Review by Ben for Vorna - Sateet palata saavat (2019)

This is my first experience with Vorna and I must admit it has taken a bit of time to appreciate. While I don't think there's much in the way of actual folk metal on this release, I do feel the band's style of melodic black metal would be a comfortable fit for fans of that genre. Black metal riffs, while often present, are not always the focus here, and there's very little in the way of darkness or brutality on offer. The vocals are often clean, with an emphasis on melodicism, although the more traditional black metal vocals are certainly effective. None of this adds up to a sound that leans into my personal preferences and yet repeat listens have brought with them increased enjoyment. While many tracks have a section or two that rub me up the wrong way, they also contain some very rousing and at times beautiful moments. The back to back run of Maa martona makaa and Aalloista in the middle of the album is undoubtedly the high point of the album for me, showcasing the potential of the band, and the album overall is quite heavily weighted towards the second half (in other words, it's starts slowly before bringing things home strongly).

This is one of those albums that's well executed for what it is and it wouldn't surprise me at all to hear that it was someone's favourite release of 2019. For me it's an interesting yet inconsistent listen with high points that really hit home on an emotional level. I'll likely check out more of what the band have to offer at some point.