Finnish metallers Noumena return with their 5th full length album, “Myrrys” which is chock full of their distinctly Finnish brand of gloomy melo-death.

After a three year hiatus, “Myrrys” is accurately self described as “A celebration of 90’s melodic death and melancholic Finnish mollie tunes.” This is also the first record the band’s lyrics are supplied fully in their native Finnish, which certainly adds an air of mystique to the music. Throughout the record, rife with straight ahead meat and potatoes drumming, über catchy riffs, bear like death growls, and soothing femme vocals to balance things out, Noumena never cease at delivering the goods.

The production is quintessential melo-death supplied by the mighty Dan Swanö! This collaboration certainly couldn’t be a coincidence considering the gravitas the Swanö name brings to a melodic death metal recording. At times it feels like Noumena are channeling the lineage of some of Dan’s older projects mainly “Tonights Decision” era Katatonia, through a more metal lense.

While they certainly aren’t reinventing the wheel here, that’s not necessarily a detriment either. The other elements with the female vocals and traditional Finnish instrumentation certainly add a level of spice that similar bands of the genre seem to lack. Fans of catchy depressive rock metal In the vein of older Amorphis, Insomnium, Daylight Dies, and Older In Flames should certainly find something to enjoy here.