Diablo
Silvër Horizon
Sony Music
Release Date: Out Now
Review by Salla Harjula
Finnish metal quartet Diablo were just making a name for themselves internationally when they announced an indefinite break seven years ago. Now, they are back with an album that should raise them to at least the same level if there’s any justice in the world.
There are lots of signature Scandinavian elements in their sound. It’s melodic, amazingly well produced, the guitar riffs and solos can only be described as bloody effective, and holy shit it’s aggressive. To put them in any musical category than their very own would be selling them short however. Their sound really isn’t quite like anyone else’s, even if it’s made up of all classic metal ingredients.
Silvër Horizon is more progressive than anything the band has ever done. Easy aggressive hooks are traded in for ambitious songwriting and breath-taking musicianship across the board. The sheer creativity of the drumming especially is something you can’t help but pick up on, even if your thing is usually the melodic aspects of music.
The musicianship is so impressive that the relatively unpolished style of the singer creates a contrast that isn’t always positive. He’s powerful in his ‘Finnish manly roar’ thing though.
There’s such a lot going on in every song that absorbing everything takes awhile. Incredibly, this doesn’t mean it’s difficult music. It’s ballsy and melodic, and just because the fabric of every song is complex, it doesn’t mean you can’t headbang to it immediately. Because hell yes you can.