Release date: 31st March 2023
I’ve been doing Soundscape for quite a while – over ten years, in fact. When I first signed up to a bunch of labels to receive press releases and promo albums from them, Dead End Finland was actually one of the first bands I received a promo of. Fell in love with their second album Season Of Withering, picked up their first album Stain Of Disgrace, and have been a fan of this talented band ever since.
2023 sees the band return with their fifth full-release Victory, which is once again a fantastic piece of work from the band. One of the things that I personally really enjoy about Dead End Finland is that although over the years they have tweaked and polished their sound and musical style, you can instantly tell that it’s them no matter which album of theirs you choose to listen to. The symphonic/melodic elements of their sound pair perfectly with the more aggressive parts, making for a really enjoyable and memorable listen.
Victory is an absolutely massive album, filled with powerful songs from start to finish. The most polished Dead End Finland album to date, it’s an immersive listen with each song packing just as much of a punch of the last. Wasting no time, opening track Northern Winds gets things off to a running start and really sets the scene well. The energy, aggression and melody are all faultless and it makes for a winning combination.
Another great inclusion is Up So High, Down So Low. A slower-tempo track that is perhaps the most melodic of the album, it features stunningly emotive clean vocals paired up lush instrumentation that will give you goosebumps. However, it’s hard to pinpoint just one song as being a clear highlight – because all ten of the tracks are so good.
With album number five, Dead End Finland have reached new heights. Victory feels like an apt title, because it’s a very victorious piece – showing once again that this is a band that’s a force to be reckoned with.
