Review of the Album "The Clouds of Northland Thunder" by Finnish Power Metal Band Amberian Dawn

Amberian Dawn, the band that some would assume is just another kind of Nightwish clone in terms of its musical style has emerged even stronger than in 2008. Their second studio album called “The Clouds of Northland Thunder” released in 2009 is a mixture of neoclassical power metal combined with influences ranging from Rhapsody of Fire and Yngwie J. Malmsteen.

The album’s title implies about something out of a fantasy novel or movie just like their debut album River of Tuoni. But the songs are of very good quality!

The first song called He Sleeps in a Grove is a faster version of a song that has a lead guitar part influenced by the mentioned Rhapsody of Fire. If Luca Turili were listening to this song, he would be impressed with the speed, creativity, and playing of the solo. Heidi Parvianen returns to provide soothing and beautiful operatic vocals! The song Incubus tells of a person that is lying awake at night unable to sleep. They feel like someone is next to them and their presence is making them feel anxious, frightened, and terrified of the nightmare that is taking over their mind while they are asleep. It isn’t only children that suffer nightmares. The song also tries to point out that those people that are weak in spirit will be overcome by these nightmares. The song kind of sounds like early Edenbridge (a power metal band from Austria).

With the song called Willow of Tears, the music slows down considerably as Heidi’s voice takes over. It is almost as if you have had an angel enter your home with the clear intention of making you feel at peace and loved.

When it comes to heavy metal especially symphonic heavy metal, Nightwish has some serious competition. While Tarja Turunen tried to sing as high as possible, Heidi sings at just the right pitch and does not overdo it. This statement is not being made to suggest that Tarja was screaming like a hyena but Heidi just performs the vocal duties exactly the way she should.

The song Shallow Waters starts with a sound that you would hear in a video game. Does anyone remember the song called The Game is On? The guitar speeds up creating a musical atmosphere of Italian power metal but they just do it better even if it is a slightly better performance. The first line of that chorus is performed perfectly by Heidi.

By the time we get to song called Sons of Seven Stars we notice that there is a concept behind the song. As the song states, before the time of human life, there were seven very strong bears that ruled what is called the Northland with a very strong grip. Then they raised seven very strong warriors.

The song called Snowmaiden lyrically describes someone that has a cold heart because she has been affected by the ice, wind, and snow of winter. Winter is seen by many people around the world as a miserable time because of the cold, wind, and shorter hours of daylight. The arrival of spring is seen as a time when temperatures warm up, the ice melts, and people become more active outdoors. For some reason, many people prefer spring over winter. The spring seems to warm up this person’s heart as it is described in the song.

Morning Star is a song about what can happen when you follow the path to a light that shines brightly. This light described in the song is a special kind of light which leads to harmony and healing as well. Sometimes it is just as important to take that first step towards harmony. The album is good musically but Heidi Parviainen makes me want to come back and listen to her sing!