Category: Album reviews


Review: The Man-Eating Tree – Harvest

Filed under: Album reviews by Tero Tolkki — Leave a comment
November 4, 2011

Now this was a very nice surprise for our dull and boring and ever darkening autumn days! Shamefully I am admitting that I did let the debut album of The Man-Eating Tree go past me but luckily I took the time with their sophmore album “Harvest”. I have kept repeating the same thing over and over again when I write reviews…I do not review bad albums and before I write the actual review I listen the album at least 5 times over. I get no kicks of reviewing bad albums. I gladly leave that to other medias. And to listen an album at least 5 times gives you enough depth to actually write something. Now for you who do not know The Man-Eating Tree, here is a very brief introduction.

The seed of the new band was planted when Vesa Ranta, having taken a break from music after Sentenced, began to overcome his post-Sentenced battle fatigue and lack of musical motivation. The idea of a new band – or bands – was eventually brainstormed over a period of time between Vesa and his friends, including gentlemen Miika Tenkula (RIP), Aaron Rantonen, Janne Markus and Mikko Uusimaa. Plans were made reality in 2009; the outfit was completed by the addition of Tuomas Tuominen as a vocalist and Heidi Määttä as a keyboard player. First demo recordings were made in the spring and summer of 2009.

http://www.themaneatingtree.com

Now to the album. It’s more and more difficult these days to find albums that can actually take those 5 listening times. With Harvest it shouldn’t happen. Although it was recorded during a time when Finland was suffering from the worst heave wave in many hears, “Harvest” turned out gloomy as hell.

You won’t find it too surprising that the title “Harvest” is a reference to the Finnish autumn. Vesa Ranta (drums, formerly Sentenced) explains: “To me autumn is a very creative season and describes the album very well. With the recording of this album we went to the fullest – in a way we are ‘harvesting life’ with it.”

“Harvest” starts with an intro called “Harvest Bell” that already gives you an impression of what’s to come. As much as I hate to use these “This sounds like”-clichees I simply have to use them here…yes it does remotely remind me of Sentenced…it’s the gloomy atmosphere. And those vibes carry throughout the album. There are parts that remind me of Entwine which is also one of my all time favourites…but it’s just parts here and there…small particles really. And one other thing that usually speaks for a good album is that it goes very fast…”What it ended again?” At least to me it means there are no irritating parts in the album that sort of stop the listening experience like “oh crap it’s this song again, gotta skip it”. No, with “Harvest” you can listen through the entire album and let the atmosphere take you on a trip which at least to me, is definately worth it. Been so for 7 times in a row now and just as I wrote these lines, I said to myself again “What it ended again?” and started listening it for 8th time in a row. Still good.

Vesa, who works as a professional photographer and graphic designer, explains why the music of  THE MAN-EATING TREE does and will always have a close link to nature that is also reflected in the artwork: “The beauty and bleakness of nature are very present. I believe that the concept of THE MAN-EATING TREE doesn’t incorporate concrete suburbs, instead a lot derives from nature.” Janne adds: “Being Finnish is a vital part of my personality and I am sure it can be heard in our music as well. Why not, it’s a major part of our band and our sound. The Finnish romanticism and wistfulness are definitely there and always will be.” Vesa further comments: “Of course our Finnish roots are embedded in our music. We Finns are a relatively melancholic nation. This is our and the overall Finnish state of mind that is displayed on the album. The album is very ambient, but it’s the typical Finnish ambience with those dark shades. Still, there is light somewhere far on the horizon.””

