All the way from Finland we are graced by COLDBOUND and the latest album "The Gale". If you are a fan of Melodic Blackened Death metal with hints of Doom, this is a band for you. Pauli Souka (also ARVAS and WINTERTHRONED) is a Metal genius in my opinion and i believe you will agree after listening to this amazing album.

The intro to "The Gale" is the track "61° 43' N 17° 07 E." I can honestly say this intro track is epic as fuck! It makes me think of AMON AMARTH meets IMMORTAL. "The Invocation" is the second track on "THE GALE" is brilliantly written and is a really great foundation for the rest of the album. Next up is the song "Endurance " hits pretty hard in the beginning and then slows down to tell a story and jumps back into the deep riffs. I envisioned myself somberly galloping horseback into battle.

At number four "Mysolace" keeps the album well balanced with both slow melodic parts and then hits with a Doom/ Death feel. Id have to say this is also one of the best tracks. The self titled track "The Gale" changes up the whole game and delivers a beautiful brutality that is hard to describe. All i can really say is HOLY SHIT THIS IS FUCKING PERFECT! This track stands out from the rest and is my number one favorite on this journey! All of the instruments and vocals meld together in a harmony that is hard to produce when it comes to Metal.

The sixth track "The Eminent Light" is a wonderful slower paced but still intense song. The guitar work and orchestration on this track truly made it one of my favorite songs. It also features Paulina Medepona adding vocals which fit really well. I really recommrnd this one. "Winters Unfold" comes in at number seven. This is most assuredly one I will be adding to my metal playlist. If this album had a fight song "Winters Unfold" would be it. I found myself wanting to jump into a non existent pit. "Shades of Myself" the second to last song on this album, brings it back home so you can reflect on what has transpired. Its a perfect song to slow headbang to and sit back, relax and envision what is to come in the finale.

And now for the end of this intense journey. "Towards The Sweeping Skies" is a wonderful way to close out this album. It is a slower song but it still has an intensity to it. I absolutely loved everything about it. The end of the song ends as the album began a nice peaceful stream which brought it all back together. All in all I would have to say "The Gale" is now one of my all time favorite albums. I appreciated everything it had to offer and can't wait until the next album, until then I will have this one close at hand. This will probably be one of the few times I will do this while writing reviews, but i give this album a perfect score of 10/10. Keep up the great work Pauli Souka, it can only get better from here! COLDBOUND "The Gale" is a masterpiece.