In Finland, it seems that melodic Symphonic Metal has a great importance, due to the number of bands of the style that come from those lands. Since NIGHTWISH appeared to the world, more and more bands are following the same formula, but adjusting it to their personality. Let me tell you: to hear and understand what RAVENIA plays is not as easy as it seems. One single listen is not enough to understand and to hear the beauty of "Beyond the Walls of Death", their new album. The whole Symphonic Metal conceptions they use are truly different from what we have already heard before. Their orchestrations are rich, full of different musical instruments, exploring possibilities, with violins, viola, contrabass, melodic and tender female voices, harsh guitar riffs and thunderous rhythmic session. It's like we are watching a film with a Symphonic Metal orientated soundtrack. It's different from what we are used into the style.

The production is also excellent. Nino Laurenne (who previously worked with AMORPHIS, FINNTROLL, LORDI and many others) mixed the album, and Svante Forsbäck (APOKALYPTICA, AMORPHIS, DRAGONFORCE, and others) made the mastering. The result is a fine sound quality that aligns all the musical instruments alike and keeps all of them in the right places. The artwork was done by Jan Yrlund, who created a fine piece of visual art. "Beyond the Walls of Death" is an inspiring album, with excellent songs. All of them are great, and last more than five minutes. But again I must say: the album is not so easy to comprehend. It demands some time to get used to it, but as soon as you decipher its secrets, you'll love it.

You'll be overcome with different emotions as the songs pass by. "For Those We Forsaken" is filled with excellent orchestrations and fine melodic vocals and perfect violins. In the middle of great rhythmic changes and good musical crescendos, the tender vocals bring tears to our eyes due the heroic epic feeling created on "Into Oblivion". The very good work of bass and drums heard on "We All Died for Honor" is a good point, as well as the viola and guitars align in tender and warming melodies. "There is but One Path" has some musical aggressiveness due the great work of the guitars, but the orchestrations done by violins and cellos are incredible, as the vocals charm us with tender tunes. The grandiose symphonic moments created by the orchestrations on "When Darkness Reigns" are really hypnotic to our senses, and "We Stand as One", with its excellent rhythmic session and fine violins and vocals, is a great song. These can be said as the album's finest songs, but as Big Daddy here said above: all of them are excellent. "Beyond the Walls of Death" could be one of the best albums of this year.