My apologies go out to Finland for having been so slow in getting this review down. Sorry! That's the way it is sometimes.
It's not as if Noumena deserve that reviews are held back. 'Death Walks With Me' is a great album with lots of atmosphere and sombreness. Guitarists Ville and Tuukka manage to pour out the same melancholy via their six strings as do Amorphis. The inclusion of the voice of female vocalist Suvi also adds to the folky melancholy and provides a stark contrast to the deep grunts of Antti Haapanen.
Mind you, this is not all midtempo open chords folk death; the title track for example starts off in Unleashed racing gear. There's a bit for all tastes here, and the point is that there's still a red thread.
I like the way Noumena draw upon influences from In Flames, Amorphis, Unleashed and at the same time leave a lot of room for Suvi Uura's beautiful voice. It all has that particular Finnish touch which makes it a little bit different. The production isn't the best I've heard, but the quality of the riffing and the overall diversity of the material makes up for this in abundance. Horns up!