Review: 10-/10

Harvest tracklisting

  1. Harvest Bell
  2. At The Green Country Chapel
  3. Code Of Surrender
  4. Armed
  5. Like Mute Companions
  6. Exhaled
  7. Down To The Color Of The Eye
  8. Incendere
  9. All You Kept Free
  10. Karsikko

The Man-Eating Tree is

Tuomas Tuominen – Vocals
Janne Markus – Guitars
Antti Karhu – Guitars
Mikko Uusimaa – Bass
Heidi Määttä – Keyboards
Vesa Ranta – Drums

The Man-Eating Tree on internet

www.themaneatingtree.com
www.myspace.com/officialthemaneatingtree
www.facebook.com/themaneatingtree
http://www.metalfromfinland.com/The_Man_Eating_Tree

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Review: Reckless Love – Animal Attraction

Filed under: Album reviews by Unia — Leave a comment
October 16, 2011

If I had to describe this album in one word, I’d use “fun”. Because of the fact that 90% of Reckless Love‘s lyrics are about sex, and that many of their songs can easily be described as “poppy” or even “commercial”, they are definitely one of those bands that you can either love or hate. And you will probably take that decision before the first song you listened to is over.

I have always taken music very seriously and had very high expectations from it, so finding a band that definitely does not fit the typical description of Finnish bands with sad songs and depressing lyrics, and whose songs are just about having fun and putting you in a good mood, is something I never would have expected to like. They couldn’t possibly be more different than the kind of music I usually listen to, but somehow that seems to work really well for them.

Their first album, “Reckless Love“, was released in the beginning of 2010 and was a great success for a debut album. Compared to it, “Animal Attraction” comes with a few new changes and includes songs with more pop elements and even less glam metal, especially on tracks like “Hot“, “Dance“, or “Dirty Dreams“. Even though they might need some time to grow on you, they are surprisingly catchy and positive and probably the most memorable songs on the album. At the same time, the opening track, “Animal Attraction“, together with “Speedin’“, or “Switchblade Babe” continue in the recognizable style of the debut album. “Born To Break Your Heart“, even though noticeably different from the rest of the album, is definitely a song worth mentioning, and undoubtedly one of the album’s highlights, while “Coconuts” is a real disappointment, a song that honestly just doesn’t seem to make much sense.

Overall, this album is certainly not a masterpiece, but I would recommend it to anybody who has an open mind, wants to have fun and who knows exactly what to expect from this band. Just keep in mind that the songs are so catchy that they will be stuck in your head for a long time. And remember the lyrics! It might not be a very good idea to listen to these songs in public for the first time.

Review: 9/10

Tracklist

1. Animal Attraction
2. Speedin’
3. Born To Break Your Heart
4. Hot
5. Fantasy
6. Dirty Dreams
7. Dance
8. Fight
9. Switchblade Babe
10. On The Radio
11. Coconuts

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Review: Insomnium – One For Sorrow

Filed under: Album reviews by Storm — Leave a comment
October 11, 2011

  Tracklist:

1. Inertia
2. Through the Shadows
3. Song of the Blackest Bird
4. Only One Who Waits
5. Unsung
6. Every Hour Wounds
7. Decoherence
8. Lay the Ghost to Rest
9. Regain the Fire
10. One for Sorrow

Label: Century Media

Release: Finland October 12, Europe October 17, North America October 18

After the band’s previous success with “Across the Dark“, a title that was not at all overlooked, here they are with a new disc that is about to draw much metal crowd praise. Think about the most anticipated releases for 2011 and, again, you have INSOMNIUM. It is a constant band, faithful to the melodic death genre but not afraid to mingle around and incorporate with grace a few goodies from here and there, all well camouflaged.

