SUPERDEATHFLAME is a Melodic Death Metal band from Finland, formed in 2007. They released their debut full-length in 2011, and now, eleven years later, return with their sophomore effort, titled "Dead is Dead." The album contains eight tracks. "Innocence" leads off the album. The song opens with some furious beats and strong melodies in the keys and guitars. The mixture of harsh and clean vocals gives the songs some breadth, and the band plays in tight arrangements.

"Dead is Dead" is a sadder affair, but also one without the complicated landscape we heard in the previous track. "Dying Embers" is a winner. Opening with a stalwart riff and some backing leads, the cleans in the chorus bring with it some melody. This song is well constructed and has a good deal of various elements, especially the keyboards in the final chorus. "Darkest Mind" begins with some guitar harmonies amongst the heavy landscape of rhythms. The middle section asserts its domination, with free flowing melodies and tight, crushing riffs. "Untold Burden" opens with melodic keys before the guitar harmonies come ramming in. The verse is as ardent as anything but the chorus shoots high into the clouds.

"Inside the Chamber" also begins with more fantastic keyboard parts. The verses are hardened but the chorus shines once again. The combination of clean vocals, keys and harmonic guitars are a sure fire platform to success in the genre. "Falling in Shades" is another heavy offering that is tempered with melodies. Although they use this formula often on the album, it's still fresh sounding. The guitar work is also excellent. "Pain" closes the album. It opens with aggressive and ardent tones mostly in the guitars and vocals. The short keyboard interlude moves the sound forward with despondent tones, and you can feel the pain sharply.

One thing that I have learned in the past several years of writing...you can always count on the Fins for deliver a creative and unique listening experience. For the genre of Melodic Death Metal, several elements can lift an album from a common experience to a fruitful one, and SUPERDEATHFLAME has them all on "Dead is Dead." Unlike a lot of their American counterparts, they don't just rely on the heavier elements in their sound, but add brilliant moments of melody with the use of clean vocals and keyboards. There is a lot to like about this album for sure.