SINISTHRA is a Finnish band formed in 1999 by Tomi Joutsen, singer/songwriter for AMORPHIS since 2005. "The Broad And Beaten Way" is their second full length album, released on Rockshots Records on 15 May 2020. The first, and to me most notable difference from AMORPHIS is all vocals on this record are clean. None of the six tracks contains a single growl or scream. Since Tomi is adept at both, this will not present a problem to fans of his other band(s). Next, there is a lot more "melodic" music on this record. While there are still some driving guitars and pounding rhythms, there are many more ethereal moments as well. This epic six-part tale describes the fall of man and our journey from paradise to where we are now.

The first track, "Eterne", starts with a harder edge. It is down-tuned and crunchy to start, turning more melodic for the verse and chorus. Lyrically, it speaks of losing ourselves and our way, but not losing Eden, our paradise. With lyrics about the rose's thorn causing us to bleed, and our blood causing roses to grow, it sounds like we have caused some of our own misery, but there can be beauty, even in the bleakest of situations. Much of this is what we make of it.

Next comes the epic 13-minute "Closely Guarded Distance". Here is another song that starts with an outstanding intro. The dual guitar attack is fierce and the underlying rhythm drives the song like a race car. Dropping into the verse, the guitars virtually disappear and the keyboards take the forefront. The chorus picks back up and has a nice doom-laden undertone. The "debate" in the middle (Stay/No/Please stay/I will do no such thing) occurs in softer voices with an alien sound covering the discussion. Moving on, there is a feeling that our guy is not ready for this. He's also too late shielding himself from the harms of life and love. The ethereal tones evoke feelings of loss.

"Halfway To Somewhere Else" is a somber, gloomy piece about not quite being able to cross over to the other side, like our spirits are stuck here and the bridge we need to cross is too far. The goal, the place we need to cross over to, is "Morningfrail", both a lyric and the next song, continuing the theme. This song has a slow, almost haunted intro that leads to a nice kick for the chorus. For the next six minutes, the song surges back and forth, working us farther through the journey we are on. With another delicate intro, "Safe In The Arms Of Everlasting" spends much of the time moody and brooding in it's tone, with flashes of heaviness to keep you drawn in. This song fades out with a gentle synth tone that carries us into the last song on the album, "Ephemeral". This is a nice wrap up of the record, incorporating themes from throughout the album lyrically. The orchestration behind this song is more prominent than in most of the other songs.

Overall, this is a good album. Not as heavy as AMORPHIS, this disc relies more on gloomy, doom filled tone that evokes feelings of somberness and sometimes remorse, not that I would expect happiness and uplifting melodies when speaking of the downfall of man and the loss of paradise. Fans of Tomi Joutsen will not be disappointed in this project.