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Albums Music

Stratovarius – Polaris

One of the top international Finnish metal bands is back on the track after a twisted story with a new release and new record company…and without Timo Tolkki…

I have a weakness for Stratovarius since I was a teenager. They became one of my favourite bands ever and I remember with great emotion watching their concerts in Madrid. In one of them I was lucky enough to catch the set list when thrown to the audience, and ten minutes later a friend of a friend ripped in half the page…

Stratovarius

In any case, that was many years ago, and many things have happened in the history of Stratovarius. I also had the chance to meet in person their ex-bass player Jari Kainulainen (his wife was working at my same company) but the biggest change they experienced has been undoubtedly the exit of guitarist Timo Tolkki. A few weeks ago we published the review of the new Tolkki´s Revolution Renaissance´s album, and now it is the turn for Polaris, the newest release of Stratovarius. FREE! Magazine has the good luck to bring you the first impressions about the new full-length a couple of weeks before the official release date.

It was not an easy task to release a new album with Tolkki gone. Apart from everything written about his mental state, the Finnish musician is still a magician with the six strings and an excellent composer who elevated Stratovarius to the top of metal music worldwide. But what is more surprising once you listen to Polaris is that actually the album sounds very “classic”, not mentioning that it is also the first one released with the new record company Edel, leaving Spinefarm after many years of collaboration together.

Kotipelto in the vocals and  Johansson in the keyboard are able to retain (if not all) part of the essence of those albums of more than a decade ago, Visions or Elements, and the album sounds really good, with great tracks like Falling Star or Winter Skies as my personal highlights. It is good to see the keyboard taking a bit more of action all over the album, while bass player Lauri Porra shows once more why he is considered to be maybe the best bassist in Finland nowadays.  The new guitarist Matias Kupiainen does really an excellent work, and you do not miss the riffs of Tolkki at all during the 11 tracks that compose this Polaris.

Do not expect this to be the best album in the discography of Stratovarius, but certainly it is one that could be ranked among the best four or five;  An excellent “comeback” without Tolkki that shows how the Finnish metal masters have still a lot of to say to the international audiences. Ah, and I almost forget to mention that the quality of the artwork keeps up with the excellent taste that Stratovarius has always had with every new release!

Rating 4/5

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Interviews Music

Brüssel Kaupallinen – Interview with drummer J-P Aunola

Brüssel Kaupallinen is a rock band from Oulu that has achieved to be well known in their native country during its 2 decades of existence for owning a very personal style, not so easy to classify in the overpopulated Finnish rock /metal scene. Maybe they are not the band with the biggest discography in the world, but certainly they have something good and fresh to offer with their newest release, Musta Polku, produced by no other than Hiili Hiilesmaa. Juha-Pekka Aunola, the band´s drummer, kindly attended our quesitons and explained a bit more about BK and the "Oulu´s particular way of understanding music".

It seems that everywhere is written that BK sounds different to most of the other Finnish bands. So how do you define your sound then?

It’s hard to say that about your own music, because you are so close to it. Don’t know. Maybe it’s our style to make music that makes it sound different. Every song comes from rehearsal jams. Everybody add their own spices right away to songs and we don’t have too much limits. That makes it sound little strange and different. Our sound today is quite nineties; quite rough and little bit grunge with hint of metal.

Brüsell Kaupallinen

Does Musta Polku sound similar/different to your previous works?

I think MP is closer to 1996 released Aika ep, than two previous albums at 2005 and 2007. Somebody said that we found our lost soul again.

Black color seems to be an important theme in the album. It is in the title of a couple of songs, and even the artwork is black and white. Does this represent any kind of philosophy of things or state of mind?

Yes, it’s some kind of northern darkness; it’s easy to write about dark things, when you live up here with long dark winter. But still there’s some white in it. Also in this time everything is so black and white for many people. Black and white represents our world today.

At least when I was much younger (and probably even dumber), I used to enjoy full length albums with 14/15 tracks, but it seems that the trend nowadays is to make more condensed albums. For example, yours has just 11 too. Why do you think that this happened? Is the fast way of life nowadays making that people get bored if an album lasts too much?

You left out all shitty songs and that’s what is leftJ. With this kind of music about 40 minutes is enough for most of the people and in 40 minutes package stays still tight. But at least I have heard many great 1 hour albums lately. Today for many youngsters even one song is too much to listen at once.

In 1996 you launched your EP Aika, but it was not until almost 10 years later that you had your release album. What happened during those 10 years of “pause”? Is it not weird for you to say that you have been around 20 years but have only 3 studio albums?

At that time we’re making kids and working; normal life that didn’t include playing childish music. Life has changed so much nowadays. Now we’re making kids, working and playing childish music. I know many bands that hadn’t had any studio albums in twenty years. So that doesn’t feel so odd.

