Label : Scarlet Records
Review by Tony Cannella
Thankfully the debut album “Sleep Paralyses” from Finland’s Dotma is NOT sleep inducing. That’s one thing it has going for it, another is the fact that it is loaded with good songs, great musicianship and the operatic vocals of front lady Johanna Lesonen. Clearly, “Sleep Paralyses” has an orchestral power metal vibe that drives the 8-track 50-minute debut. “Sleep Paralyses” begins with the Helloween-ish style guitar harmonies of opener “Legend of Blackbird”. This is a fast paced opening number and one that sets a very high standard for what is to follow. The second track is one that really stood out and became an instant favorite. On “Reborn” Johanna performs a duet with a male opera singer, which is a nice, added touch and something you don’t see or hear very often in the realm power metal, which, combined with an out-of-this-world Yngwie style guitar solo makes this a highlight. “Silent Sunshine” features more solid vocalizing from Johanna and a great, big chorus. Dotma brings the tempo down on the ballad “Indian Fall”. Other highlights include: “Whispering” and “The Cave”. Dotma wraps things up with two epics, the first is the 11-minute grandiose “Kingdom of the Sky” and the 9-minute “Memory Worth Dying For”. In this day-and-age it is easy to think ‘oh great, here comes another power metal band with an operatic female singer’ but on “Sleep Paralyses”, Dotma quickly puts any reservations one might have to rest.
Rating – 85/100
Tracklist
- Legend of Blackbird
- Reborn
- Silent Sunshine
- Indian Fall
- Whispering
- The Cave
- Kingdom of the Sky
- Memory Worth Dying For
Line Up
- Johanna Lesonen – Vocals
- Leo Saarnisalo – Guitars
- Harri Koskela – Keyboards
- Aapo Lindberg – Bass
- Joonas Pykälä-Alo – Drums
Links