Suotana - Ounas II - CD

After two years of relentless touring and festival appearances, Finnish melodic death metal force Suotana returns with their most ambitious album to date: "Ounas II", set for release on August 29, 2025. As the epic sequel to 2023’s "Ounas I", this album elevates the band's signature frosty sound to new heights, delivering icy yet soaring melodic death anthems that will redefine the genre. Following the success of their previous album, Suotana embarked on an Asian tour with Kalmah and on a European tour with Finntroll in early 2024, bringing their energetic and atmospheric sound to new audiences. The band also solidified their reputation as a force to be reckoned with through performances at major festivals, including Summer Breeze, Ragnarök Festival, Nummirock, Tuska, and Hellsinki Metal Festival. Their return to the studio culminated in a record that masterfully blends aggression, melody, and grandiose storytelling. "Ounas II" is a testament to Suotana’s evolution, presenting epic, frostbitten melodic death hymns with black and power metal elements. Tracks like "Twilight Stream" and "Winter Visions" showcase their refined songwriting and icy, yet electrifying atmosphere. The album’s undisputed centerpiece, however, is "1473 Ounas", a 10-minute melodic death metal odyssey featuring a breathtaking guest performance by Cradle of Filth’s Zoe Marie Federoff-Šmerda. Her haunting vocal lines intertwine seamlessly with Suotana’s signature sound, making this track an instant classic. To conclude the Ounas saga, Suotana delivers a chilling rendition of the Children of Bodom classic "Hatebreeder", reimagined in their own style, cold and hars like the arctic nature. The stunning album artwork, once again crafted by Simo Räsänen, perfectly captures the northern majesty and raw intensity that defines Suotana. With Ounas II, Suotana firms up their place among the elite of Nordic metal, delivering an album which pushes the boundaries of the standards for melodic death metal with black metal influences.