Too many bands are described as supergroups, without always justifying this. But in the case of Cemetery Skyline, we have a Swedish-Finnish alliance with excellent musicians who have a huge experience and contribution to the scene, playing something completely different from what you would expect from seeing these names together in one line-up.
Vocals by the beloved Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity, The Halo Effect, Grand Cadaver), guitars by Markus Vanhala (Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum), bass by Victor Brandt (Witchery, ex-Entombed/Entombed A.D.), keyboards by Santeri Kallio (Amorphis) and drums by Vesa Ranta (The Abbey, ex-Sentenced, ex-The Man-Eating Tree). So there were many expectations for something special, which was more than confirmed as “Nordic Gothic” is exactly what its title describes.
Cemetery Skyline leave aside their metal background and walk on gothic rock paths. The protagonists are the wonderful atmospheres, melancholic melodies, Kallio’s keyboards and of course the special vocals of Stanne for whom many of us wondered what it would be like if he sang on an album exclusively with clean and not extreme vocals. And guess what, he sounds excellent as always since he blends in perfectly with the material on “Nordic Gothic”.
I have no experience with this particular sound to be able to compare the album with other bands or releases in the genre but it doesn’t really matter since it didn’t take more than two or three listens to win me over and is so far one of my favorites for 2024. Listen for example to the amazing “In Darkness”, “Violent Storm”, the heavier “Behind The Lie” or the mesmerizing “When Silence Speaks” to name a few tracks in an album that doesn’t have a single weak moment.
In conclusion, the “experiment” (if it can be characterized as such) succeeded and “Nordic Gothic” is a wonderful creation by musicians who, although they have nothing to prove for their talent and quality, surprise us with this different proposal. I only hope that Cemetery Skyline is not a temporary project but something that will last, both in studio and in concert venues.
