Cerebral Mist – Age of Mist

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CEREBRAL MIST was a Melodic Death Metal band from Joensuu, Finland…or barely had to be. Its founder, Antti Parviainen, died abruptly in February of 2018, leaving behind him six demos, which were to serve as the backbone of an upcoming album. Parviainen was just 32 years old. The band’s vocalist and other composer Antti Argillander, bassist Erno Venäläinen and current music producer Erno Sallinen - all of whom had played together as teenagers - met at the funeral and swore that one day they would finish what Parviainen had started. Enter the finished EP “Age of Mist,” which contains six tracks.

“New Age” leads off the album. It begins with a flurry of melodic keyboards and some really positive vibes. The vocals, as expected, are harsh, and the guitars build some layers along with the keys. The clean vocals in the chorus hear the keys joining back from the beginning. “Broken Winged Statue” opens with a slow-moving pace and some symphonic accents. The harsh elements are strong, but melody is always kept at the forefront. This is something that many bands in the genre lost sight of. “Through the Storm” is a mid-tempo rocker with keyboards in the opening sequence. The cleans in the chorus are both solemn and charming.

“Skeleton Grin” also begins with keyboards and an odd, GHOST like sound amidst the rhythms. The chorus is solemn but pleasing in the way that solemn music can be to those who really appreciate it. “The Cubicle” is another song that features keys in the opening. I have always maintained that keyboards can bring a lot of variance to the Metal genre, so I say “pile them on,” which they happily do. “The Alchemist” closes the EP. It’s the longest song so far. The pace is quickened and heavier elements come through, sounding a bit like CHILDREN OF BODOM. Clean vocals in the chorus combine with more keyboards to really push the melodic side of the band.

I’m glad the remaining members of the band brought this album to life, and I can only imagine how good this band could have been if the main composer did not have his life cut short. They really seem to understand the nature of the genre, for it’s best when they temper the aggression with sweet melodies. All of the other elements they work into the music just make the compositions stronger. CEREBRAL MIST has a new fan.

Songwriting: 8
Musicianship: 8
Memorability: 8
Production: 8