The opener is very atmospheric but doesn’t reveal exactly the pace of what’s to follow. It builds up slowly, really slowly, starting from a doomish impression, eventually reaching the true colors of INSOMNIUM, with deep growls and pronounced yet cold melodicity.  ‘Through the Shadows‘, the song that benefits of a nice video, has a chorus that sticks to the mind, fit for humming all throughout the day. It is very catchy and has a strong particularity… Like the band itself announced, the album is filled with darkened feelings and sad stories; however, the effect of this track (especially) is rather one of completed catharsis than of stirring the muddy waters. It sounds… View full article »

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Stratovarius – Elysium

Filed under: Album reviews by Tero Tolkki — Leave a comment
March 1, 2011

Elysium is the second Stratovarius album after Timo Tolkki gathered his stuff and left. Many things have been said over the years but the thing that really matters is the music and Stratovarius delivers what their fans expect. But then again, it’s enough to have Kotipelto singing and Johansson play his keyboards to make it sound like Stratovarius. It’s the sound we all got used to during the last few decades. And on that aspect nothing has changed :)

Elysium is an ok album actually. But the gap between the best songs and the worst songs is huge. Songs like Darkest Hours, Under Flaming Skies, Infernal Maze (excluding the horrible intro), Event Horizon and epic titletrack Elysium are simply amazing but then again songs like The Game Never Ends, Lifetime In A Moment and Move The Mountain are pure crap in my opinion. And then comes the interesting part…all the good stuff is composed by newest member Matias Kupiainen (and Under Flaming Skies co-written by Kotipelto) and the not so good songs by Johansson and Porra. Clearly both Johansson and Porra are world class musicians and good composers on their own genre but they really should leave the composing of Stratovarius songs to someone else. I am quite certain Matias would’ve had 3 more songs in his sleeve to make this album even better.

Elysium covers basically everything. They have fast songs, mid tempo songs, ballads of course and then the huge 18-minute epic Elysium. I must say it’s been a long time since Stratovarius gave me goosebumps but this titletrack did. One would imagine that making a song that lasts 18 minutes is impossible to carry all the way but Elysium does. It feels like 5 minutes really. I think Stratovarius is in good hands with Matias as long as they let him do his thing.

If they would’ve had only 6 songs on the album I would have given it 10 straight. With other songs unfortunately it won’t reach that high. But at the end of the day this will satisfy Stratovarius fans just fine.

Review: 7/10

Elysium tracklisting:

  1. Darkest Hours
  2. Under Flaming Skies
  3. Infernal Maze
  4. Fairness Justified
  5. The Game Never Ends
  6. Lifetime In A Moment
  7. Move The Mountain
  8. Event Horizon
  9. Elysium

Stratovarius is:

Timo Kotipelto – Vocals
Jens Johansson – Keyboards
Matias Kupiainen – Guitars
Lauri Porra – Bass
Jörg Michael – Drums

Stratovarius on internet:

www.stratovarius.com
www.metalfromfinland.com/Stratovarius
www.facebook.com

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REVIEW: Eternal Tears of Sorrow – Children of the Dark Waters

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May 31, 2010

Released: May 27th, 2009
Suomen Musiikki/ Massacre Records

Tracklist:

1. Angelheart, Ravenheart (Act II: Children Of The Dark Waters)
2. Baptized By The Blood Of Angels
3. Tears Of Autumn Rain
4. Summon The Wild
5. Sea Of Whispers
6. Midnight Bird
7. Diary Of Demonic Dreams
8. When The Darkest Night Falls
9. Nocturne Thule
10. Sea Of Whispers (Acoustic Reprise)

EToS is the band that could never be put in a specific category, due to its many influences: black metal, melodic death metal, symphonic and, of course, gothic metal. After several important changes in the line-up and another long waiting for the fans, this is what we get with Children of the Dark Waters: a masterpiece!

It is a flaming album, despite of the cold, depressive artwork. It has depth and layers, which makes it listenable for the long term. It reminds me of my personal favorite, Fallen by FOR MY PAIN…, an album that still has much to offer me, even after 6 years. Though different in genre, these two bands actually have something in common: Jarmo Kylmänen has been working with both. Is CotDW resembling the last material or the earlier works? Well, it is a mixture of everything, plus something more. The album brings together many of the delicacies that built the band’s reputation. Being a huge fan of A Virgin And A Whore and Chaotic Beauty, I was healed of my nostalgia. Certain songs remind me of their previous masterpieces, in terms of melody, guitar works and aggressive + emotional attitude. Female vocals are also present, and the guests for this album are the wonderful Miriam Renvag of RAM-ZET and Heidi Parviainen of AMBERIAN DAWN. Lyric-wise, CotDW goes from tales of tormented souls to mysterious dark fantasy of the North. Coldness, sorrow, revenge, all are present and veiled in a feeling of apocalypse.

