Generally, mentioning Finland in the metal scene means referring to bands like Children of Bodom, Norther or Wintersun. In the midst of all these extreme metal bands, it is refreshing to hear that Finland also houses heavy metal bands, like Gillmore. This particular band was formed in 2005 and have now put out their first EP, Rigor Mortis Of Souls.

The EP contains five tracks, all rigged with innovative song writing. The melodies are really catchy and quite heavy, perhaps more than one would expect from a heavy metal band. The songs hold a couple of interesting, potentially very interesting (I sure know how to build up tension, don’t I?) elements in the shape of the recognizable guitar riffs.

Let's talk about vocals. When the first words were sung, I thought of Glenn Danzig. I’m not a fan of Mr. Danzig, yet I do recognize his status in the world of (punk)rock. What does this have to do with the vocals? Well, remove the Finnish accent, revert your eyes from the band photo and you could just as well have been listening to a 1940 Danzig record for all you know. Like I care. As said, I’m not a fan, but there are bound to be lots of people who will get a woody when hearing these kind of vocals.

While the melodies are really nice with nice guitar solos and catchy harmonics, the vocals tend to overdo things a little sometimes. This is due to the switch between plain, clean vocals and uninspired, forced screaming/hollering/raw singing. Furthermore, the five tracks leave the listener with a desire to hear more. If that has been the band’s intention, then they’ve succeeded. These five songs are not enough to form a clear opinion about Gillmore. I’m curious as to their first full-length, but if it’s really going to be worth it remains to be heard.