Finnish metalcore unit BALANCE BREACH have been so proud of the new songs they wrote over the past few years for what is their third album, “Save Our Souls,” that half of them were released as singles in the meantime. This pride is well warranted as their new studio effort is an incredible level up from 2023’s “Abyzmal” which, in turn, was a step up from their debut album, “Dead End Diaries” (2020). The band’s latest full-length will come out on March 7th, 2025, via Out of Line Music.
The album presents itself as a diverse collection of songs that jump around from incredibly heavy to irresistibly melodic with some tracks even being quite dramatic and atmospheric, thus revealing the band’s creative breadth and sonic diversity within the constraints of the metalcore genre. Through all this sonic diversity, there’s a strong sense of cohesion binding this dynamic and energetic soundscape, and giving the album a neat flow from start to finish. Speaking of the dynamic sound design, a lot of it comes from vocalist Aleksi Paasonen who employs a wide variety of extreme singing styles with some beautiful, melodic cleans popping up on select songs for contrast and texture. The guitars, drums, and bass also hold their ground with fierce determination, delivering a very potent mixture of raw aggression, soaring melodies, and tight rhythms that push the boundaries of what modern metalcore can be and deliver.
Like it was the case with “Abyzmal,” the listening experience of “Save Our Souls” again resembles a rollercoaster ride of intense moments and nuanced sections, and the adrenaline-pumping energy of “Maniacs” is a great way to get things underway with thundering drums, roaring guitars, and a clean-sung chorus that pointedly contrasts with the harshness of the verses. Up next, “Come Undone” brings a frenzied aggression to the forefront as Aleksi Paasonen delivers some spine-chilling lows that juxtapose his usual screams while the instrumental side provides a copious amount of intensity and brutality making it BALANCE BREACH’s heaviest track to date. Switching things up, “Strangers in Crime” is a fast-paced and fierce track that bursts with energy and catchy melodies, especially when it comes to the high soaring chorus and the guitar riffs. On this backdrop, HAND OF JUNO vocalist Melissa Bruschi makes a short appearance and brings a certain soften to the fold while proving that a good song is a good song no matter who sings it as her take on the chorus is just as wicked as Aleksi’s. This pairing up also elevates the lyrical content of the song, driving home more deeply the idea of two people who have drifted apart.
The dark and atmospheric single “Just to Lose It All” is built around some irresistible melodies not just when it comes to the layered chorus but throughout, from the hard-hitting vocals and the electrifying guitars to the groovy drums and the dense bass lines. The way this song is put together just makes it sound bigger and more epic than anything else in the band’s catalogue while the emotive lyrics and vocal delivery give it a melancholy vibe. The short interlude “Distress” connects the first part of the album to its second part with a marching beat and the sound of a telegraph transmitting a Morse code –type of message. It quickly makes way for the dramatic title track, the massive “Save Our Souls,” which boasts a choir of voices that accompanies the chorus section enhancing its ominous atmosphere and contrasting beautifully with the frantic verses, making it an easy album highlight. Conversely, both “Million Miles Away” and “Antidote” are more melodic numbers as Aleksi Paasonen gets to showcase his textured clean vocals much more, underpinned by tight rhythm sections and always engaging guitar parts. Echoing “Come Undone,” the penultimate track, “Let the Wind Blow,” displays relentless levels of heaviness and aggression throughout both vocally and instrumentally, these two being headbang-worthy pieces. The closing track, “Sing Me to Sleep (The Last Song),” brings together one last time all the things that make the band such a force on the Finnish metal scene from low gutturals and harsh screams to melodic instrumental parts and another stand-out chorus, in a fitting finale for this album.
For a band named BALANCE BREACH, their music is wonderfully balanced between rougher parts and captivating melodies but never neglecting the emotional core that gives the songs more staying power and makes them more relatable. It’s no wonder they got the chance to tour a bit through Europe with BLOODRED HOURGLASS on the strength of only two albums, but with this third album, I hope their touring opportunities will be much more diverse and plentiful. With “Save our Souls,” the band is in top shape and this shows not just in how tight their songcraft is but, more importantly, in how its technicality and heaviness are disguised in melody, emotion, and atmosphere. Moreover, the album is quite varied as the songs pull in different directions while still keeping true to the band’s metalcore roots, which, in my book, is the mark of accomplished songwriters.
Written by Andrea Crow
Tracklist
01. Maniacs
02. Come Undone
03. Strangers in Crime (feat. Melissa Bruschi)
04. Just to Lose It All
05. Distress
06. Save Our Souls
07. Million Miles Away
08. Antidote (feat. Philip Strand)
09. Let the Wind Blow
10. Sing Me to Sleep (The Last Song)
Lineup
Terho Korhonen – Guitar
Saku Heimonen – Guitar
Antti Halonen – Drums
Joni Härkönen – Bass
Aleksi Paasonen – Vocals
Label
Out of Line Music