The “magician” of Finnish rock music Hiili Hiilesmaa has collaborated with you in your newest album. How did you get in contact and what can you tell after the experience of working with him?

I got to know him few years ago via our old record label (UHO production). So I just asked him if he was interested and he said yes. First he mixed Valheiden kirja album at 2007 and after those sessions we decided that he’ll do whole production for Musta polku. He is great guy to work with. So mellow but still demanding. When he says things are ok or shitty, then they are as he says. You better believe him. And he’s always in time, no stupid rock shit from him, never.

It seems that your songs get a lot of promotion online, in social webs like MySpace etc. Are you active users of social networks? Do you think that it is easier to keep contact with the audience there?

BK Drummer

Of course. Ten years ago you didn’t have this kind of promotion channels, just posters. Today posters are almost gone. Many cities deny posters, and if you put them anyway, they send you cleaning bill. Via Facebook and Myspace you can get more personal contact to fans too.

Noisy, ironic and mean, that’s Oulu" 

What represent for you and your band coming from Oulu? Does your native place influence your music?

Oulu is mental thing. Our kind of music has been called Oulu-noise twenty years. Radiopuhelimet is maybe most known in this genre. Noisy, ironic and mean, that’s Oulu

I know that you will be playing soon at Provinssirock, one of the biggest Finnish festivals. What other plans has the band for the rest of 2009?

Hopefully more club gigs. We’re planning 20-years jubilee tour for next fall and winter. Composing new material is of course great challenge for this year.

Anything you want to add for the readers?

Just “lööv”!

Q&A with Juha-Pekka Aunola

Most influential bands in your life?

AC/DC, Faith no More

{mosimage}Last CD you heard?

A Perfect Circle; Thirteenth step.

Who is the one in the band who drinks more?

We don´t drink, at least not too much.

Is there anything you did on stage that you felt ashamed next morning?

Nothing, or maybe just few mistakes.

What is the coolest Finnish band you have shared stage / backstage with?

Toni Kandelin

Photos extracted from the band´s official MySpace site and Official site. 

For more information visit:

www.brusselkaupallinen.com

Categories
Interviews Music

Interview with Jan Kuehnemund of Vixen

In the rock scene, there are women who have really made history and it would be nice just to remember them a bit since media does it only when there is something to get and never takes it as just a matter of rock & roll.

Women and their bands that are part of the rock history? Girlschool, Doro, Lita Ford, Joan Jett, Heart, L7, among others of course. All of them are important and unforgettable. We bring you a bit of this history, talking about a band that was worldwide famous in the 80's as the "hard rock queens", "the female Bon Jovi" in a time when, although it may seem a little out of date nowadays, it was REALLY a big thing. Our fireworks go to VIXEN and its "man", the wonderful woman who's been leading it and keeping the band alive, Jan Kuehnemund, band leader and guitarist of this 100% female rock representative Hard Rock band who's got to a stage and to a level only a very few women got in rock business when talking of an 100% female band.

Vixen

You founded Vixen in the 80´s and very fast the band got to a level only a few women´s band got to. Nicknames such as the Hard Rock Queens, the Female Bon Jovi were adjectives all rock fans agreed to give you. Could you tell us a bit of what it has represented to you as a musician and as a woman? Was it more special, a better victory for the fact of being a “woman in a man´s world” according to society patterns?

Actually, I just wanted to mention that we worked very hard for quite a long time, before we got signed, and had any success. In the beginning, the original band from Minnesota played all around the USA for several years, then one by one 3 of the 4 original members left the band and were replaced, eventually ending in the lineup with Janet, Roxy, Share and me. Once that lineup got signed, things came together more quickly, and that’s the story most people know! When we started to have some success in the late 80’s and heard the band being called the “Female Bon Jovi”, etc., we were honored and thrilled!! It did feel like it was an accomplishment both as musicians and as women, playing rock & roll in a mostly (back then) man’s world. I don’t know if it was a better victory, but we were enjoying the ride, and doing what we loved doing, and we just happened to be women!

In the band´s official website I read a new album is coming out. What kind of changes can we expect for the coming album and what hasnt´s changed at all in the bands attitude and music? When is it going to be ready and debuted?

We learned a lot while recording Live & Learn, and we certainly hope to put all that we’ve learned into our next record!What has NOT changed, is our love & respect for each other, our vision for Vixen, and our love of music, and our attitude about wanting the band to progress, and make more records and continue writing and touring, and keep getting better and better at all of it! We don’t have a release date as of yet for the new record, but we will post updates on our website as we have them – www.vixenrock.com

Have you ever stopped working with music? What have you done in your career and in your life besides Vixen?

No, I’ve never really stopped working in music! When Vixen broke up, I worked with a guy band, POULATION 361, for the first time in my life and I really enjoyed that, also!! I also worked with some other female friends and songwriters, and our band was called DRAWING DOWN THE MOON. We released a CD called Angel In My Dream.

