From the impressive Finnish metal scene comes a brand new band with the intend to bring us progressive metal with a strong melodic touch. When keyboard player Mikko Harkin (ex-Kotipelto, ex-Sonata Arctica) left his previous band Wisdom he had a vision to create a band that musically spans over the spectrum between technical metal and dark melodic sounds.

Long-time friends’ drummer Markus Niemispelto and bass player Jarno Raitio soon joined the ranks, and when they convinced guitarist Jani Stefanovic (Divinefire) that his heavy sound was just right for the band they had the foundations for Mehida.

To give the band a contrast to Jani's heavy sounding outbursts they needed a melodic and powerful vocalist, a guy, who could give the sound an emotional edge. Thomas Vikström (Therion, ex-Candlemass) was recruited, and his style fits the music very well.

'Blood & Water' is a energetic and bombastic piece of progressive metal, with Jani's hard and heavy sounding guitars setting the pace, nicely underlined by Mikko's fine keyboard structures.  The guitars are up-front and straight in your face and makes them sound aggressive and dark, keys and vocals are nicely defined in the sound, but the drums sounds just awful - the snare-drum is plain and simple horrible on most of the songs. Strangely enough is the sound very good on the best song on the album: "Lost Ones".

At times they sound like a aggressive version of other Finnish power metal bands spiced up with some progressive parts. Their music is by no means groundbreaking, and the competition within this niche of metal is very strong, and even though the album does have its good moments, the lasting impressions are that the material on this album simply isn't strong enough to stand out among the many similar bands.

A promising debut album from a talented band, one that sadly suffers from a very mediocre drum production. Still worth checking out, but don't expect to be blown away...

Recommended tracks: "A Letter from Home", "Lost Ones" and "Grace".