Finland has a long history in terms of rock and metal and it continues to add exciting new chapters that still feel fresh and exciting. The latest addition to the Finish Metal pantheon is Stoned Statues with their eclectic new record Guardian.
Stoned Statues blend a diverse collection of different influences, from 60s classic rock to more contemporary genres of metal and that goes a long way to make Guardian feel fairly unique in the modern landscape of metal. It’s becoming more and more rare to hear clean vocals on heavier records like this although there are still some impressive screams throughout the record.
We currently live in a post-genre world, musicians come from such diverse musical backgrounds that it becomes hard to stick to just one genre. The days of having to decide on what you want to sound like early on are dwindling and Stoned Statues take advantage of that in the best way possible.
There are tracks that sound like Lacuna Coil on ‘You Wanna Believe’ and ‘Guardian,’ tracks that sound like Mastodon on ‘Until Falling’ and even an Alanis Morrisette/Bjork style hybrid with ‘Be My Guest’. It all shouldn’t work on paper but it blends together really well and even adds some tension as the listener is left wondering who or what the next track is going to sound like.
There is even a grand Prog epic directly in the middle of the album, ‘Higher’ feels like a self imposed experiment to create something grandiose and sprawling without having to resort to obnoxious over the top guitar theatrics and create a straightforward rager that is held up by emotive performances from the entire band. It’s a fantastic track that shows a band willing to branch out from their own influences and create something wholly new as opposed to staying in their comfort zone with bands that have influenced them.
Stoned Statues are still a young band and Guardian is a fantastic example of a band showing they have the ability to replicate what they’ve grown up listening to as well as hinting at their ability to blend their influences into something new and exciting.
Guardian is available now via Sakara Records.