What made you decide to go back with the band and how did you choose the new line-up?

My manager that I was working with in 2000, came to me and asked if I’d consider working with the old lineup again, even though we’d just been through a lawsuit and weren’t on the best of terms. I said yes, so then he asked the other girls if they’d consider working with me again, and Roxy & Janet said yes. Share had her band Bubble going and so she declined, so Janet, Roxy & I, along with bassist Pat Holloway did a “reunion” tour in 2001 called The Voices of Metal Tour with Vince Neil, Ratt and Slaughter. Part way through the tour, things on the road were not working out so well, as it was a really rough tour. So when I saw it all falling apart, I had to decide if I wanted to call it quits, or try to find new members to replace all 3, and finish out the tour. I chose the latter, and miraculously I found Jenna, Lynn & Kat, and we finished out that tour and we’ve been together and going strong ever since!! I truly feel that was a miracle!!

Can you remember your first gig? How old you were? Who were you playing with? How did you feel? What memories from this day you carry until now?

I can remember one of the first gigs for sure. It was at a roller rink, with the original members from MN, Cindy, Gayle & Laurie, and the audience age was from about 4 – 16 years old, and we were about 15 or 16 ourselves! We signed autographs at that show, so we felt really excited about that! Then when we were all done playing and our equipment was packed up, I called my dad, who was our very first roadie, to come pick us up! He had built a little trailer especially for us and our equipment, to haul us around town! I still carry all those great memories with me, to this day!

Vixen

Unfortunately we cannot see a large number of women really working as musicians in the rock scene. Why do you think most of women don´t get attracted by rock ´n roll? What do you call rock attitude? Any example?

There are definitely more females in rock & roll today, as players/musicians than there were in the past. I think women ARE attracted by, and to rock & roll, in the role of playing it themselves, more and more every day. I think that is really great!! I would call a “rock attitude” a feeling, a vibe, a love of music and sometimes including the rock & roll “style” that goes with it. Examples that come to mind are: Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Pat Benatar, Ann & Nancy Wilson, to name just a few. Pure “rock attitude” – all of them!

“If somebody could write my biography, the title could be Vixen: A Little Girl’s Big Dream"”

What has attracted you?

The love of music – creating it, playing it, listening to it, living it, loving it!

Do you think a woman has a more difficult path to walk on and has to “prove” more than men to achieve goals?

I think it’s easier today because there are more proven successful female artists/musicians in rock. From past experience, yes, we did sometimes feel like we had to “prove” ourselves. There were times when we were asked if there were really guys behind the curtain on stage playing our parts!

Do you like to listen to your past stuff, watch pictures, read articles and interviews, do you listen to your own music a lot? Does it feel good?

I don’t listen to our old stuff very often, or read old interviews, etc., very often. But if I happen to hear or see one of our videos on VH1 or hear a song on satellite radio or something, I still do get excited and it makes me smile, and yes it feels good!

Among all your stuff, which one do you consider the best and why? And what has been the best moment for you so far? Why?

Edge of A Broken Heart is still one of our best songs, I think, because that song was our first single, and it put us on the charts and on MTV, and is the song people know us best for! One of my favorite and best moments and one of my best memories, is still, the night we heard our 1st album – “Vixen” – had gone gold!! We were in France on tour with the Scorpions, and we had the night off, and our manager called us at the hotel, to tell us our record had gone gold!!! I remember thinking and feeling that we, at this moment, had accomplished something big!! It was a feeling of – wow – we “did it” and it was like my original dream was coming true!

If you leave behind “Jan the rock star” for a moment, what do you have to say about and how would you describe “Jan, the regular woman” who goes shopping, does the laundry. Do you enjoy it?

Haha! Yes! I enjoy it! I love shopping, being at home, cleaning to my favourite CD’s, reading, going for a walk, just going about my day, etc… it’s certainly a lot different from being on the road, but I love both, and I like to have a balance between the two…

Tell us something you cannot spend a day without doing.

I cannot easily spend a day without drinking coffee!

You have a long career and probably a lot to tell. If somebody wrote your Biography, how would its name be?

Hmmm….maybe something like, Vixen: A Little Girl’s Big Dream

If you hadn´t become a musician, what do you think you would have been?

Wow, I’m not sure! I believe it would have been something that involves being creative, though…

Vixen

Which other female rock stars do you admire? Is there any actual band with female members you like to listen to?

I admire Ann & Nancy Wilson, Pat Benatar, Lita Ford, Joan Jett, and many more…I like Evanescence!

I don´t know if you´ve got a play list but could you tell us your moment top 5?

1. FOO FIGHTERS (any of their CD’s)

2. I will be getting the new U2 record – No Line on the Horizon, I think it’s called. I just heardone of their new songs and loved it!

