In Somno, is the latest effort of Finnish newcomers Gladenfold. These young power metallers have been sharing their music since early 2003. They have produced two demos before this one and played several shows across Finland. They bring us fast power metal with some folk elements and a nice variation between clean and harsh vocals.

Interesting to know is that these guys started from completely nothing. Some members didn’t even have an instrument when they started the band! If you know that what they play now is pretty technical, you immediately understand that this has potential. In Somno is a four-song EP that comes with one bonus track. Even before listening to the record, my attention got caught by the artwork. Very subtle and, as I later found out, perfectly fitting with the atmosphere their songs bring forth!

 

Their music has the same perfection and is mastered very well. Although there are many bands that play exactly the same type of music, they sound very refreshing and original to me. Sometimes I could hear some Finntroll influence, but a few seconds later I had the feeling I was listening to some symphonic Dimmu Borgir parts (e.g. the symphonic part in 'Kings of the Carnival Creation') performed in a softer way!

 

The mix between clean and harsh vocals is worked out very well. About the instruments I can only speak positive: the guitars, keys and drums are very technical, yet blend in perfectly. The one thing that let me down a little bit was the lack of variation between their songs. I had the feeling I was listening to a 21 minute song instead of five single songs. In my opinion, you can make the most original album ever, if every song sounds the same it will get boring eventually.

 

Gladenfold is one of many newcomers to the genre, and definitely one worth checking out. Now they may not get your full attention, yet... I have a feeling that a complete record of this band will be very well accepted within the power metal scene!