Kalmah has come a very long way since their humble beginnings and they have done it fighting perhaps one of metal’s worst labels, the comparison, just because they are from Finland and decided to include some keyboards in their arsenal the Kokko brothers have been label from copycats to mere clones, well now Kalmah comes in and demolishes all the comparisons with a solid and authentic record.

This band has always been fast but “The Black Waltz” just takes their speed and accuracy to a new dimension, Mr. Antti Kokko soars through the songs with powerful, and sharp riffs that carry that melody he’s so respected for, a mix of power metal and pretty much every other genre out there influence his hands to create a melodic and devastating rhythm.

In a song like “Bitter Metallic Side“ the keyboards get extensive segments playing symphony like lines on the back of a powerful drum and the same fast melodic guitars, one of the catchiest songs on the album. Every solo in every song is so fast and clean it feel like a sharp ice sword (an analogy dedicated to all those power metal fans out there!).

“To The Gallows” has an epic sound provided by some background chants, and a simple but extremely effective riff, this song has an awesome keyboard segment and the usual high speed solos that Mr. Antti has us use to.

The vocals have change on this latest release, Pekka now approaches every track with a more “death metal growl” leaving behind the almost black metal screams from previous albums, a very good step forward, showing that Kalmah is not afraid of trying new things.

The album even has an instrumental piece “Svieri Doroga” with acoustic guitars that show just how talented this band is, and the sense of rhythm that they carry in every composition, not an outstanding track but certainly it helps the album by bringing some “color” to it.

“The Black Waltz” serves for Pekka Kokko to show us until what extend his growls are revitalizing Kalmah’s way of approaching their music, this song is melancholic but the speed of the guitars remain the same, a nice song.

In “The Groan Of Wind” the verses carry an easy to follow tempo that helps you get into the track very rapidly, this song has a very “power metal” air running through it, there is a bass segment that slows the tempo and then it helps it begin one more time with the melodic lines that shortly after introduce the growl with that tempo that got you exited the first time you heard any Kalmah album; meanwhile “Mindrust” has a keyboard intro that sounds so very Kalmah, it takes you back to albums such as Swamplord, the song has a more straight up melodic death metal approach on the way Pekka lays down the vocal work, no clean vocals just the tempo of it.

“The Black Waltz” marks a turning point for the Finns, reaching for a more strong presence and solidifying the unique melody that they have possessed since their debut back in 1999.