3. FUEL ( I still listen to their 1st 2 CD’s)

4. GAVIN DeGRAW5.

I need something else NEW to complete my top 5! 

Leave us a message!

Wow – that’s a tall order! ; )I would first like to say THANK YOU to all who have supported Vixen, back then, all through the years, and now!! We love you and thank you all for your very loyal support!!! : ) Follow your dreams, believe in miracles, believe in yourself, stay true to yourself, don’t give up on your dreams, no matter how tough it seems, try to smile even when you don’t feel like it, live each day to the fullest, tell your family and friends often – how much you love them, try to love even those you don’t really want to, forgive (it will make you feel better!), and at the end of every day, pause and think about as many things as you can, that you have to be grateful for! Much Love, Peace & Rock & Roll!! 

For more information about Vixen visit:

www.vixenrock.com

Read more articles from Maila Kaarina at:

www.hardblast.com

Categories
Features Music

Iron Maiden: Flight 666

As a die-hard Maiden fan since the age of thirteen, it certainly is a thrill to see one of your favourite bands on the big screen in thunderous 5.1 surround sound. Yes, I’m talking about the new film Iron Maiden: Flight 666, which captures the band onstage, backstage, and everywhere in between, during the first leg of their 2008 Somewhere Back in Time Tour.

Flight 666

Released worldwide on the 21st of April, the documentary film chronicles probably the most logistically challenging undertaking in Rock history: outfitting a 757 aircraft (complete with Maiden logo) to fit the entire band, crew, and all their equipment; fly them to play 23 concerts, in 13 countries, on 5 continents (that’s 70,000 km or 50,000 frequent flier miles if you’re counting), and do this all within the span of 45 days. Oh … and I forgot to mention, the plane was flown by none other than Iron Maiden lead singer Bruce Dickinson (who is a licensed airline pilot in his own right).

Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen, are the same team who made the fantastic 2005 documentary film: Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey. Considering the fact that Iron Maiden are well known for protecting their privacy and eschewing the typical trappings of celebrity, the filmmakers were given unprecedented access to the band on tour. We get to see affable drummer Nicko McBrain chatting (always with a slice of pizza!) with band mates on the bus moments after a show; the suffocating atmosphere brought on by mobs of fans in South America;  Bruce in the pilot’s seat flying “Ed Force One”; the famously brusque band manager Rod Smallwood asleep on the plane; a moment of crisis brought on by an innocuous golf ball.

In all, over 500 hours worth of film was taken by Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen and then edited down to the movie’s final running time of 112 minutes. Of course, in addition to all the behind-the-scenes moments, we get to see the reason why Iron Maiden is renowned the world over: the band is a monster live act. The performance footage is mixed throughout the film and the band has never sounded better thanks to producer Kevin Shirley who mixed the sound for the film. Since the set list remained essentially the same, the filmmakers chose to show clips of the band playing one song from each city on the tour. Two songs are played in their entirety: “Aces High” and the perennial classic “Hallowed Be Thy Name” which is performed at the final show in Toronto, Canada, and closes the film. 

As much as Iron Maiden: Flight 666 is about the band, it is (even more so) a film about the fans. Across continents and cultures: India, Japan, Australia, Central & South America, the U.S., and Canada, we see the impassioned reactions of fans the world over. Watching the Colombian fans as they camp out for NINE days in a make-shift tent city before a show, leaves the viewer in awe of the devotion and loyalty shown by the band’s fans.  

Flight 666

I was actually at the Iron Maiden show in New Jersey in the U.S., so one personal highlight was to see some of the live performance from that particular show in the movie. I strained to see myself in the audience but trying to pick yourself out in a crowd of 20,000 can be a bit futile. I guess I could get myself a magnifying glass and wait for the DVD release! 

For a band that has made such an indelible impact on its fans around the world (and rock music in general), Iron Maiden is, astonishingly, not in the institution known as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But Iron Maiden has never courted mainstream acceptance and that suits the band and its fans just fine. The band has made it on its own terms and without compromise. One particular moment in the film, I think, says it all: the camera zooms in on a Colombian fan who is overtaken by emotion and literally breaks into tears after capturing Nicko’s drum stick. This is what Iron Maiden means to its fans and no admission into an exclusionary club such as the R&R Hall of Fame can match that. 

The film is on extended release in digital theatres around the world including Bio Rex cinemas in Finland. 

Flight 666Trailer

Categories
Features Music

DAR – Dynamic Arts Records helping spread Finnish Metal to the world

 

{mosimage}Finnish Metal is undoubtedly worldwide respected and it´s surely not a fad. It didn´t happen out of the blue for no reason though, it is what it is for the extreme competence of the rock & metal bands that come from that tiny, isolated and cold country.