As soon as the opening track begins – Angelheart, Ravenheart (Act II: Children of the Dark Waters) – one is facing a solemn atmosphere and darkness, as well as the anticipation of a serious symphonic layer. The attempt in this album is to sound harsh, more bitter and more aggressive. Also Baptized By The Blood Of Angels and Summon The Wild prove it. The gothic influences are strong, yet the darkness of this musical pieces comes from the whole blend of various styles elements. Baptized… is probably the best of this material, with hypnotizing, fast guitar riffs that build an outstanding, aggressive and menacing tune. What is the general atmosphere and lyrics content is well shown by the chorus of this track: “Baptized by the blood of angels,/ Gained the heart of the darkest kind,/ In his veins flows the soul of ravens/ For the end… For the dusk of humankind“.

Tears Of Autumn Rain was the choice for a single, for being so catchy and impressive in its keyboard parts. With the words ‘tears‘, ‘autumn‘ and ‘rain‘, no one can point to anything else but the EToS tradition. One great surprise is Sea Of Whispers, a ballad which reminds of The River Flows Frozen. No, it’s not a daring comparison. It’s simply a remarkable track. If the vocals sound similar to you, just note that Jarmo is Juha’s brother. The song begins with an emotional piano part, introducing Jarmo’s scorching vocals, draining all life and hope: “When the last angel’s falling above the crimson sea,/ By the sun’s final rising, I don’t even see…“. And so begins this vision of an apocalypse, very well marked with Allti‘s growl towards the end. Well put effect.

The second half of the album goes a bit more epic, which can be heard especially in When The Darkest Night Falls. Not an impressive track, though. What doesn’t go unnoticed is ‘Midnight Bird’, the one that managed to remind me of EToS classics such as Aeon and Nocturnal Strains, but without those key arrangements.Diary of Demonic Dreams is the big surprise of the album (either good or bad, depends on your taste). The clean vocals here are in the heavy/power area. Until Altti’s voice came in, I had the feeling I was listening to a whole different band! However, this heavy-oriented song proves the diversity reached by EToS.

With Nocturne Thule starting a bit boring, hopes tend to be less high, but this song is actually a Northern anthem full of splendor! It breaks the general sorrow and grimness with its ascending and inspiring melody line. The soaring chorus done by the choir is something to remember! And with these lyrics to support it, you get an enchanting song: “When the winter night is the guide out of the light/ You’ll see the sky of northern lights/ I have seen the flames inside burning too bright/ We’ll share this cold and freezing night“. It may sound like old NIGHWISH to some, though, due to the female vocals/ male clean power-style vocals combo.
The closing track is the acoustic version of the balled Sea of Whispers. Not absolutely necessary, but very nice work, a pleasure for the ears and for the darkened soul…

A minus: not enough consistency of the harsh vocals.

For 2009, CotDW is an important comeback and affirmation of the Finnish metal. An album with interesting touches, with songs going from insane, fast rhythm sustained by the pedal and slow, thoughtful, emotional parts. Could feel repetitive at first, but it’s the type of material that unfolds with every spin and, nonetheless, with some love for the sophisticated and sorrowful metal of Northern Finland. For its type, it is strong, speedy and melodic enough to enslave you.

8.5/10

Eternal Tears of Sorrow is:

Altti Veteläinen – vocals, bass guitar
Jarmo Kylmänen – clean vocals
Jarmo Puolakanaho – guitar
Mika Lammassaari – guitar
Janne Tolsa – keyboards
Juho Raappana – drums

Links:

http://eternaltears.info
http://www.myspace.com/etos1
http://metalfromfinland.com/Eternal%20Tears%20Of%20Sorrow

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REVIEW: Swallow the Sun – New Moon (because it’s never too late!)

