Katra is a relatively new addition to the Finnish Metal stable. The band takes its name from front lady Katra Solopuro, a 24 year old redhead with a voice not that different from the classical style and sound of Tarja herself. The band is a relative newcomer to the scene, having formed in 2006. Katra has surrounded herself with some first class musicians: Kristian Kangasniemi, guitars, Johannes Tolonen, base, Jani Wilund, keyboards and Jaakko Järvensivu on drums. And this backing group is every bit as good as the vocalist, who is solid and a delight for those of us who appreciate the classical styles of other female vocalists in this genre. Katra doesn’t offer the range of a Tarja, but her voice is strong and very capable for most of these offerings. Most of the titles are in English, a few in Finish.

The music is metal, with the keyboards delivering the orchestral component on most titles. Guitar work is a strong point and is emphasized on nearly every title, and to very good effect. In fact, the blending of these three components, the vocals, the guitars and the keyboards is the focus of the Katra sound.

The band moves between songs that can be classified as traditional metal to ballads with little effort. There are a couple titles that have seen a significant amount of airplay in Finland and surrounding locals. I suspect these were done in Finnish since lyrics for these titles are almost always printed in Finnish, however, on this title, which is intended for international release, these songs are done in English and Katra’s English is excellent, better than Tarja’s. Katra does an excellent ballad. Promise Me Everything is one of these, a strong vocal element over an even stronger guitar line with guitarist Kristian Kangasniemi alternating between soft background materials and screeching solo lines. This guy is as good on the guitar as I have heard lately; it’s a toss up between his work and the vocals as to who carries the day for Katra on many numbers.

Lyrics tend towards the Gothic, but are not overly dark. On Scars In My Heart, Katra sings:

Wish I had a soul more free than a butterfly

But I am too weak to try

It's over now

All but the crying part

You make me fall apart

Take me down

Wish I had a heart more hard than the hardest stone

Cause now I must walk alone

It's over now

You say that no one dies

Then shoot between my eyes

Take me down

This is one of those songs that is pretty Nightwish-like. Katra can sound just like Tarja when she wants to and that’s not a bad thing. The production, and especially the guitars, don’t leave much behind either. There is not a lot of "choral" work but there is some in this title. Katra differs from Tarja in that she doesn’t change styles at the blink of the eye. But then, not many can. Her voice is consistently entertaining however, and her work on the hard stuff sometimes moves from Tarja-ish to Sabine Edelsbacher of Edenbridge. Again, not a comparison to take lightly since both are first-rate singers. This Edelsbacher sound comes through most clearly on songs like Storm Rider, a title where the band is permitted to strut their stuff, all of it, guitars, base, keyboards and a strong drum line.

The CD’s final two cuts are worthy of mention. Mist of Dawn is a vocal Tour de Force of the best of Katra’s vocal capabilities. It’s a ballad, complete with strings and piano. There is a lush orchestration to set up the vocals, which are finally tied to a crashing guitar component as the song moves towards the end. A perfect number, showcasing the entire range of this Finish metal crew.

The final cut, Kuunpoika, is another beautiful offering. I’m generally only familiar with Tarja singing in Finnish and never thought it was that appealing a language musically. On this title, I can change my opinion. And, the background music, especially the guitars, makes it all the more interesting. I can’t understand a word, but you get the message.

You hate to not take a band on their own merit, they are what they are and they should be judged on their music capabilities and their own accomplishments, not compared to others. However, for those of us who have suffered since the split between Nightwish and Tarja, this music is hard to ignore. There are just too many similarities, not exact, mind you, but similar. And, that has to be viewed as a good thing. I suspect Kartra will be around for a while, the sound, and the strength of the music is just too good to be ignored.

8 / 10