 

 

 

Doing the best you can on whatever you do, studying hard, researching and being extremely professional are cultural characteristics you see a lot in the entire Scandinavia and when the subject is Heavy Metal, let´s say that Finland and Sweden are at the top.

Dynamic Arts Records ( DAR ) – recording company from the city of Tampere – is a very respected company lead by people who really understand of rock & metal and help the scene be spread to the world. They´ve been doing a great job promoting their bands sending material and in this section Hard Blast will talk about 3 of these big metal promises.  

 

{mosimage}MASTERSTROKE – Melodic Power & Heavy Metal 

The band was formed in 2002 and has two albums released, Apocalypse (2006) and the great Sleep, released by DAR in 2007.You don´t need more than 30 seconds listening to realize what´s going on here – very good music, strong, powerful, with great melodies and guitar solos.The line-up is formed by Niko Rauhala ( v & g ), Janne Juutinen ( d ), Markus Kekoni ( g ), Jussi Kulomaa ( k ) and Marko Kolehmainen ( b ) and you can check them out on www.myspace.com/masterstrokefinland or on DAR homepage.

The album is composed by 10 tracks. Niko´s singing is different from what we are used to listening when the subject is melodic power metal, there aren´t very high notes. Vocals are melodic but heavy and it´s possible to feel a “Blaze Bailey´s atmosphere” in his tone but with a lot more power. Guitarist Markus also makes very different solos more focused on the melody than on the speed, which I consider a great advantage since in melodic power metal it´s usually more common to listen to very fast and exaggerated virtuous solos, .

The same happens to the keyboards, present 100% of the time showing great melodies and arrangements and not a 'keyboard X guitar duel'.Musicians who are able to play well saving notes, emphasizing melody to speed and paying attention to the musical environment of the work they want to show are very rare nowadays and I believe this is a great differential.

I recommend Masterstroke as one of the best bands I´ve heard recently. 

 

{mosimage}SILENTIUM – Goth/Dark Metal 

The band exists since 1995 and has a discography of 5 full-length albums and 3 singles. The most recent release, Amortean, came out in January of 2009 and have been getting great feedback from fans and press since then.The band´s career was full of ups and downs and line-up changes until 2003 but after this time the line-up was settled. Silentium is: Toni Lahtinen ( g ), Matti Aikio (b & groaning), Riina Rinkinen ( v ), Jari Ojala ( d ), Juha Lehtioksa ( g ), Sami Boman ( k ).

After signing with DAR in 2005 Silentium recorded Seducia, album of great success that could really make people pay attention to them. The most recent work, Amortean, shows very high quality female singing Goth Metal. Riina sings beautifully with a strong voice which does not follow the actual pattern of the ‘opera’ singing. She explores her natural tone and singing personality. Her voice is strong, deep and makes Silentium even more interesting.Songs are rich, full of keyboards and orchestral arrangements, there is a strong concern with climate and particularities that would make fans recognize their music right from the intro.

Drumming also deserves to be highlighted in Silentium´s work. Jari Ojala plays strong and fast being also a very creative drummer on his kickin´ arrangements. The album is very well produced it´s very musical having some 'taste' of pop that makes Riina´s voice fit even better on it. You could easily listen to them on the radio. Amortean shows melancholic and deep songs just as the style demands though. For those who enjoy heavy music with female singing, Silentium´s album is for sure a very good buy. Check them out at www.myspace.com/silentiumband or go to DAR homepage to get more info. 

 

 

 

ANGEL BLAKE – Metal 

Angel Blake is the solo project of guitarist Marko Tervonen ( The Crown ) and besides himself it counts on the musicians Tobias Jansson ( v ), Anders Edlund ( g ), Örjan Wressel ( acoustic bass) and Janne Saarenpää ( d ).

 

{mosimage}

 

Although Marko and Janne are Finns, the band is based in Sweden, where the other members are from. The album The Descended, released in 2008, shows what could be called 'real nordic metal' with all specific characteristics that make those who research about the style recognize the bands. I don´t mean it´s cliché cause it´s not. It´s particular, there is a specific personality when you listen to the base guitar with its fast palm mutting, the creative drumming and vocals that can vary from clean and high to groaning, always very strong and present.

It´s perfect music for head banging, air punching and stage diving. The kind of atmosphere that puts you really into a metal mood.It´s curious that bassist Örjan plays the acoustic bass giving a special sound to the lows of the songs making them even heavier and fuller of punch. Angel Blake is a band that surely deserves to be heard.

Check them out at www.angelblake.com and find the true Scandinavian metal into their heavy riffs.   

 

Photos: www.dynamicartsrecords.com

Categories
Albums Music

L.R. Phoenix & Mr. Mo’Hell – Wrecked

{mosimage}Blues is alive in North Europe! From North Karelia comes a duo that exhales pure genuine good old Blues! 

