Whispered: Metsutan – Songs of the Void

Redhouse FMP release 20.5.2016
No idea if this is a new music genre – calling their style ”Samurai Metal”, Whispered from Tampere, Finland, have at least come up with an original and quite fitting definition. Let’s try to describe the 3rd album of Whispered or their sound in general: Nightwish (minus female voc) meets Children Of Bodom meets Japanese folklore, epic bombastic Metal with elements of Speed / Thrash / Black Metal; symphonic, highly melodic, dramatic and atmospheric with the occasional radio play interlude, as if taken from a movie score or a computer game (Warriors Of Yama). Und yes, this mixture works perfectly.

The background story: After forming the band back in 2004, vocalist & guitarist – and Japanese-culture-fan Jouni Valjakka discovered that traditional Japanese instruments like shamisen, shakuhachi and koto perfectly compliment Metal music. Not to mention all those Metal-compatible themes and stories from this cultural environment…
By the way, I can confirm how well this concept works out on a stage, and the band put a lot of work also into the visual presentation of their acoustic master pieces. Summing up, those Samurai from Suomi are absolutely worth to be checked out. Band website

Track list
1. Chi No Odori
2. Strike!
3. Exile Of The Floating World
4. Sakura Omen
5. Kensei
6. Our Voice Shall Be Heard
7. Tsukiakari
8. Warriors Of Yama
9. Victory Grounds Nothing
10. Bloodred Shores of Enoshima