Gothony is a five-piece Finnish Drama Metal band formed in 1993. They released a couple of demos in the 90s and then took an extended hiatus, re-emerging in 2019. After more than 30 years, their debut full-length album is arriving! Gothony uses vocal layering and backing voices to create a depth of vocal sounds meant to accentuate the songs in multiple ways. Meanwhile, the music is a creative mixture of different Metal disciplines, including, but not limited to, Death, Power, Thrash, and Cinematic Metals. This allows them to use a wide range of tones and textures, all while crafting a series of complex and enigmatic songs that are certain to keep the listener involved with each song.

https://www.gothony.com

Band Members:

  • Wuohi – Vocals
  • Mika Uusitalo – Guitars
  • Miika Peräkangas – Guitars
  • Väiski Syväoja – Bass
  • M.Toivonen – Drums

Release Date:

January 12, 2024 – Inverse Records

https://www.inverse.fi/

Tracklist:

  1. Holograms
  2. Patient 2442
  3. Ants
  4. In The Shadow Of The Moon
  5. My Pain
  6. Crystal Dream Apophis
  7. Disarms The Gods
  8. Rapacity

Gothony uses two guitars in a variety of ways. Right from the start you hear them set a tone of lead work over a heavy riff. “Hologram” opens with some interesting tonal choices for a band that celebrates a darker, macabre sound and imagery. The lighter tones, accentuated by an almost hidden keyboard layer, showcase the more cinematic end of their sound.

In a complete shift, “Patient 2442” is a hard-driving track with little delicacy to be heard except for the clean female vocals. The rhythm is heavy and dark, much like the song before, and the lead guitar tones are definitely brighter than the riff and rhythm. The bass fills are very well-placed and give the song a bit of the edginess you’d expect from a song about mental instability.

The tempos vary significantly across the album, and even within songs. Intros are often slower-paced, setting the stage for a heavy, fast rhythm to come roaring in. The tonal differences and tempo changes bring life to the Cinematic Metal segment of Gothony’s sound. There are also a lot of compositional elements that set them apart, such as the melancholic intro to “My Pain.” The guitar work in the intro hooked me and was a beautiful lead into the main riff. This is my favorite song on the record and the intro is one of the main reasons. This is a very well-done track top to bottom.

The clean vocals, the brighter tones on the lead guitar work, and the ability to shift tempos and tones give Gothony a range of styles to work within, and they take full advantage of that. Not content to stick to one single genre, they weave their way through many different styles to craft a complex, haunting record that explores some weighty themes both musically and lyrically.

MZ Ratings:

Musicianship:

  •             Guitars – 9
  •             Rhythms – 8
  •             Vocals – 8
  • Songwriting – 8
  • Production – 8

Overall – 8.20