Search - Memoira :: Memoira

A Rare Find And a Fantastic Debut!

Taliesin Govannon | www.truealternatives.net | 12/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Every once in a while, a music fan makes that rarest of discoveries....a band that seems to come out of nowhere, that very few others have heard as of yet, and yet blows them out of their seat. One feels as if one has just struck the jackpot, finding a hidden trove of jewels and treasure that is still a mystery to the rest of the world.



That's the feeling I got when I first laid my ears on Memoira, the latest (and greatest) band to come out of the Finnish gothic metal scene. Their debut (self-titled) CD is one of the best debut albums I've heard in 30 years, and one that will redefine what is great and what is merely good in heavy metal music for years to come.



There is so much to the album I hardly know where to start...the production is original, and truly a grand achievement on what I'm sure was a shoestring. I especially like the use of acoustic piano sounds throughout the album. Far too many modern metal bands use keyboards to fill in what would otherwise be a weak sound. Keyboardist Lassi Nuolivaara, however, is an integral part of the band without being obnoxious.



On another geeky-note, the mixing of the guitars panned hard to either side helped make the songs sound huge while still giving them room to breathe.



Special praise has to be reserved for lead vocalist Jemina Pitkälä, for being one of the most intriguing singers I've heard in years. In a post-Nightwish scene of divas competing to see who can "out-Tarja" whom, Jemina's vocals are a breath of fresh air. Her smoky, sultry alto is sensual, passionate, powerful and vulnerable all at once. Hers is a rare vocal talent...total originality. She's the real deal, and one of the most exciting talents of the year.



The album itself is a stunner. Opening with Arise, an aural collage of piano, synth, and audio samples from movies, it segues well into Experementer's Farewell, a driving song with chunky riffing that showcases the band's talents well: dynamics, intellegent arrangement, and a sense of melodic songwriting that sets them in a league of their own.



One thing I want to point out here: this is a project that fell together quickly. The band formed in 2007, and solidified only last year. All too often, bands that come together this quickly have a "sameness" that creeps into their early material, where you can tell that the songs were written by the same person(s) in a very short time. Memoira, however, have a distinctness to their songwriting that gives the impression that they've been working on these tracks for years. That fact alone makes this one impressive debut CD.



Destiny of Yours, the 4th track on the album, has great dynamics that deserve to be singled out. It builds to awesome and well-deserved crescendos.



Tracks 5 through 7...Incurable, Shadow of My Name, and Half Alive, blend together in a mini-concept in the best traditions of Ananthema, Katatonia, and Marillion. All are great in their own right, but I must say that "Shadow On My Name" is one of the best songs that I've heard in years, from anybody. A joint vocal effort on the part of Jemina and Lassi, let me say it's ABOUT BLOODY TIME that a band had a mixture of male and female vocals where the man doesn't sound like he's vomiting up his lower intestine. I mean, I like extreme vocals as much as the next guy, but come on! A melodic woman does NOT mean that the guys have to sound like an ogre.



The next-to-last song, Liberation, is one of the strongest singles I've heard all year. You can check it out for yourself after you're done reading this review...



The anthemic Amortization closes things out, with sound clips similar to Arise, giving things a feel of completeness. This is an album that will stay with you, and demand to be played again and again. Though you might not know it in reading this (admittedly glowing), there are some small flaws, but they only serve to show how much better great can get! OK, well, there is ONE major flaw I found with Memoira's debut: it's length. The album clocks in at just 41:09, making it too damn short!!! I found myself loving this album, and you will, too...The Heathen Hippy gives it 5 rising stars!!!



(To see the original review of this and other cd's, as well as multimedia content related to this release, check out www.truealternatives.net/sub_melodies for more!)"

Nice debut from Memoira....

David Falzano | Boston, MA USA | 09/17/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a solid debut from progressive/gothic band Memoira. It's nothing groundbreaking but once again it is yet another impressive band to come from Nightmare Records headed by Lance King (formerly of Pyramaze). My only problem with this CD is actually nothing the band did wrong, but it is the mastering from Lance King. For some reason I notice on Lance King productions the drums & bass are practically drowned out & the vocals & guitars tend to be much louder. I would assume that maybe King prefers vocals & guitar to be more prominent & that's why he continues to master CDs like he does but I always felt bass & drums are the "backbone" of a great metal anthem & to have those parts really low takes away from the power of the music. On a more positive note, Jemina Pitkälä has a beautiful voice & keyboardist Lassi Nuolivaara plays some memorable melodies. Memoira can continue to be successful with future quality releases such as this one."