Finnish progressive metal band KEOMA has recently released a new single, “Gaia.” This song serves a double purpose – to get fans excited about their second album, which is currently in the works, and to introduce two new members: vocalist Katri Hiovain and drummer Sami Lönnberg. The follow-up to “Synthesis” (2016) is planned for release in 2021, with more singles to follow later this year.
Being a progressive metal song, one would expect some twists and turns. While the song does deliver, these ebb and flow moments are not as dramatic, seeing as the track is quite smooth and atmospheric. When they do happen, they relate to the vocals. Using the voice like another instrument to give depth and emotion to the track, it fluctuates between beautiful clean singing, harsher parts in key moments of the song, and a deeply melodic section about 4 minutes in that brings everything together full circle. In a way, this is the equivalent of JINJER’s “Pisces,” as “Gaia” has a similar structure.
“Gaia” starts out slow and melodic with strings and vocals, then explodes into harsher tones until rumbling bass calms everything down again, with the ending sequence seeming just like a volcanic eruption, with high, almost screamed vocals and powerful backing instrumentation. Being one of those vocally driven songs where the instruments are mostly in the background for support and atmosphere, it is definitely newcomer Katri Hiovain that shines here, showcasing her vocal talents perfectly. The video follows a reverse pattern, going from images of destruction like floods, eruptions, and fires to peaceful images such as a rainbow, grass growing, flowers blooming, and beautiful, multi-colored skies.
Lyrically, the song deals with the destruction of our planet and the title is a direct reference to Gaia, the goddess of creation in Greek mythology. Commenting on the song the band states the following:
“‘Gaia’ is the story of a goddess of creation who also has the power to rage and destroy as people’s greed for natural resources and the vitality of the earth gets out of hand. As the world we know is destroyed, the beginning of something new is also at hand. The moods of the versatile song range from delicate to brutal to epic, and in addition to the song itself, the cover image and music video are entirely the handwriting of the band members.”
Written by Andrea Crow
Lineup
Katri Hiovain – Vocals
Eero Saikku – Guitar, backing vocals
Jaakko Stenius – Guitar
Jaakko Saloranta – Bass, backing vocals
Sami Lönnberg – Drums
Sampo Vesa – Keyboards
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