Filed under: Album reviews by Storm — Leave a comment
May 31, 2010
“These woods breathe evil!
Rust on the ground and the arches of fire!
These woods breathe evil!
Here in the circle of eerie winds
Towards the black heart of magnetic North!”

When good old bands started to be disappointing (no, I’m not giving names this time!), others emerged, like the so-and-so Thunderstone whose latest album (‘Dirt Metal’) was a very positive surprise.
Now, having reached a certain state of gloomy mindset due to the path of my life, I finally emerge into a genre that I’ve been avoiding.
So, allow me… I guess it’s not too late to write about the most fantastic band that I’ve looked over… It’s SWALLOW THE SUN. It has always been there, perfecting itself with every album and never making a step away from their so great recipe. Well, why overlooked? Because I’m not much into the doom category. However, this band is so much more than that. The gothic touch adds value, instead of making it sound more commercial. Also, one of their very strong sides is the use of both death grunts and black metal vocal styles. It makes the songs diverse, with beautiful layers and definitely a new depth.And think that only MIKKO KOTAMÄKI is responsible for this! Well, if I were him, I’d have a huge insurance policy for my vocal chords and lungs… Damn precious stuff he’s got!

On New Moon (released November 2009),some songs incorporate harmonies similar to what we hear from bands like Amorphis. This very Finnish melodic sound is a great add to their dark, doom-ish sound. Now it’s interesting how some say this band has evolved towards melodic death. Hmmm. Definitely something is there, yet it can’t be compared to the names of that genre. Perhaps that Finland is inventing a new breed of melodeath? Could be… Finnish metal bands have always walked their own path, anyway!

The opener, These Woods Breathe Evil, is a stunning and haunting work. I have started this post exactly with lyrics from this one. I love it. It is hallucinating, as the images drift from the Northern woods to the closed room – an image ever present in StS’s music.

“Black lodge and red rooms of insanity
Here I reached the point of no return
With my hands around you they chased me here
To this hotel of ghosts
And they showed me this room…”

Remember Don’t Fall Asleep (Horror pt. II)? That’s another work of art that shines like a diamond!
The title track begins like a typical Sentenced song, I was very surprised to hear it! Clean vocals build the chorus, which sounds like a sad plea or lament. It’s an unusual song for StS, but it can’t fail to make it big. With this one, they’re getting close to Katatonia. …And Heavens Cried Blood is another top song for me. It starts with a gloomy guitar sound, then the full instrumentation takes over, following the same haunting melody. I love how the black metal vocals kick in after the growl, I just love it! The second half of the song turns to a slower bitter side – this is pain and despair, what else did you expect? The remaining songs show the very heavy side of the band, and Weight of the Dead surprises me by plunging into a fabulous upbeat part!

The artwork that comes along with the album is very different from what we previously had. It imitates the graphic style – the technique and ornament of Medieval works. This is perfect for a very simple color scheme, which is nonetheless charming, as well as haunting.
I know that StS may be a bit hard to digest to most people, it’s quite special in the hall of Finnish bands, but New Moon is diverse enough to get the attention of many. I love the dark atmosphere and the ‘weight’ of this record. No wonder why so many people were very enthusiastic about it. Many bands have failed in keeping their strength; StS is not among them!
I’m searching for the words to describe this album, but it’s hard to find them. There’s a mix of dark states of mind, of something strong and something that falls apart, crumbling down… of anger that turns too soon into total weakness… The emotions come clear through it. Perhaps “rebellious agony” could be a good description.

Alright, but just in case you might get too depressed…. here’s something to cheer you up: watch the adorable and funny JUHA RAIVIO of StS being interviewed for Metal Gods TV (@ Hammerfest 2010, Wales) ;-) It’s worth it!

