Barren Earth - Curse of the Red River

Release Date: March 31st, 2010
Label: Peaceville Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Curse Of the Red River
2.  Our Twilight
3.  Forlorn Waves
4.  Flicker
5.  The Leer
6.  The Ritual of Dawn
7.  Ere All Perish
8.  Cold Earth Chamber
9.  Deserted Morrows

Total playing time:  54:11

April 30, 2010

Reviewer: Roswell47

At some point each of us has been out of town for an extended time.  Sometimes it's only for a few days.  Sometimes it can be for a week or more.  (And we are really lucky if it's for a vacation.)  Either way, we spend that time away from home sleeping in strange beds in hotels, or in relative's / friend's houses, etc.  When we return home exhausted from our trip, climbing into our own warm, familiar, and comfortable bed is the greatest feeling in the world.  I get the same satisfying feeling when I listen to Barren Earth's Curse of the Red River. 

Curse of the Red River sounds instantly familiar due to its similarities to Amorphis...and with good reason, since the band features two former Amorphis members.  (Olli-Pekka Laine plays bass, while Kasper Martenson covers the keyboards).  I love the Tales From the Thousand Lakes through Tuonela period of Amorphis' career.  Although I enjoy all of Amorphis' releases, the mid-to-late nineties span of albums will always be my favorite.  Barren Earth's Curse of the Red River could easily be a lost Amorphis album recorded between Elegy and Tuonela.  Imagine my excitement when I first heard "Curse of the Red River" and "Our Twilight" coming through my speakers.  It felt like I was home again.    

While Barren Earth are practically late nineties Amorphis incarnate, the band does show other influences as well.  Opeth's influence can be heard in multiple places throughout the album.  In fact, Olli-Pekka Laine has stated that it was actually hearing Opeth's Still Life which inspired him to want to start playing this style of music again, and in turn, eventually form Barren Earth years later with members of Swallow the Sun, Moonsorrow, and Kreator.   

Each band member has contributed his songwriting skills to Curse of the Red River. Some songs are co-written and some are credited entirely to an individual, yet the album remains cohesive throughout its nearly hour-long playing time.  Most of the songs are relatively long, yet they never grow dull due to the expertise of each of the members on their respective instruments.  All of the players fit together like components of one large musical organism with no part ever out of place. 

Sami Yli-Sirnio (Kreator) and Janne Perttila (Moonsorrow touring member) handle the guitar duties.  Unlike some bands, Barren Earth truly utilizes the fact that they have two guitarists.  They rarely play the same thing simultaneously.  Similar to Amorphis, one guitar is often playing folk-influenced melodies over the other guitar's chunky rhythms.  At other times, the guitars are used to play melodies in harmony.  Excellent, emotional leads lift songs like "Our Twilight" and "Curse of the Red River" to new heights when each song reaches the solo section.  Beautiful acoustic guitars make an appearance on "Flicker" and the superb album closer, "Deserted Morrows."  There's really a taste of everything in the guitar work. 

The bass, handled by Olli-Pekka Laine (ex-Amorphis), is round, warm and easily heard.  Yet his playing fits so beautifully and snugly beneath the guitars that you almost don't even notice it's there.  However, if the bass were inaudible, you would definitely miss it.  It's just that the playing is so tasteful and spot on that it doesn't call too much attention to itself unless you are listening for it.

Moonsorrow drummer, Marko Tarvonen, pounds the skins and makes his complicated drumming sound effortless.  He also is credited with writing both "Our Twilight" and "Cold Earth Chamber."  "Our Twilight" is easily one of the album highlights.  It's obvious why they chose to include this song on the album even though it had already appeared on their 2009 EP of the same name. 

Kasper Martenson's (ex-Amorphis) keyboards are one of the main factors that bring Amorphis to mind when listening to Curse of the Red River.  This is the same guy who either wrote or helped write such classics as "The Castaway" and "Black Winter Day."  He contributes "The Ritual of Dawn" and another album highlight, "Forlorn Waves," to Curse of the Red River.  His keyboard solos in both "Forlorn Waves" and "Ere All Perish" sound like they were culled straight from Elegy.  He also furnishes the album with several well-chosen piano melodies. 

Mikko Kotamaki's clean singing is another factor that will remind listeners of Amorphis.  His smooth vocals are very similar to Pasi Koskinen.  These vocals make the choruses of songs like "Curse of the Red River," "Our Twilight," and "The Leer" take flight.  These choruses are some of the strongest moments on an extremely solid album.  Kotamaki brings many other diverse vocal styles to the album.  Much like his work in his main band, Swallow the Sun, Kotamaki growls in a style similar to Mikael Akerfeldt throughout Curse of the Red River.  He also adds spoken vocals to the macabre "Cold Earth Chamber" and low gothic vocals in the vein of Nick Holmes or Aaron Stainthorpe to the epic album closer, "Deserted Morrows."   

Some of Barren Earth's songs may immediately bring Amorphis or Opeth to mind while  other tunes, like "Deserted Morrows," sound much more unique and do not reveal obvious influences.  Either way, the pieces of Barren Earth's Curse of the Red River fit together seamlessly.  If you are a fan of bands like Opeth, Swallow the Sun, or maybe even Moonsorrow you will probably find something to enjoy here.  Or maybe you are like me, and you have been enjoying Amorphis' recent output, but you still find yourself spinning their late nineties albums more often.  If this is the case, you need to run out and buy Curse of the Red River on the double.  Strangely, this album is instantly familiar and feels like a trip back in time, yet it has enough of it's own identity that it still seems fresh and vital.    

*By clicking "Submit" you agree to the following Terms of Use. You agree not to post any material that is obscene, slanderous, or threatening, or that may violate any law of your country of origin or the United States or of international law. Should you wish to restrict viewing of your email address by third parties, you must select "Hide My Email." You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Metal Psalter from any claims, actions, suits, damages, or other costs arising out of any breach of these Terms of Use.

*Comments:

TO THE TOP