L.R. Phoenix is an English musician who decided not only to switch from playing heavy metal to Mississippi Blues, but also from living in the south of England to the East of Finland. Lately we have had the luck to review in FREE! Magazine a bunch of good records from independent artists that, although often forgotten by the mainstream media, are able to release records of excellent quality. We saw it with the Finnish artists Matti the Random Guy and recently we also reviewed the excellent last releases of the young Estonian blues magicians Bullfrog Brown, who also keep the tradition of Mississippi Blues alive in the neighbouring Baltic country.  

If you enjoy the music of Bullfrog Brown, probably you will also like what the duo Phoenix (guitar and vocals) – Mo'Hell (drums) has to offer:  a good collection of blues songs rooted in the old American tradition. But actually in some ways, this is even an easier album to listen than the ones produced by Bullfrog Brown: the voice of L.R. is clean, powerful and catchy while the guitar riffs are edgy but feel “light” at the same time. 

As some highlights in the album, listen for example to On The Run, Dark Clouds or My Leaving and be ready to enjoy. Good blues that can also easily catch the attention of not so blues-hardcore fans.

Well made effort, good lyrics and a little feeling of sloppiness that provide the album with a suitable “underground” touch; perfect to listen with a cigarette in your mouth and a glass of whisky in your hand. 

Rating 4/5.

Categories
Albums Music

Revolution Renaissance – Age of aquarius

{mosimage}After leaving Stratovarius, Timo Tolkki, the Finnish magician with the guitar, is back with his new project and the second studio album. 

A second studio album that could perfectly be catalogued as debut one, since the previous one was made up with the material that should have gone originally for Stratovarius. With people like Gus Monsanto on the vocals or Bruno Agra as drummer, Tolkki seems to have formed a more stable project. At least, the band sounds like a band, not just Tolkki trying to impose his guitar solos over the rest of the instruments, and the final result is quite a good work of heavy metal. Let´s see if the formation remains in the future, because there are rumours that Tolkki will count with some old members of Stratovarius for the following full length. 

If it would be any other band, many people would catalogue this as an excellent heavy metal album. But being Tolkki´s new project, it will be loved and hated equally. The album does not provide with any special surprise, actually, almost “surprisingly”, it sounds too much “Stratovarius” in songs like Sins of my beloved or the beautiful ballad Ghost of fallen grace. But in general, all the tracks are pretty enjoyable, especially the flamboyant Ixion´s Wheel or the final folk-metal oriented Into the future. 

Tolkki shows that he still keeps the magic in his fingers, let´s see if his head can also work so fine in the future! For those of you who loved the first albums of Stratovarius and want to listen to more of the same, you are going to enjoy this. For the ones that wanted a more experimental or surprising album, better go somewhere else. 

Rating 3/5.

Categories
Albums Music

Klamydia – Rujoa Taidetta

{mosimage}The Finnish punkers are back with a new album full of speed.

 

Making studio albums is not a problem for the Finnish punk rockers. Formed 20 years ago, they have releases almost one album per year, being this their 15th full length record. So we are not exactly talking about a group of high school students doing bullshit here. It is not easy to remain for so many years in the demanding Finnish market, so certainly Klamydia has gained with effort their position as one of the strongest Finnish underground band of the circuit.

 

Hated by many and adored by their followers due to their straight and gross language and their blowing live performances (that can perfectly end up with the singer puking on stage or the concert cancelled due to the ethylic state of the members), the point is that every country needs a band like this. Raw energy, catchy lyrics (in Finnish) and basically, good punk rock “in your face” with some highlights like Miljoonan Kiisan Tennarit or the homonymous Rujoa Taidetta. I have read in some Finnish media that this is the most boring Klamydia`s album in many years, but from my point of view, it is certainly entertaining, accessible also for listeners who are not punk-rock fans and perfect to listen to as background music at the office when you want to isolate your ears from annoying job mates…

 

Rating 4/5.

Categories
Albums Music

Pure reason revolution – Amor vincit omnia

{mosimage}Second album for the “astral-folk” British band that exhales a really great quality!

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must confess I had not much idea about what to expect from this second long-length  from the guys from United Kingdom. But I was happily surprised by a fresh album that combines rock, industrial metal and electronic rhythms with a good taste, sounding experimental but classy at the same time, a task not easy to achieve. With this “Love Conquers All” (the literal translation of the Latin album title). The male and female voices get mixed and the electronic parts sound catchy and modern. Listen as some highlights to the introductory Les Malheurs,  the excellent powerful Victorious Cupid or the experimental The Gloaming.

An album that you will love or hate, but certainly does not leave you indifferent. Some of the tracks would be perfect for a vampire movie soundtrack. A great follow up album that shows a band young but not afraid of doing what they want. We will have to follow them with a sharp eye in the future!

