Out of all of the Scandinavian nations, Finland is perhaps the one most synonymous with Metal. Metal acts regularly reach high spots in the charts and gain a lot more mainstream attention than they might in many other countries. However, when it comes to Black Metal, the Land of a Thousand Lakes is often sadly over-looked in favor of Norway and Sweden. There are plenty of great bands who create, dark, eerie Black Metal in Finland, but sadly they don't get as much attention as they deserve.

This doesn't mean that there isn't a vibrant scene, however; bands like FUNERARY BELL have managed to garner themselves a respectable cult following, and since their formation in 2007, they've put out some great music. Their latest release, "Graveyard Seance", is no different. This two song EP, although it may seem small and less significant than a full length, might actually be the record that helps gain them some attention outside of their homeland.

The first of these two songs, "Afterlife On Earth", is quite clearly influenced by the much rawer end of the Black Metal spectrum, but is extremely catchy. The guitar hooks sound fantastic, Invoker's vocal performance displays the wide and eclectic range of his voice, from deeper gutturals through to razor sharp shrieks, and of course, the keyboards on this track are used very well. Rather than acting as another instrument with plenty of hooks, the keyboards instead add a nice, dark atmosphere to this track, and really help to beef out the already substantial sound that the band have. The drumming is also varied and inspired, and helps to add to the overall feel of the track in certain sections. The EP's final song is in fact one that many people who have been following this band should be completely familiar with; "Elanor's Garden". It opens to the sound of feedback, and gives way to a strong, mid-paced song that has a few keyboard hooks layered over the top. The vocals on here work very well with the music, and help to really bring the track to life. Normally, a song relying so heavily on the keyboards for hooks might raise a few eyebrows, but this track is so good, and it's done so well, that it doesn't even matter. The guitar solo on here sounds great, with plenty of passionate playing, and it really shows how talented this band is.

The one criticism that I have of this EP is that it's too short. This band are clearly great, and a two song EP that clocks in at less than fifteen minutes has left me wanting more. So I'm off to check out the bands catalogue, and will be eagerly waiting to see what comes next from this band. If, like me, Finnish Black Metal is more or less alien to you, then this is a great place to start in terms of seeing what the underground Black Metal scene over there has to offer. I expect big things to come from this band.