Finnish cinematic metal band, Dark Sarah, are set to release their third concept album in the The Dark Sarah Chronicles Trilogue – The Golden Moth.

The band are led by classically trained singer/songwriter Heidi Parviainen.  After parting ways with Amberian Dawn in late 2012, Parviainen started to build up a new project called Dark Sarah.  Dark Sarah´s music combines metal, film music and theatrical elements. The Golden Moth is the third of the conceptual tale that tells the story of a young woman called Sarah and her evil half – Dark Sarah.  The story featured on this album is of her mystical journey through the third of the three worlds of the Trilogue.

All three albums have featured a treasure trove of Finnish and European metal royalty as guest artists. All the three albums have been crowdfunded by fans through Indiegogo.

When I first watched the original video of Trespasser I got the immediate feeling that this part of a grand tale. After the first run through I found that I wasn’t wrong, this is story telling on an epic, Rock Opera scale.

The album kicks off with a duet that is epic in its sound accompanied by a score that doesn’t sound out of place for a fantasy movie. It then blends seamlessly into the first single Trespasser which lyrically sets out the story for this, the third act in The Dark Sarah Chronicles Trilogue. Trespasser is operatic at times, with its low interludes before breaking into soaring choruses giving it that 0peratic feel backed by some great riffing.

Musically the album combines driving rhythms, chugging power metal riffs and soaring vocals interspersed with light keys.  There are enough solos throughout that show off the skills of guitarists Erkka Korhonen and Sami Salonen.  Parviainen’s vocals are clean and clear, soaring magically throughout the album really showing off her classical training.  Providing the perfect foil is the low key and at times, gravelly voiced JP Leppäluoto (Charon, Northern Kings). The songs range from power metal sounding Wheel to vaudevillian numbers such as I Once Had Wings.

All songs come in between the five to six-minute mark, with the exceptions of the very operatic Wish, at a seemingly rapid 4.24 (in comparison), as well as the intro and outro songs.

Best songs for me are Trespasser, Wheel, Pirates and The Gods Speak.

The Golden Moth will be released on September 21 through Inner Wound Recordings.