Finnish band Spirewell make their debut with a remarkable full length entitled For They Speak Against Thee Wickedly; the core of the band is made up of brothers (I presume) Andras and Tamas Miklosvari, who have hitherto been involved with other melodic death and symphonic black bands. Their approach to death doom takes place while maintaining those symphonic characteristics enhanced by Andras’ keyboards, and ends up giving the whole thing a distinct atmospheric component that blends well with a strongly melancholic aftertaste. The album consists of four carrier tracks with an average duration of about ten minutes, interspersed with a short instrumental. The compositional work of the duo from Vantaa is excellently complemented by the fundamental contribution of some guests, such as vocalist Tomas Söderholm, author of a good performance with his growl, drummer Tommi Makkonen-Viheriälehto and guitarist and arranger Markus Heinonen (Astral Sleep and Night of Suicide). For They Speak Against Thee Wickedly is a work that enjoys great depth as well as a distinct personality, as Miklosvari do not follow in the footsteps of their more famous compatriots grappling with the subgenre, as would have been understandable, but rather attempt a slightly different approach, giving more space to airy openings without sacrificing them on the altar of easy melodies. The four tracks are sufficiently different from each other, with the first two having a more symphonic impact and the others a more intimate character at times (the use of the flute in the concluding Lament for Icarus is very appropriate), united by an overall progression that is solemn and dramatic at the same time. Spirewell are another fine surprise churned out from the death doom scene, even if this definition may appear pleonastic when speaking of the prolific and seminal Finnish school.

2022 – Independent