Rating 4/5.

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Albums Music

Therapy? – Crooked timber

{mosimage}The veteran Irish punk rockers are back. It seems that the years catalyze their energy into a more fluid sound.

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till sounding powerful and fluid, it is true that in this album, maybe Therapy? has lost a bit the intensity and rawness of younger times, but on the other hand, has gained in balance and a more colourful musical palette. Well, when a band releases their 12th album, they have nothing more to show. Maybe they do not sound so appealing in the music industry anymore, but they still know how to produce a solid rock album. 10 tracks, no more no less, with quite heavy drums and heavy rhythms like in Enjoy the struggle or the monumental Exiles.

Theraphy? shows to the world that they are well alive and still kicking ass! No need to reinvent themselves when the result is just a good album of rock.

Rating 3/5.

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Albums Music

Major Label – When I am with you you are safe

{mosimage}The trio from Helsinki features their second studio album, a must have if you like good pop-rock Finnish music.

I receive dozens of albums a month to review or check out. So it is not a small thing for me when I say that the new album by Major Label is so far my favourite and nicest surprise of the month. The Finnish trio sounds compact, with excellent quality, balanced, with the voice of Arto Tuunela mastering the tempo of every song, great lyrics, catchy tunes… what else can you expect? If you like rock bands with an experimental and indie twist, like Radiohead or A perfect circle, you are going to love these young Finnish fellas. Listen to outstanding tracks like When I am with you you are safe, The Scar or Said the Water to Land and prepare to enjoy a great musical experience!

A great album that sounds mature, well measured and gives hope of an excellent future for the band from Hell-sinki. And shit, do not forget about the CD artwork, especially the cover, the nicest and funniest I have seen for a long time!

Rating 5/5

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Concerts Music

You do not mess with Texas! – Radar´s gig at Semifinal – Helsinki.

{mosimage}Power to the music with (almost) no words. This evening we celebrate the post-metal/post-rock universe with a local offering and a more established name in a genre that many music critics have already defined as a dead branch. Despite its small dimensions, Semifinal is sold out for a show that is extremely anticipated by the crowd that has invaded the venue. 

 

 

The opening is performed by Radar, a Helsinki band which mixes Callisto’s True Nature Unfolds-period with the intricate sonic plots of Cult of Luna. Anguishing atmospheres are accompanied by desperate growls, while monolithic riffs destroy every attempt of resistance from the listeners: the five tracks are performed in thirty minutes of engaging music, most of it sampled from the latest album Remoras.

“We came straight from Texas”: these are the only words we’ll hear from This Will Destroy You during the whole show before the thanks at the end. The American quartet takes position on the stage and starts a performance in which melodies and distortions are tightly intertwined for the joy of the post-rock adulators. Every sonic layer is incorporated in an effective fashion, while taking time to let passages mature to their full potential, often lingering reflectively when necessary. While still crafting their tracks according to the post-rock formula, the band has replaced predictable and massive build-ups with dynamics enriched with different effects and sprinkles of electronic music.

 

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The two guitarists provide an interesting opposite approach, mixing more ambient sounds with aggressive, razor-sharp riffs while drummer and bass player are backing them up with twists and injections of adrenaline. The end result is one hour of pure ecstasy for the devotees of elegantly complex music trajectories where both albums have a say in the show.    The sound goes off and the lights are on for the conclusion of a sonic experience that has accompanied, entertained and delighted the enthusiastic crowd. And we leave Semifinal with the hope in our hearts to cross again the path of the Texan band.

 

Photos by Alessandro Bonetti and Radar`s MySpace official site.

For more information about the band, you can visit:

http://www.myspace.com/radarnoise

 

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Albums Music

Absoluuttinen nollapiste – arkistokuvaa 1992-2008

{mosimage}Here you have a double DVD that involves their trips and music during 16 years.

Here you have a piece of Finnish history, bringing by the band´s drummer Tomi Krutsin and the vocalist-guitarist Tommi Liimatan together with Pauli Hokkanen. 5 hours and a half of a documentary that, from my humble opinion, turns to be a little bit boring.  First of all, if you do not understand Finnish, you will have a problem because there are no English subtitles. The members of the band act in great part of the documentary like any other annoying youngsters who just want to have fun, but it is interesting to see the band growing up, and fighting the real battlefields of the Finnish rock music scene: the little clubs, although I must confess that they music is not exactly my cup of tea.

Obviously, if you are a band´s fan, you are going to receive this with open arms. There are some interesting extras included like a collection of pictures taken all over 13 years by Tomi Palsa or the documentary Kymmenen vuoden yksinäisyys. But for others who could be interested in this out of curiosity, I basically recommend you to think it twice before making an investment; the more than 20 euro that the DVD costs maybe cannot pay off if you are not a hardcore fan.

