ALBUM REVIEW: Pyre of the Black Heart – Marko Hietala

It’s slightly weird that Marko Hietala hadn’t done a solo album before last year, although perhaps his day job took up all the time he had. Known the world over for his booming voice that complements NIGHTWISH’s sonic bombast brilliantly, he brought out his first standalone record Mustan sydämen rovio late last year in his native Finland, collaborating with drummer Anssi Nykänen, keyboardist Vili Ollila and guitarist Tuomas Wäinölä in the process. It took a little while, but the English version of that album finally surfaced last month and is available now; entitled Pyre of the Black Heart, it was released on Nuclear Blast, the same label as his main outfit, naturally.

Marko is an intelligent and no-frills human, so when he describes the sound of the album as ‘hard prog’, it should come as absolutely no surprise that Pyre of the Black Heart fits that moniker to a tee. It doesn’t take long for it to be realised either; opening song Stones opens acoustically, gently moving along until it booms into a soaring chorus that pack a solid punch behind it. It’s a good starts as well, with Marko certainly sounding like he’s enjoying that little bit more creative freedom that isn’t offered to him in NIGHTWISH (the band’s keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen writes the vast majority of the material).

He’s also using his voice in a variety of ways, from his belting high notes in the stripped-back For You to some truly menacing spoken growls in Death March for Freedom. Musically, he’s picked a fine bunch of people to collaborate with and there’s a lot to admire. The Voice of My Father is a heartfelt yet powerful ballad, which overcomes its odd placement in the album of second and the close resemblance to Kiss While Your Lips Are Still Red to stand out as a highlight. It’s not just all mid-paced either, the driving Runner of the Railways is easily the best song on the album, featuring good drum and keyboard solos and providing a nice upbeat turn of tempo.

Where Pyre of the Black Heart falls short, however, is its over-reliance on one particular formula of songwriting. There are several tracks which begin quietly or slowly and build into a full band composition and whilst this isn’t a bad move in general, as the album draws on you’re expecting it too much. After The Voice of My Father, the second instance is the sprawling Dead God’s Son, where Marko sparkles once more and the song carries through well, but when I Am the Way starts with just him and a piano before bringing the rest of the instruments in exactly halfway through, things start to get a little tired. I Dream suffers from the same problem, and in this case it’s even more pertinent because the song would have made more of an impact if it had continued the same style through to its end, a classic ‘less is more’ scenario. This is actually fixed for the final song Truth Shall Set You Free which doesn’t fall into the same trap and it makes for a much more interesting listen, however it’s too little too late by this point to truly make up for the dips elsewhere.

Nevertheless, this is a good, if not spectacular first solo effort from one of metal’s most underrated entities. Marko Hietala has used his own talents very well indeed and there is plenty here for not only NIGHTWISH fans to get behind but also those of OPETH, YES and DREAM THEATER. Given his primary commitments another album may be a long time coming, if at all, but until that day arrives Pyre of the Black Heart is certainly a showcase worth listening to.

Rating: 7/10

Pyre of the Black Heart is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.

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