 

10/10

 

Links:

www.swallowthesun.net

www.myspace.com/swallowthesundoom

www.facebook.com/swallowthesun

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REVIEW: Deathlike Silence – Saturday Night Evil

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May 31, 2010


Label: Spinefarm Records
Released: January 28th, 2009

Tracklist:
1. Trapped in the Night
2. And You Cry
3. Who’s Gonna Bury Me
4. Dagon
5. Till Death Tears Apart
6. Troops of Armageddon
7. Shadows Fall
8. The Headsman
9. They’ll Eat Us
10. Moonlight Shadow
11. Burning Flesh

With a very surprising debut album, DEATHLIKE SILENCE raised high expectations among fans. The new release sounded quite repetitive at a first listen, but with a second chance it revealed the flavor of each song and the talent of these musicians. Once again, sinister atmosphere, with a bit of dark humor added, gothic mood, bitterness, romance and strange tales, spiced with the purest Finnishness out there.
Flawless interpretation from Ms Maya, with her deep and full voice. There is really nothing to criticize about the vocals, instrumentation or production. The weak spot is the lack of variety within the songs. There used to be much more of it on the previous album, thinking of fast-paced songs, the melancholic ballads and many in between, making it more surprising and spectacular.
The opener, ‘Trapped in the Night’, is a rather mellow song, followed by a faster and energizing one, ‘And You Cry‘. ‘Who’s Gonna Bury Me’ is the first ‘heartbreaking song’ of the material, starting with a wonderfully sad piano intro and plunging into downhearted guitar riffs. ‘Dagon’ is one of my personal favorites, with a totally catchy melody, strong rhythm sustained by the vocals and a chorus that makes you want to sing/shout along. The mood turns to sadness again with ‘Til Death Tears Apart’ – a great job with the chorus here, in my opinion. Truly haunting, and the same can be said about ‘The Headsman’, which is the next track worthy of attention. Loads of it! Going through the second half of the album might be a bit boring, but the fans will surely be interested in the ‘Moonlight Shadow’ cover.
All in all, this second release is somewhat repetitive and not so spectacular, compared to “Vigor Mortis“, but the perfect sound, the delightful guitar solos, the atmospheric keys and – of course – the unique vocals of Ms Maya make it worthy for more than one spin.

8/10

DEATHLIKE SILENCE is:

Maya Liittokivi (vocals)
Ville Taina (guitar)
Elmo Karjalainen (guitar)
Janne Venho (drums)
Tobias Björkwall (bass)
Tuomas Yli-Kovero (keyboards)

LINKS:

http://www.deathlikesilence.com
http://www.myspace.com/deathlieksilencerules
http://www.metalfromfinland.com/Deathlike+Silence

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Korpiklaani – Karkelo

Filed under: Album reviews by Unia — 1 Comment
March 16, 2010

The Finnish folk metal band Korpiklaani has recorded a new album every year since 2005 until now. Released in June 2009, “Karkelo” [Finnish for "Party"] is their sixth studio album and it sounds just like their older albums, except that this one comes with a change: only two songs from this album are in English, while the rest have lyrics in their mother tongue, Finnish.

I clearly remember listening to “Hunting Song” many years ago. The first time I listened to this band I felt there was something special with them, but I didn’t really pay any real attention to them until in the summer of 2009 when I saw them live at a festival. At least for me, it was a bit hard to listen to them before seing them live, I couldn’t really get used to their style; it’s not that I didn’t like it but it was very different from any other music I usually listen to. But as their concert started and I realized what Korpiklaani is all about: happy drinking songs combined with folk metal and that typical athmosphere of their concerts, so after that I started to really enjoy their albums.