Rating 2/5.

Categories
Concerts Music

The magic flute is living in the present – Jethro Tull concert at Helsinki Kulttuuri Talo

{mosimage}Just more than a band, a truly rock living legend, visited Finland to offer two excellent shows in Tampere and Helsinki during their 40th anniversary Tour. FREE! Magazine was in the show at the Finnish capital to check how Ian Anderson and company sounded there!

 

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years is something that not many bands achieve. Fortunately, Jethro Tull is still alive and kicking ass! Probably the survival is due to the charisma of the only original component that remains, Ian Anderson. Nevertheless, he is the one who pulls the creative strings of the band, so it would have not been the same if Jethro Tull had ever lost him, and then basically, it would not be Jethro Tull anymore. Anderson himself joked during the concert about the continuous changes in the band formation, when introducing their “seventh” bass player David Goodier.

But before, a little adventure to arrive to the show on time…

I did not know if I would get the press ticket until a few minutes before the show, where happily I could see that LiveNation had positively attended my pledges. I was at that moment in the middle of nowhere in Espoo staying at a friend´s house, so after an odyssey through the “deep Helsinki big area”, and getting also lost in Kallio, I finally made it to Kulttuuri talo building. I had not been there since Yngwee Malmsteem´s concert, and the truth is that is not the best place in Helsinki to watch a concert. The acoustic is awful, and the organization places the fence 10 metres from the stage, losing much of the feeling of getting close to the artists.

 

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During the evening, I saw the best and the worst of Finnish nature. On one hand, people were nice and helpful to help me find the venue, in the end I walked with another guy who was also assisting to the concert. On the other hand, the kind of things that break my nerves about Finland and their “squared minded” organization: the entrance to the hall was forbidden if you were wearing a jacket, but when you had to leave it in the wardrobe, you had to pay in cash, and it happened I did not have any in my pocket. With the concert about to start, finally they made an exception and I did not pay, but the girl on charge did not forget to remind me that “I had to pay next time”. Please…if any organizer reads this, when will they realize that the wardrobe should be included with the general price of the ticket? And what if I feel cold and I want to wear my jacket inside the venue, is that a sin? Finland and its rules…  a never ending story.

 

Nevertheless, I finally made it in, and after a short delay Anderson and his British fellows appeared on stage. The flutist with his unmistakable handkerchief on his head attacked the notes of Crossed-Eyed Mary and continued with a good collection of the greatest hits of the band though their long history:  Beggar´s Farm, A Song for a Cuckoo, Farm on the Freeway, the acoustic King Henry´s Madrigal or the amazing Song for Jeffrey were some of the songs played, with Anderson cheerful, joking with the audience and introducing every song with a little history, apart from showing his virtuoso talent in solos with the flute, long but not tedious. He also joked about the Grammy Award they got years ago as best metal band, telling that of course they are not a metal band. Somebody from the audience quickly answered the famous sentence “The flute is a heavy metal instrument” that appeared in Billboard magazine.

{mosimage}The concert was divided into two parts, with a break of around 20 minutes in the middle. I must confess I do not like breaks in concerts, but well, this gives a good chance to the Finnish audience to go for a pint of beer meanwhile and chit chat a bit. Back on stage, the band continued with his good arts playing more anthems like the always awesome Thick as a Brick or Aqualung to end up with Locomotive Breath.

All in all, just a great concert that shows how old rockers never die. The audience was not wild, but silently enjoying, like sharing something magical and special that you cannot feel every other day. Older and younger people mixed;  fans of all ages with the band´s t shirts on just on a kind of mystical trance, moving their feet at the rhythm of Anderson´s diabolical flute.  Let´s see if they continue as good as now for the 50th anniversary tour in 10 years!  

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Albums Music

Soulcage – Soul for sale

{mosimage}Second album for the Finnish band with a more settled formation and more mature sound. 

After their debut album in 2006 (Dead water diary), Soulcage are back stronger than every with a follow up album that offers the best they have: good heavy rock with sharp riffs, nice keyboards, a powerful drum, nice lyrics and the great vocals of Aleksi Parviainen (that I don´t know why, during some moments at the beginning of the album reminded me a bit of Ville Valo´s, although later the feeling faded away). 

Soulcage`s style is maybe closer to the American glam rock bands of the 80s and beginning of the 90`s, like Poison, Cinderella, Bon Jovi… Melodic rock with taste that can reach mainstream audiences. Tracks like I see, My Canvas, My Skin, the beautiful ballad Satellite children or the rougher Ride on are some of the highlights of an almost square rock album. If I have to put a “but”, I will complain again about the same trend that seems to be predominantly in all the recent Finnish heavy and rock releases: only 11 tracks for a full length album? Apart from that, a high quality hard rock album you should not miss! 

Rating 4/5