Root is one of the original pre-second-wave black metal bands formed in 1987 by iconic vocalist Jiri 'Big Boss' Valter. In contrast to Bathory and Venom, they took the black metal genre in a more refined direction, featuring Big Boss' characteristic clean vocals, dark sound and an epic approach altogether. Nowadays, the band is often recognized as an epic heavy/black metal act, or as the group simply puts it - a dark metal band. They have maintained a strong underground following over the years, while Big Boss rose up to become a cult figure in the black metal genre, guesting on albums by leading metal artists such as Moonspell or Behemoth. Currently he's one of the oldest and most characteristic black metal singers; one of the very few, who possesses an operatic range of vocals (although not he's not often making use of them). It is this, more than anything, that really makes this band stand out of the crowd, and the vocals are being sung in a style very different to anything else around
Lyrically, this is a concept album, continuing the story begun by their 1996 release, ‘Kärgeräs’, that presents a tale of a proud nation. Big Boss states: "As always in our history as a band, we aim to deliver a unique album, something that will stand out and shine its own light in our discography. Expect dark metal at its best, along with some surprising elements. We've recorded one fully acoustic song and one entirely instrumental. Overall, the album will include ten new tracks that will differ from our previous records". Personally, I think the term ‘dark metal’ is much better than ‘black metal’, as there is so much light and shade within it that it feels more like a twilight setting as opposed to being stuck in a cave somewhere. The result is something that may, or may not, appeal to those who normally follow the black metal genre, and the same will be true for those who normally avoid it. Almost symphonic at times, with styles that also remind me of Gregorian, this is indeed a complex piece of work.
