No one does power metal quite like the Finns, and Cardiant, hailing from southern Finland, is a new discovery for me thanks to some writing colleagues of mine at another web zine. Verge is their third release, which came out a the end of May, and their first with a female vocalist, Outi Jokinen, who joined the band as a back-up vocalist last year. She has some lead parts on this album, and paired with male vox, Erik Karhatsu, they make one hell of a team, and Verge is going to go down as one of the bright gems I've come across this year.  

Things get off to a rollicking start with "Justice Turns Into Revenge", a great, anthemic piece that introduces us to some key elements of Cardiant's unique sound. Part of that formula are the backing vocals of Outi, which lends the band a bright flavour, and Erik's very competent (and clean) vocals. We also get introduced to the heavily present and melodic keyboard support of Marko Lindroos and the crunching riff work of Antti Hänninen, who acquits himself most excellently on this album. The second track, "Thought's Inception", is a strong power metal track too, in a similar vein to "Justice Turns Into Revenge," though it utilizes an additional element I really enjoyed about this album, and that is the flute. I'm not sure who plays the flute, but I love the flute and I love it when it shows up in metal. This is another ingredient in the Cardiant formula that adds a nice bit of flavour. 

"Heaven's Calling", which is the first single off the album, and which has an accompanying video, has an epic beginning and moves quickly into a fast-paced tempo, then slows right down for the chorus, sung by Outi with some great harmonization. This is the first track in which she sings lead part, and we get introduced to her warm, rock-style voice. The song also has some of the best backing vocal lines on the album, and another thing that we get, again adding to that flavour mixture I've been referring to with regards to Cardiant's sound formula, is the clean piano melody, as opposed to the use of synths. There are also some light symphonic elements in here that will be revisited in other songs farther into the album, though I wouldn't say this is a symphonic power metal band at all. 

The masterpiece on this album is "Ever Since", a progressive piece featuring a duet between Outi and Erik. Clocking in at well over seven minutes, this is an angsty song with strong lyrics, and an almost jazzy mid-section performed on the piano that was really jumpy and fun to listen to. This is a definite stand out song on the album; with its slower tempo and those signature backing vocals, it's a powerful song. Here is an example of the lyrics, which I have to say are well-crafted throughout the release:
 

Good riddance to your beauty
Your life's been good to you 
I'm trying to change 
But it's getting more painful every day while you're alive

There are some great ballads on this CD as well, which I always like because I am the ballady type. "Love's Not On My Way" is piano-rich and hooky, and Outi does some subtle and haunting work in the background. The final track, "While the Ice Is Cold" is sung 100% by Outi, and it's a more traditional power ballad; her voice is accompanied only by the piano and flute to begin with before the other instruments come, and it's a lovely but powerful way to end the album. It's just a bit too short! 

I don't think there are any weak songs on this album. I've just mentioned the highlights for me in this review, but there are others I could write about, too. What I enjoyed most about Verge was the variety of sounds that I in particular enjoy hearing in power metal: pianos, flutes, pretty vocal harmonies, great guitar work, and some progressiveness. Cardiant provides all of this an more in Verge, giving them a one-of-a-kind sound I really appreciated and look forward to hearing more of in the future. Outi is a fantastic addition to the band from what I can tell (I'll have to familiarize myself with their older material ASAP!) and the combination of her voice with Erik's is an excellent mix. This is as talented band I hope goes far on not only the Finnish scene but on the international scene as well.