Officially leaving Nightwish in 2021 to prevent further personal difficulties (including depression) from worsening, Finnish musician Marko Hietala continues to pursue his own creative endeavors through his solo records. Roses From the Deep is the second such outing – a follow-up to Pyre of the Black Heart that came out in early 2020, showcasing the man’s songwriting and stylistic prowess across multiple genres of rock and metal.
There’s a steady stream of versatility present track by track that encompasses the more symphonic / gothic side of his influences right away on the anthem-like first cut “Frankenstein’s Wife” which soon shifts into a more progressive, early 90’s Queensrÿche-ish meets 70s Led Zeppelin-like direction on the follow-up “Left on Mars” featuring Tarja Turunen delivering a stunning trade-off duet for the ages. Explorative passages come into focus on “Dragon Must Die” – an eight-minute plus epic that contains Celtic/folk overtones next to normal rock/metal instrumentation, the atmosphere throughout dramatic in lighter or heavier measures to keep ears pinned as well as the crunchier midsection next to Marco’s forward thinking bass work. His Finnish heritage also factors in for “Tammikuu” – the bright keyboards next to the driving guitar work ideal to match the theatrical vocal melodies on display.
Marko’s history has always dipped into a mixture of progressive, folk, symphonic, and gothic influences from older rock to classic/current metal categories. It’s why you’ll get to enjoy a straightforward track like “Proud Whore” where the slower, bluesy verses build to this uplifting chorus featuring multi-part choir action, all the way to a riff-oriented pleaser with “Impatient Zero” that allows plenty of guitar shred fury to infiltrate the instrumental break sequence. Ending on a reflective quieter note with the title track, the musicians assembled execute these songs in a professional manner, no matter what style changes or feel is thrown at them.
If you are familiar with Marko’s history not just with Nightwish, but also his time in Tarot or guest work in Ayeron and Delain, you’ll easily understand the man has many sides to express in his music. Roses From the Deep presents a magnificent selection of songs where the minor touches matter as much as the rich melodies or large hooks on display. This scribe can’t wait to hear what appears next down the line.