“Karkelo” starts with a characteristic song; “Vodka”. This song is perfect as an album opener, as a very catchy chorus can be heard in the first seconds, and will also keep playing in your head for a while: “Vodka, you’re feeling stronger/ Vodka, no more feeling bad/ Vodka, your eyes are shining/ Vodka, you’re the real man/Vodka, wipes away your tears/ Vodka, removes your fears/ Vodka, everyone is gorgeous/ Vodka, yeah vodka”. The other English song from the album, “Bring Us Pints Of Beer” reminds of the band’s older more known songs, and this song also has a very representative message: “If you don’t drink you can leave”. The bouncy “Juodaan Viinaa” is a cover of the Finnish rock/pop singer Hector. In spite of the title, not all songs from the album are drinking anthems, some of them being even melancholic at parts and sometimes (but rarely) the folk elements can’t be heard as much as usually. Jonne Järvelä’s voice sounds as charming as it always is and can be heard very well because it is not covered by the many instruments.

As most of the lyrics are Finnish, one would think that most of the songs would be boring or not recommended to people who don’t speak this language, but instead they are very catchy and entertaining even to someone who doesn’t speak one single word of Finnish, so much that you find yourself trying to sing along the lyrics you don’t understand. Korpiklaani managed to release an album on which almost every song is in Finnish, and the message is easily sent even to those who don’t know the meaning of the lyrics, which makes the album enjoyable to any listener.

Review: 9/10

Tracklist:
1. Vodka
2. Erämaan Ärjyt
3. Isku Pitkästä Ilosta
4. Mettänpeiton Valtiaalle
5. Juodaan Viinaa
6. Uniaika
7. Kultanainen
8. Bring Us Pints Of Beer
9. Huppiaan Aarre
10. Vesaisen Sota
11. Sulasilmä
12. Kohmelo

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Sonata Arctica – The Days Of Grays

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March 11, 2010

“The Days Of Grays” is the sixth full-length studio album by Finnish metal band Sonata Arctica and was released in Finland on the 16th of September 2009. The album also features vocals by Johanna Kurkela and cello arrangements by Perttu Kivilaakso (Apocalyptica). Henrik Klingenberg described the album as “a bit darker and maybe not so complex as ‘Unia’. Nevertheless, it’s definitely not a back-to-the-roots album with fast power metal. All the trademark Sonata stuff is on there, solos, lots of singing, some slower songs.”

The album opens with an instrumental of “Everything Fades to Gray”, atmospheric with beautiful keyboard melodies, which flows into “Deathaura”, the longest song of the album. This song consists of ten parts out of which the first part is almost entirely sung by Johanna Kurkela, and is very complex, haunting, epic and bombastic. “The Last Amazing Grays” has been previously released on a single, also in an orchestral version. This tracks is very catchy, different from the usual Sonata Arctica, and the “wolf-song” from this record, this version being a bit longer than the single edit, in which the first verse “The mystery of death before us” had been cut. “Flag In The Ground”, also released as the video, is a re-make of the song “BlackOut” from the demo “Friends Till the End”. The lyrics have been re-written so that the new sound of Sonata Arctica was mixed with older elements that remind of the band’s first albums. “Breathing” is the first ballad, which gets slightly heavier towards the end and is followed by “Zeroes”, another catchy song, probably the one that reminds of the “Unia” style the most. The following two songs could be the highlights of “The Days Of Grays”; “The Dead Skin” has everything from heavy guitars to piano melodies, dark lyrics and speedy parts, and is reminescent of older albums, especially “Reckoning Night”, while “Juliet” could sound like a long, epic story together with “Caleb” and “The End Of This Chapter”, it starts with keyboard melodies and sad lyrics such as “These are my final lines/ I’ve lived all my nine lives” and grows slowly, as the lyrics become full of hate “You double-crossing, filthy whore…”. In the end, the first part is sung once again, and then it fades away with the barely hearable “This is… the end… Why…? You’re closing my eyes…”. “No Dream Can Heal A Broken Heart” is another amazing and touching song, featuring the female vocals by Johanna Kurkela once again right in the middle of the song. The keyboard solo and Tony’s soothing vocals make “As If The World Wasn’t Ending” one of their greatest ballads. “The Truth Is Out There” is another typical Sonata Arctica songs, with a catchy chorus, nice vocals, and the guitar solo. The album ends with the full version of “Everything Fades To Gray”, which gives a feeling of continuity. It begins with the same dark piano melody as the instrumental, combined with once again amazing vocals, then unexpectedly gets heavier as the part that is included in the album opener is over, and ends with a very bombastic and majestic sound that will leave you stunned, the perfect ending of an unbelievable album.

