Beyond Abilities

Album review

Warmen is the cleverly titled project from keyboardist Janne Warman and guitarist Antti Warman. Performing complicated metal instrumentals along with regular songs with a revolving door of guest vocalists, this project is one of the more complex items to come out of the metal underground. The instrumentals are very striking; the opening title track sounds like a video game soundtrack with its precise and powerful phrasing. The amazing guitar playing from Antti is really top-notch, and the songs create incredible textures behind him to really accent his abilities. The songs with vocalists are varied; songs like "Hidden" bring to mind Deep Purple with that band's dark melodies and cold organ parts, while elsewhere Warmen covers Heart's "Alone" with all the power and bombast of the original. Singer Kimberly Gross makes the best impression of all the guest vocalists, although Timo Kotipetto and Pasi Nykanen also deliver solid performances. But Gross' voice fits the material the most, making her two songs a real treat. This is actually a very tight album, and the band not only plays but also writes memorable songs. Fans of progressive metal should give this a chance; there are some awe-inspiring instrumentals and catchy choruses that deserve to be heard by a larger audience.
© Bradley Torreano /TiVo