At first, I thought that these guys were a Gothic band. What would you think if you saw a band with a guy that holds a cello? They are all dressed in black and stuff like that. Thank god, my first impression was disconfirmed when I placed the CD in my CD player. I think that you will find this band interesting, too.
HEVEIN is a Finnish band that was formed in 1992. As you have noticed, this band features ex-APOCALYTPICA cellist Max Lilja. They have released numerous demo CD's and EP's. Now it's about time they released a full-length album, to be more precise, their debut album. They have also managed to play as a support act to STRATOVARIUS and HAMMERFALL, even if in my opinion they don't match musically to these bands.
So, HEVEIN's music could be described as melodic Heavy/Thrash Metal, enriched with many modern elements. In this album, you can find from aggressive outbreaks to melodic breaks and symphonic touches. I can't say that I liked their music a lot but these guys are definitely something fresh in the Metal scene. While listening to Sound Over Matter I noticed influences from diverse bands like SOILWORK, APOCALYPTICA, IN FLAMES and generally many Swedish elements. The good thing in this band, is that violins, cellos etc. don't play the role of simple background instruments, but most of the times play the lead melodies and give HEVEIN's sound a more melodic and dark atmosphere. The vocals vary from clean melodic to distorted and aggressive. These guys seem to keep a perfect balance between melody, emotion, aggression and brutality. The production is great and makes the sound a bit polished, the way it should be.
I don't know if this is one of the best debuts that has been released in the last years, but I definitely know that it is one of the most interesting. If you are looking for something modern and fresh, you have just found it. Be sure t check this album out!