Review | Marko Hietala – Roses From The Deep

Nuclear Blast Records

Marko Hietala, the charismatic musician and singer known for his long career with Nightwish and Tarot, is set to release his highly anticipated 2^nd album `Roses From The Deep’ in February. The album marks Hietala’s triumphant return to solo work since his acclaimed 2020 release `Pyre of the Black Heart’, previously released in Finnish as `Mustan sydämen rovio’. His second album is a captivating fusion of (less) dark, introspective lyrics and sweeping, cinematic soundscapes, exploring themes of fragility, resilience, and the search for light in shadowy times. Drawing from a wide array of influences like myth, nature and human experiences, Hietala crafts a genre-defying record blending progressive and melodic rock with hints of folk and symphonic metal.

NIGHWISH ERA

Falling back onto his band recording the first record, consisting of renowned recording guitarist Tuomas Wäinölä, drummer Anssi Nykänen (Sarcofagus) and keyboardist Vili Ollila, who left Marko’s band upon completion of the recording being replaced by Bob Engstrand of Turisas and Von Hertzen Brothers fame. Hietala’s band connects immediately with the robust melodic sound of the debut, going forward with impressive chops. Highly melodic and intensely gripping, the songs impact immediately. Connecting on a deeper level the lyrics also resonate, with the instrumentation shaping the songs intense content.

Steering away from the darker tendencies of the debut, rooted in his depression and closure of chapters channeling a more ominous haul, Hietala clearly found an upward spiral as can be felt on the album. ,,Frankenstein’s Wife” draws together his past and present with the opening chorus landing in his Nightwish era, while the melodics are more downplayed to melodically thrive. Marko’s vocals are versatile and vibrant, aligned with the melodic hooks of the track. Stretching his vocal lines with an agonic grin, while later echoing like a tenor, Marko puts in his heart and soul.

TARJA

Musically the keys are high tech and ominous, very cinematic, while the wall of guitars is squashing with heavy riffs and licks. Like the opening track, ,,Left on Mars” also preceded the album as a video single, raising expectations for the album. With its riff and keyboard harmonized, there’s a generic Led Zeppelin ,,Kashmir” vibe at the center. Cinematic soundscapes and Hietala’s growling bass licks propel it, setting the perfect outline for Tarja’s piercing clean soprano voice countering into Hietala gutted delivery. Duetting the duo fluently revives their Nightwish heydays when keys drizzle into the mix and the guitar solo reflects with Edwyn Collins sound perfectly matching the futuristic mystic of the song.

On ,,Rebel of the North” Marko fuses brisk hooks and parading stance with mythical lyricism, with his vocals invigorating chill roaring. It immediately reflects his personal struggles overcome: “I need a challenger to bring me down and fight me”, to reflect “…if I claim authority, that’s where I go wrong”. He belts out the lyrics with stride while the guitar roars and moans.

ROCK AND COUNTRY ELEMENTS

Songs like the above contrast profoundly with tracks like Deep Purple pumped ,,Proud Whore”, the chilling heavy 8-minute epic ,,Dragon must Die” full of medieval toned instrumentation and rousing haul, before the Hammond takes the helm with cascading notes tied directly into the barking guitar solo. Both stand as powerful testament to Marko’s creative force as a composer and arranger. Drawing contemporary rock elements with country strumming acoustic interplay underneath the epic symphonic action of the bridge and chorus. The storming accolades of his past epic symphonic metal career is keenly mixed into the melodic metal tracks, augmenting with rich texture like on the wonderful ,,Impatient Zero”. The snarling riffs and gutted vocals are in line with the song’s urging poise.

Screaming guitars in the back portal transcend into a blistering solo that lashes back at the rolling bass chords. Following the solo Marko displays his fine-tuned feeling traversing the message atop his bass licks now running point. Retaking its elemental form, the song’s breakdown is powerful and pitches the band’s insane momentum performing. Reverting the riff that Hammond and synth rain into the mix with the bass pulsating and spitting out chordal dynamics.

STUNNING BALLADS

Bringing his Finnish native language into play ,,Tammikuu” (translated ‘Januari’) brings an uplifting spirit of fight and brawl with heavy bass chords in growling tenure, with the guitars firing up to upheaval. There’s a new start felt in the fabric of the song, and moments of reflection in the section that cooks with chants and weeping guitars, before the storming elements return to the fold and Marko scats his striding vocals and bates out the lyrics with a snarling cringe.

Two stunning songs are the withering ballads ,,Two Soldiers” and the title track, both submerging you in melancholy while boasting intrinsic passion. The first is very elemental, gradually building, with piano and a narrative part that burst into its finale that is densely orchestrated with strings atop. ,,Roses from the Deep” goes deeper and has jazzy drums complemented with lush bass playing and guitars fused onto the string arrangements. The guitar solo is lush and warm, with supporting strings subdued into the mix, slowly picking up their momentum alongside the weep of the solo. It is however Hietala’s wonderful vocal delivery that makes it all work. Marko displays an impressive range with wonderful warm tone, augmenting his frailty and passion, maintaining melodic prowess as the song unfolds.

MARKO HIETALA – THE CONCLUSION

Marko Hietala’s `Roses From The Deep’ is a masterful exploration of musical versatility and personal transformation and transition. Blending symphonic metal roots with introspective songwriting, the album showcases the exceptional keen vocal delivery of Marko Hietala and his compositional prowess. Each track reveals a nuanced journey of resilience and artistic growth, making this album a compelling testament to his continued musical evolution.

This is a must have for fans of the genre and Hietala’s musical legacy, while it will also immediately link with melodic metal enthusiast across the board. Being released on CD it also sees its release on a deluxe 2LP limited edition on Oxblood deep red vinyl, that unites the artwork in style.

Release date: 7 February 2025

(An interview with Marko Hietala will be online soon.)