KALMAH are a melodic death metal band out of Oulu, Finland, formed in 1998. The band was previously known as ANCESTOR from 1991 to 1998. This is their 8th full length record entitled "Palo", release through Spikefarm Records on April 6^th, 2018. It contains 10 tracks and a total of 46:05 of music.

"Blood Ran Cold" does not leave too much in ways of anticipation, it is a straightforward powerhouse of a song, filled with a very "bassy" atmosphere, and shredding melodies. "Evil Kin" , the first single released for the album, follows nicely, even though it does show a bit more melody and harmony in the guitars, and puts more emphasis on the solos as well. "The World of Rage" fits its title like a glove, it is a very violent and chaotic piece of music, that is very easy to get lost in, but it does get back on track and follow the patterns we have been accustomed to with these guys. It's one of the best tracks you will hear in the genre today.

"Into The Black Marsh" gets its point across with the trademark headbanging rhythm guitars, we have known to love from Finland's melo-death masters. This one is much easier to keep track of. "Take Me Away" is a much different tempo, somewhat of a power-ballad in its intro, with some interesting slower melodies, the guitar work of Anti and Pekka Kokko shines through here with very audible harmonics. "Paystreak" has everything you would expect, pounding drums and very thrashy vibe, with some punch on the keyboards and some cool blasbeats. "Waiting on the Wings" follows perfectly with its catchy notes and very grindy bass tones.

"Through the Shallow Waters" would be the perfect song for an expedition in the swamps, and this really brings me back to their old school days of "Swampsong" and "Erase and Diverge" follows in the latter's footsteps with distorted keyboard effects and memorable riffs, and this leads us into a much calmer outro "The Stalker" , where we can really hear Timo Lehtinen's bass lines well. The final track keeps a much relaxed tempo and is a great ending point.

Overall, every song here is excellent. In a genre where very few bands can stand out from the pack. KALMAH has always been a leader in mixing aggression with emotion. The only downside here for me was the production, which I felt was lacking at times, and seemed very "muddy", which can deter the keyboards from being on pair with the guitars, but that is the only negative aspect of what is an amazing album.