“The Days Of Grays” is undoubtedly one of the albums that many people looked forward to this year. But it was worth the wait, and most fans of symphonic- and power metal will definitely love it. Even though the instruments seem slightly weaker and there are less solos than usual, the vocals are better than ever and the way the music and lyrics were composed so that every single one is a killer-song will make it one of the best albums released in 2009.

Review: 10/10

Tracklist:
1. Everything Fades To Gray
2. Deathaura
3. The Last Amazing Grays
4. Flag In The Ground
5. Breathing
6. Zeroes
7. The Dead Skin
8. Juliet
9. No Dream Can Heal A Broken Heart
10. As If The World Wasn’t Ending
11. The Truth Is Out There
12. Everything Fades To Gray (Full Version)

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HIM: Screamworks: Love In Theory And Practice

Filed under: Album reviews by Unia — 1 Comment
March 10, 2010

“Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice” is the seventh studio album by the Finnish “love metal” band HIM, released on the 8th of Febuary, together with a bonus CD called “Baudelaire in Braille”, which contains all the 13 tracks from the first CD, recorded acoustically.

Frontman Ville Valo described the album as being “about both the theoretical and practical aspects of relationships which are an impossible problem to resolve, [...] a cathartic, primal scream”, inspired by the singer’s past relashionships.

“Screamworks” is perhaps the most accessible HIM album so far, a combination of “love metal” with elements from the alternative and pop genres. The sound is closer to typical American metal than to Finnish music, the record being less dark and less heavier than their earlier releases. The use of pop undertones takes some time getting used to, but after listening to the first 2-3 songs, it becomes barely noticeable.

Despite the big difference in the sound, HIM have kept the elements that they are most known for: short tracks (the majority of the songs last around 3 minutes), catchy choruses and lyrical themes such as crushed dreams, open wounds, loss, pain etc. At times, Ville’s voice sounds better than ever, and yet, on rare occasions it is actually weak (these can be heard especially on the acoustic CD).

“Shatter Me With Hope” is probably the most typical HIM song of “Screamworks”, while songs such as “Scared To Death”, “Dying Song” and “The Foreboding Sense of Impending Happiness” stand out and are definitely the highlights of the record. Melancholic ballads are not missing either, the best example being “Acoustic Funeral (For Love in Limbo)”.

The acoustic CD is a nice bonus, even though not all the tracks sound as good, as it can get boring especially if you listen it right after the first CD, and Ville does not manage to show off his voice in combination with these instrumentals.

Overall, even though many of the tracks are similar to each other, this album is definitely an entertaining one and does not let you get bored. With “Screamworks: Love In Theory And Practice”, HIM have changed their style enough to attract new fans, and to not disappoint the older fans at the same time.
Review: 8/10

Tracklist:
1. “In Venere Veritas”
2. “Scared to Death”
3. “Heartkiller”
4. “Dying Song”
5. “Disarm Me (With Your Loneliness)”
6. “Love, the Hardest Way”
7. “Katherine Wheel”
8. “In the Arms of Rain”
9. “Ode to Solitude”
10. “Shatter Me With Hope”
11. “Acoustic Funeral (For Love in Limbo)”
12. “Like St. Valentine”
13. “The Foreboding Sense of Impending Happiness”

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