Fall Of The Leafe - "Vantage" (Firebox)

This album came across like an unexpected curve-ball. Fall Of The Leafe's debut album, Volvere, was a darkly majestic, sweeping gothic affair. Vantage is rather different.

Eschewing the morbidity and gloominess of the Finnish Gothic Rock scene that spawned them, the band now sounds like they have much more in common with Pearl Jam at their most introspective than anyone else. This is most evident in Tuomas Tuominen's vocals, which sound almost identical to Eddie Vedder - only somehow deeper and more arresting.

This is by no means a bad thing, as the band have much more of an identity now than they did previously - despite the striking vocal similarity, Fall Of The Leafe do have a very unique blend of grunge, hard rock and gothic rock. The latter is far more understated than any other element, but there are some idiocyncracies that almost all Scandanavian bands have; an air of slight melancholy.

Like Pearl Jam playing Gothic Rock, or Sentenced playing Seattle Grunge... It's very good. One gripe: there's not much variation between songs, so it can feel like you're listening to one (very) long song, instead of 12 great rock songs. This is why I haven't picked out any specific stand-out songs to draw your attention to. But, despite the formulaic songs, I do find myself continuously drawn back to it. Perhaps this album is perfect for the argument against constantly changing styles and being overly varied on an album. It's certainly become one of my albums of the year.

If you're looking for something a little different, and unafraid to follow a path that isn't in vogue, then Vantage is an album you should pick up.