By: AvNatten

Posted: Dec 7, 2005

The melancholy oozes out of the speakers as the new album from Finland's ShamRain plays. When the band formed they were intent on making music that was dreamlike, this they have accomplished with "Someplace Else". Their style of melancholic rock laced with emotion and darkness is captivating and will pull you within its shadows.

The tracks are lead by Mika Tauriainen's great vocals. He brings a lot of emotion to the songs and does a good job at displaying different sides of his voice. At times his voice is soothing, other times it is haunting and gives a very depressed feeling. Tauriainen's voice is showcased by the instruments which stay subdued in the background. The music is played at a slow pace which overall adds to haunting and hopeless feelings. The guitars handled by Kalle Pyyhtinen and Mikko Kolari have an eerie quality to them, notes are picked in a low clean tone and are accented by the presence of an acoustic guitar playing soft chords. The drums move along at slow rhythms with the bass and provide a good foundation for the atmospheres to be laid upon. The keyboards on "Someplace Else" are very fitting and add tons of atmosphere to the songs. They too are kept in low tones and blend well with the other instruments.

The track that has gotten the most plays by me is 'Laren U Freht Ona'. It instantly stayed with me after the first listen. The feelings and emotions displayed in the music, vocals, and lyrics combined make this track a great one. There are a few tracks on the album that employ the use of female vocals as well, but they too blend in well and do not become unnecessary. The disc closes with 'The Empty Flow', a sorrowful track that almost reaches the ten minute mark. After repeated listenings to the disc some songs tend to sound quite alike, perhaps in the future Shamrain can remedy this with a little more diversity.

Although this is not the type of music I typically listen to I have found some pleasure in listening to the world that ShamRain have created. The songs are fairly easy to get into and should prove to be popular to those who enjoy this style as well as those who are looking for something out of the ordinary to lay their ears upon. Anyone looking for a dark, gloomy place to express their emotions should search out "Someplace Else".

Rating: 7/10

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