there scattered throughout the album (‘…Swallowed by Fires Beneath’a totally ambient song).
Thus creating that aura of the unexpected like the one mentioned above. Which is a point in favor of no small importance, because it keeps the attention of users high, forced – so to speak – to stay focused due to the fact that what happens now is by no means guaranteed to happen later. All this, in addition to attracting the curiosity of extreme metal fans, gives an uncommon longevity to the entire work.
Strangely, moreover, the programmed effects are not designed to create the usual dark and dark mood but rather to project the mind with its visionary nature into an enormous spaceship in which men of the future walk, busy with their tasks before a mission. space. Cars. Industrial. Here, then, is what makes it truly remarkable “Beneath the Blazing Abyss”. The absolute variety in first imagining and then writing songs that are completely different from each other but closely linked to the style which at this point could be defined as unique.
A very adult, mature style, which does not present fraying or hesitations due to a precise idea of what one wants to build. That is, something kaleidoscopic but which, from whatever point of view you observe it, always presents the same shape. So much so, just to cite an example, that in the opener-track ‘Primordial Possession’in which the BPM rises thanks to the powerful blast-beasts of Juuso Hämäläinen, you can hear a perfect and very violent solo in which the two guitars continuously exchange roles in the manner of heavy or thrash. A gem that, in death metal, is not so easy to find.
After all, in the end, we know: bands coming from the Scandinavian peninsula rarely miss the mark. And once again the theorem is proven. This time come on Baron and from theirs “Beneath the Blazing Abyss”.
Daniele “dani66” D’Adamo
