After hearing Mustan Kuun Lapseton their Kuolemanvirta EP, specifically the title song, which was the only original cut on that EP, it was pretty interesting for me to hear what full-length comeback this Finnish band could come up with on Saatto.

The first two songs on Saatto (after keyboard intro Ja toinen yötä rakastaa, which somehow resembles Konevitsan Kirkonkellot from The Cold White Light) did nothing but to reinforce the feeling I had formed about Mustan Kuun Lapset. The melodic riffs on the aforementioned Kuolemanvirta just have this tendency to line up to produce the longing feeling, reinforced by desperate vomit vocals with a rumble of lower voice in the background. Cleaner, skilled, filigree guitar leads emerge periodically both on Kuolemanvirta and Peikonmieli, before catchy chug takes over. All in all Mustan Kuun Lapset may not be the next Sentenced incarnation, but they are certainly catchy dark metal for a rainy day.

The band does show off multiple facets throughout Saatto. After synth sets the table on Amor Vincit Omnia, the most deathly sound on the album catches by surprise with its wall of sound. Sudenilma then is practically nastiness repeated in circular motion, and Cilice gets extremely persistent with its muscular chug after what seems like a flamenco guitar intro. And so Mustan Kuun Lapset vacillates in its stylistic leanings. They are neither melodic death metal, nor Sentenced clones, they simply play the music they like. And it is pretty apparent then, that the next chapter of Mustan Kuun Lapset may very much be connected to something with a gothic angle. Valkoinen satama – Haaksi is still gruff, shifting the tempo ever higher as the song unfolds, yet it begins the gothic slide for Saatto. Acoustic, folky melodic, with all female vocals Valkoinen satama – Tyven startles and tugs and heart strings, but the title track becomes a full blown full bodied gothic metal, after piano/violin entry lays appropriate foundation.

No weak songs throughout the album, Mustan Kuun Lapsetprobably will stay a Finnish only curiosity as they continue singing and creating in Finnish language, and their style almost begs for English song titles to gain wider notoriety.