Despite the multiple vocalist approach, Silver Lake by Esa Holopainen hangs together very well throughout its 40-odd minute runtime. Some albums of this nature end up feeling somewhat disjointed, but Silver Lake by Esa Holopainen manages to make the multiple vocal styles work well together. It helps that Holopainen's songwriting style is so tight and melodic, which really helps to give the album a floating, shimmering vibe throughout. This vibe is established early on with the opening instrumental piece Silver Lake. Holopainen's guitar style has always been very fluid. Despite being known for being a member of a metal band, he has rarely been a shredder. His guitar style has always been influenced by players like David Gilmour, and Silver Lake is full of those sorts of melodies - while also taking a somewhat folky direction. The early portion of the song is more acoustic based, which emphasises the folkier side of his playing nicely, but when the mournful electric guitar leads come in the Gilmour influence is on full display. Silver Lake is not at all heavy, and the swirling melodies perfectly set the scene for what it is to come. It transitions nicely into the gothic Sentiment, the first of two songs to feature the smoky voice of Renkse, which is more Anathema than Amorphis. The acoustic guitars from the opening number are carried over into Sentiment, their presence adding real depth to the verses, while Itäpelto's dense and all-enveloping keyboards help to create the song's overall gothic vibe. Sentiment also really showcases something that I love about the album, and that is how much Holopainen clearly values songwriting over his own ego. While there are plenty of tasteful guitar moments throughout the album, Holopainen knows when to take a step back. Much of Sentiment is focused on Renkse's vocal delivery, and it is all the better for it, but when Holopainen does launch into a solo towards the end his cutting notes elevate things further. Storm is a bit more upbeat, and features the fantastic vocals of Håkan Hemlin (Nordman), who's voice has a slightly raw edge that perfectly contrasts with the percussive drumming and swirling synths. Again, there is a bit of an Anathema vibe to be found here - but there is a little of Holopainen's more typical songwriting style too, with the inclusion of a number of little lead breaks and an anthemic chorus. The song is much more atmospheric and floaty than Amorphis however, but there are certainly strands of the Finnish band's sound to be found here - which is certainly no bad thing. This was the song that Holopainen released as a single to preview the album, and I think that it was a good choice due to its fantastic chorus and aching guitar melodies.
Ray of Light is a bit of a curveball, and is probably the song here that diverts from Holopainen's core songwriting style the most. Featuring Solberg on vocals, who's voice is something of an acquired taste in my opinion, was always going to lead to something out of the ordinary - but I think that it works. Solberg mostly sings in a very high-pitched way throughout, with something of a Freddie Mercury vibe featured in parts of the song, and the chorus actually sounds like something from a Kate Bush album thanks to his vocal theatrics. It is a song that needs a few listens to fully appreciate, but there are still plenty of melodic moments that stick in the brain, The chorus hooks are catchy, and the shimmering synths really help to bring the strange piece of alt/art rock to life. Alkusointu is a spoken word piece, with actor Vesa-Matti Loiri reciting Tarina Suuresta Tammesta by the Finnish poet Eino Leino - with moments of heavy riffing and sparkling keyboards interspersed throughout. The riffing here is some of the heaviest found throughout the album; but these moments are fairly short lived. The music here is more about creating a rich backdrop for the spoken word sections, but there are still standout musical moments too. There is an excellent saxophone solo courtesy of Janne Huttunen, which comes out of leftfield, which then morphs into an excellent Holopainen solo. Unsurprisingly, Holopainen's solo is full of all the controlled, emotional playing that he is known for - and he takes some of the melodies played by Huttunen and runs with them. Itäpelto's keyboard solo follows, and the three work together to create one of the album's most explosive instrumental sections - with each adding plenty of soaring, emotional melodies to the dark piece which is all brought together by Loiri's deep, rich voice. In Her Solitude follows, and it is easily the album's heaviest piece. It is the only song here to feature harsh vocals, and it is the song here that sounds the most like Amorphis - partly thanks to a fantastic vocal from Amorphis' Tomi Joutsen. Joutsen is one of the best vocalists in metal at the moment in my opinion, and he once again shows why throughout this heavy, yet melodic, track. The verses are heavy, with his harsh vocals dominating, while the choruses see him switch to his soaring clean delivery - which Amorphis fans will be very familiar with by now. The song is excellent, and I do not think that any Amorphis fan would have been disappointed if it had appeared on the next Amorphis album instead of this one. It does sound a little lighter to keep it in the style of this album however, with the keyboards taking a more floaty approach overall and the rhythm section not being as in-your-face as would usually be expected.
Promising Sun, with its melodic piano intro, is another somewhat heavy track. It is not as heavy as the song that preceded it, but the rhythms throughout are a little more crunchy - with Holopainen laying down some weighty riffs throughout. Strid takes the lead here vocally, and his melodic voice is the perfect contrast to the tough rhythms. He sticks to his clean vocals throughout, which I think was the right move. The song is greatly benefitted by his slightly playful delivery - with the chorus in particularly showcasing his love of AOR with some really infectious melodies. This is not as AOR as his work with The Night Flight Orchestra, but the chorus certainly has similarities with that band - while being fused nicely with Holopainen's love of a crunchy riff. This is one of the few songs that Holopainen shared the writing with - and it is clear that Strid brought a lot to the table creatively here, which helps to make the song stand out. Fading Moon continues the crunch from the previous song, but also lightens things up again a little with the angelic voice of Anneke van Giersbergen (The Gathering; The Gentle Storm; Vuur) leading the charge. Funnily enough, despite the vastly different vocal approach, there is a lot of Amorphis to be found throughout the song. The chorus is packed full of melodies that would easily feel at home on an Amorphis album, while the overall guitar presence also brings the band to mind. There is a much greater emphasis on up-front riffing here - with a few riff-led sections that transition perfectly into soaring melodic leads to showcase Holopainen's trademark guitar style perfectly. Following a few heavier tracks, the album transitions back to the smooth, gothic tones that it opened with for its closing number Apprentice. Once again featuring Renkse, the only singer to be utilised twice, the song feels very similar to Sentiment - which means that the album somewhat comes full circle. There is a lot of acoustic guitar again featured here for depth, while Heikkilä's bass playing drives everything with its subtle prominence. Renkse's voice is again full of his usual emotion, and again Holopainen really builds on this with a lengthy guitar solo. One minor criticism that could be levelled at the album is the relative lack of really soaring guitar solos, but the one in Apprentice is fantastic. As much as I love that the songwriting is clearly Holopainen's main focus, a couple more really big solos on the album would have certainly been welcomed. Anyone who appreciates Holopainen's style will instantly love the mood that he sets in Apprentice however, and it helps to draw the album to a melodic, yet, mournful close. I really like how the album finished as it started, especially as it goes through a few different moods throughout. It is a very varied album, but it all still manages to hang together despite this. It feels like a complete work despite the diversity, which Holopainen should see as a triumph. With a new Amoprhis album due in the not too distant future it will not be long before we get the chance to hear more from Holopainen, but Silver Lake by Esa Holopainen has allowed his fans to see a different side to his playing, and it is an album that I will certainly be enjoying a lot over the coming months.
The album was released on 28th May 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is Holopainen's promotional video for Storm.
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