Do you ever come across an album and think, “huh, I didn’t know they had a release coming out and I’ve heard and learned nothing about it”? That’s certainly how I felt when I heard that the third studio album by PSYCHEWORK, “Spark of Hope,” had come out via Ranka Kustannus on September 29th, 2023. The band has a strong reputation of releasing dramatic and emotional concept albums, so despite knowing nothing about this release and whether or not it would be another concept album, I was nevertheless very curious to check it out!
If I’m unable to say if this was a concept album or not, at least I can certainly say that the drama has gone nowhere! “Shape of a Ghost” is a great album opener, with the very theatrical keyboards, epic backing symphonics, and solid performances from the band across the board, setting a wonderful stage upon which to lay out the rest of the album.
“River Runs Red” is a speedy track, at least in the drums, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t dynamic force clearly present! In fact, it hits a glorious peak right around the 3-minute mark. Then, “Kiova” stands out for the ferocious power in which Antony Parviainen declares, “in the rising storm we stand for family.” This one slows down in the verses but punches things up in the chorus and works quite brilliantly. Naturally, as per the name, it sounds like this track may have been written about the war in the Ukraine.
“Interstellar” was announced as a single way back in August, which was rather strange because the band has no music or lyric video in support of the release. In fact, it does lead one to question what the label is even doing for these guys, as they don’t seem to have any sort of video presence for this release and that is pretty unusual and uncommon in this day and age. “Interstellar” may or may not refer to the movie but it’s a banger of a track and makes sense why it was selected as a single, so it’s a shame there was no real promotion for it.
“Damage All Done” has some really interesting vocal work, as well as a really fucking cool chorus with what sounds like a low-personnel choir of grittier vocals backing Pariviainen up, followed by a slow, melodic guitar solo. This song is also cool because it could cover anything, from relationships all the way to war, so you’ll surely be able to find something personal in this one! It’s definitely an album highlight for me, at least.
“C.O.T.S.” or “children of the shadows” is a more traditional and powerful PSYCHEWORK track, with really excellent and driven keyboards and a nice instrumental section that really takes you on a journey. Meanwhile, “Out of the Darkness” is a slower, emotional piece that upholds the quality of instrumentation the album has already been slathered in.
The album then reaches its end, after only eight songs, with “Viipuri.” Viipuri is an old name for Vyborg in Karelian Russia, so again, there’s likely some sort of commentary in this track, but I leave it to the listeners to debate. You still get some hints of the Bruce Dickinson (IRON MAIDEN) sound that Parviainen is known for, yet he very much has his own style that overrules the similarity of sound. There’s an epic push, with a slow dramatic rise and excellent vocals, along with really wonderful guitar lines. It certainly leaves you wanting more, yet feels conclusive per the whole album, wrapping things up very nicely on a soft piano line.
Ultimately, “Spark of Hope” is probably my favorite of all the PSYCHEWORK albums at this point! It’s dramatic without being over-the-top, the vocal and instrumental quality is top-notch and in no way outshadowed by the backing symphonics… it left a very strong mark and is definitely one of the best local releases of this year – definitely recommended for fans of power metal and epic/theatrical metal!
Written by Bear Wiseman
Tracklist
- Shape of a Ghost
- River Runs Red
- Kiova
- Interstellar
- Damage All Done
- C.O.T.S.
- Out of the Darkness
- Viipuri
Lineup
Antony Parviainen – vocals
J-V Hintikka – guitars
Otto Närhi – keyboards
Ville Koskinen – bass
Juha Takanen – guitars
Konsta Vehkala – drums
Label
Ranka Kustannus
