Band:	Nosdrama
Album:	Cold Trails, Long Roots
Style:	Gothic metal
Release date:	2006

01. Xen Omm
02. The Cradle
03. From North
04. Cold Trails, Long Roots
05. Nemo Ante Mortem Beatus
06. Nostromo
07. Wagons
08. Things That Made The Pain

Nosdrama hail from Finland and managed to release their debut album, "Cold Trails, Long Roots", during 2006 and all i have to say is that they offered something good, a strong debut album to step on, leaving promises for a brighter future in their career. When i saw the cover of the album i wasn't that impressed and my first opinion on them wasn't that good, but when i pressed the play button everything changed and their melancholic tunes started overunning me in such a beautiful way. To be honest, i would prefer a more frozen and melancholic cover, pacing with the music of the band and the title of their debut album, but ok, the cover's not that bad, but defiintely not something that would satisfy me, but we can't have everything, can we?

Nosdrama move in depressive rock/metal soundscapes with their main influences being Katatonia of their "Discouraged Ones"-"Last Fair Deal Gone Down" mostly and Opeth in their more melancholic moments with clean vocals (a bit of Green Carnation of their latest era as well, maybe). Yet, I wouldn't call Nosdrama a copy band, they have their influences but they tend to harmonize them beautifully with their own ideas, tending to form a slightly more personal sound, something positive of course! "Cold Trails, Long Roots" consists of 8 compositions and will accompany you for about 48 minutes, 48 minutes of pure melancholy, gentleness and intensity as well. Nosdrama tend to offer a more melancholic vision through their songs, yet they never forget to present some more groovy and powerful passages that lend another air to their sound, harmonizing the tranquility of depressive rock with the heaviness of metal, something very interesting! And another utterly strong part of their music is that they don't get repetitive, an important factor so that the album won't bore you, isn't it?

What someone may notice easily is that Nosdrama has worked a lot on their guitar work, offering quality riffing and acoustic passages that lend the music a really special aesthetic. In their debut album you'll find everything, from heavier riffing to more imposing groovy passages and from doleful acoustic passages to more intense acoustic ones with a sense of twisted feeling (like the guitars on the really exceptional "Wagon" - and those psychedelic rock oriented keyboard melodies on the background are definitely very interesting!). Along with the guitars that offer their best ideas the rhythm section interprets its role really well, holding tight the compositions and lending them tempo and groove or a more fragile approach! A slight use of keyboards/piano is present through some parts of the album (like on "Wagon" as i already stated on "Xen Omm" and on the perfect ending theme for such an album, the desolate and esoteric "Things That Made The Pain" with the piano and synth-born melodies that adorn its beauty), adding another positive touch in terms of sound. Ari Niemi, except for a really good guitarist, is a charismatic vocalist as well, his voice is so calm and warm, at times he seems to sound so tranquil, sounding almost death-like, as if his words would be the final. His interpretation is definitely melancholic, deep and touches the inner world of the listener along with the poetic and sorrow-filled lyrics, whereas at times he never fails to sound more rocking, like on "Xen Omm".

If you asked me to pick up some highlights it would be difficult because the album flows as one and if you listen to it as parts it will lose a part of its own magic, but if you want me to point some songs then i wouldn't skip to mention the long opus "The Cradle" with its tranquil melancholy and intense outbursts that escalate the emotional charge of the song, the heart-rending "Things That Made The Pain", the elegant/intense yet so sad "From North" and "Cold Trails, Long Roots", the obscure and affected "Wagon" etc.

"Cold Trails, Long Roots" is a really strong album, filled with intensity and emotion, if you're searching for some depressive rock/metal bands then Nosdrama should be one of them