Marko Hietala, one of the only artists out there holding the RMR crew’s unwavering respect. He – of course – will remain forever famous as one of Nightwish‘s main pillars. Until he chose to retire from the band back in early 2021, that is, done with a statement that made for somewhat grim reading.
Now, in the meantime, Hietala popped up here and there in a variety of venues and roles. Raskasta Joulua’s 2022 x-mas piece was – surprisingly – the first time he reappeared on our radar already. And this told us that he definitely would stay with us for a while still.
But as the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind. The RMR zine kinda lost touch with the man himself after that one. Until such time that this here solo album – Roses From The Deep – appeared at our doorstep. Question is, will his usual zest hold throughout the lengthy, meandering tracklist of some 58 minutes? They’re not getting younger, you know, and good vitamins are scarce.
Well, one thing is certain. The man still lives up to his reputation as one of rock and metal’s most gifted musicians. I always find it fascinating how far a musician’s solo work often removes itself from his or her former alma mater. And Roses from the Deep is far, very far away from the current woozy Nightwish fare. Even if the latter’s latest offering kinda landed on our good side.
That said, Marko Hietala‘s newest record will dazzle you with a down-to-earth mix of powerfully Heavy, slightly Progressive, and pretty sophisticated Symphonic Rock. In addition, the record contains a potent mélange of different sub-stacks of rock that for sure speak to Hietala‘s outstanding versatility. All of that effortlessly grinds forth on a slightly retro setting, often harkening back to old prog and psych masters. Yet, this songwriter’s excellent songsmithing skills and stellar arrangement will never allow any of these undercurrents or sub-styles to dominate.
Roses from the Deep comes a bit front-loaded with the somewhat disturbing yet pretty snazzy Frankenstein’s Wife,1 the feisty yet tastily harmonious Left on Mars feat. Tarja Turunen, and the zesty Proud Whore. But that won’t take away from the varied first-rate performance found on the rest of the tracklist. The beautifully structured Two Soldiers – for example – boasts a delicate ebb and flow of slow-motion symphonics rolling in on soft-toned acoustics, artfully performed together with Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto (ex Dark Sarah, Raskasta Joulua). The track even contains a proficiently arranged and pretty emotional monologue that won’t kill the flow for once. Yet another proof of the skill apparent on Roses From The Deep.
The Dragon Must Die contains the feistiest cuts, with – surprisingly – some heavy chugs bound into delicate symphonics. And this reminded us that metal could be on the menu, too. But it mostly isn’t, at least not overtly so with this track being the exception. A track where Hietala seemed to strap the modern crazed social media influenzia onto a pillory, so I reckon that’s why we suddenly found a harsher pace. And I also couldn’t shake the feeling that this track is meant to be some hidden Bruce Lee dropkick in the guts of the music industry in general.
In contrast, The Devil You Know turns into a surprisingly bluesy, country-leaning, and oldish rock piece. Complete with some ancient Hammond sounds in the background. But it is Roses From the Deep, the emotional message from the afterlife, that truly takes the cake. Mostly filled with soft crooning, drunk on delicate acoustics, and rock-infused subdued guitar fills and solos, it tells a story of something dead wanting to return and reunite with his lost love. So very gothic in content and gracefully executed.
Ultimately though, Roses From The Deep often left us speechless. The RMR crew found a record following the musings of the author’s tortured soul without the (imaginary) constraints a genre often imposes on a band. Instead, Hietala effortlessly bestows versatility and an almost invisible yet very real complexity on the listener. And this is done by using styles to convey the often slightly melancholic contents of a truly authentic record full of emotions, moods, and earthy colors. A truly thoughtful rock piece that will demand your full attention for multiple listens. It will turn into a gift that keeps on giving with new tidbits forever appearing upon each new spin. Take it from someone who’s been there.
Record Rating: 8/10 | Label: Nuclear Fucking Blast | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 7 February 2025
- The in-office woo-woo alert continued to go off on this one.-↩