Sometimes like-minded artists with a strong musical past get together to create enduring, quality music with true purpose. Bloodbath’s return last year was rightly hailed by fans and critics alike as an instant classic and another band set to become more than the sum of its parts is Barren Earth.

Part of the reason for this is that Barren Earth are no hastily thrown together side project. Born from an idea hatched in late 2006, the band formed in Helsinki in the autumn of 2007. With a head full of brutal, yet melodic songs, Olli-Pekka Laine asked drummer Marko Tarvonen to form a progressive death metal group with him and things slowly fell into place from there while a full band line-up was quickly established.

With a wealth of experience from internationally renowned acts, from former members of Finnish metallers Amorphis, to current members of Swallow the Sun, Moonsorrow, and Kreator, Barren Earth presents progressive and folk textured death/doom metal of the highest order on their hotly anticipated debut album on Peaceville Records. Titled ‘Curse of the Red River’, the album combines the best elements of metal, prog, and more obscure psychedelic rock – from Opeth to Pink Floyd, and Paradise Lost to Jethro Tull.

Breaking into the metal world with the sublime ‘Our Twilight’ EP in late 2009 and gaining many accolades for their masterful composition, ‘Curse of the Red River’ takes the next step towards progressive metal bliss. With flawlessly executed epics, the album sets a new benchmark of soaring dynamics and rich atmospheric tales, with each member stamping their mark of experience all over the album. From the formidable lead-guitar of Sami Ylisirniö to Kasper Mårtenson’s rich keyboard layers all backing up Mikko Kotamäki’s unmistakable vocal presence, ‘Curse of the Red River’ is set to be a new highlight in the great history of Finnish metal.

Current line-up

Mikko Kotamäki - Vocals (Alghazanth, Enter My Silence, Funeris Nocturnum, Swallow the Sun, Verivala, Empyrean Bane) Janne Perttilä - Guitar (Wind of Pain, Acabó El Silencio, Rytmihäiriö, The Sinkage, Circus of Flesh, Oheisvasara, Moonsorrow) Sami Yli-Sirniö - Guitar (Kreator, Waltari) Kasper Mårtenson - Keyboards (Mannhai, Sea Reach, Sininen Hevonen, Amorphis) Olli-Pekka Laine - Bass (Chaosbreed, Mannhai, Nuxvomica, Amorphis) Marko Tarvonen - Drums (Arthemesia, Chaosbreed, Gorewinter, Larharyhmä, The Wicked, Thunderdogs, Lakupaavi, Thy Serpent, Moonsorrow, October Falls)

Genre = Progressive Metal / Melodic Death Metal Format = Mp3 Bit Rate = 320 kbps

Track Listing

1. The Curse Of The Red River
2. Our Twilight
3. Forlorn Waves
4. Flicker
5. The Leer
6. The Ritual Of Dawn
7. Ere All Perish
8. Cold Earth Chamber
9. Deserted Morrows