Category: Albums

{mosimage}Moneybrother
(aka Anders Wendin) is the latest rock star in Sweden. His
latest album Mount Pleasure reached the top of the charts in the neighboring country
this summer. No surprise here. This is a very fine album, a good collection of
catchy songs and sweet melodies.

The
artwork, featuring Anders Wendin looking straight at the camera with messy hair
and white shirt, could resemble the cover of Bruce Springsteen album. That is a
pretty good lead of what we will find in Mount Pleasure. There is a Born to Run kind of feeling on it: songs
about teenage loves, growing up, summer nights, working days and break ups. The
music also has an E Street Band influence, especially songs like the opener Guess Who's Gonna Get Some
Tonight, with the sax, the piano, the organ and the melody, it borders the wall
of sound.

But
fortunately, Moneybrother does not try to be the next Bruce Springsteen and his
music explores many other textures. The ballad It Might Aswell Be Known is a duet with Norwegian artist Annie Brun
and it could be one of those murder ballads by Nick Cave. Dance, pop or classic
rock (did I hear some early Wilco or The Jayhawks on It Is Time For Falling
Apart?) also make appearance in Mount Pleasure. Even Thin Lizzy! In his
website, Moneybrother recognizes proudly that Will There Be Music? is a total
Thin Lizzy rip off. It is too obvious to deny it. That song is like Dancing in
the Moonlight part 2. But like Wendin says: “I
absolutely adore Thin Lizzy and I don't want to make an album without a song
sounding exactly like them.” Well done, I say then.

In spite of all the clear influences, Mount
Pleasure sounds fresh and modern. The songwriting is too good to make this
album a failure.

Rating: 5/5

{mosimage}The Heroin
Diaries is the soundtrack to Nikki Sixx recently published addiction memoir. In
the book Motley Crüe’s bass player shares mesmerizing diary entries from the year he spiralled out of control
in a haze of heroin and cocaine. Surprisingly enough, the soundtrack to the
book does not have much to do with the music of the band that put the bassist
into the spotlight and eventually led him into drug addiction.

According to Nikki Sixx, this album is a
collaborative effort with James Michael and DJ Ashba. The result is an
overproduced pop metal collection of songs with some spoken excerpts from the
book and some touches of circus music. Instead of edgy and dark sounds, The
Heroin Diaries is an album full of soft ballads with sweet melodies. It brings
to mind the music of The 69 Eyes, HIM and other love metal heroes.

Nevertheless, for this style the album has
some good songs, like the rocker Pray for Me, the mid tempo Tomorrow. Perhaps
the most interesting song is the closing track Life After Death, which has some
cinematic qualities and a contemporary Alice Cooper sound.

The Heroin Diaries would have been a solid
debut for a new band. However, one could have expected Nikki Sixx to deliver a
different soundtrack to his darkest memories.

{mosimage}Uniklubi, the young band from Tampere, releases their
third studio album, Luotisade,  after having becoming the favourite of many
teenagers in Finland due in great part to their previous hit included in their
first album (and named after that song): Rakkautta ja Piikkilankaa.

Being quite an unusual feature, in Uniklubi  the bass player, Teemu Rajämaki, is the
one who composes most of the lyrics. About the new work, just after a curious
short intro where you can listen to the voice of a child in a lullaby that
could perfectly be extracted from a Tubular Bells album, in Luotisade
you can find good and catchy melodic rock in tunes like Vnus or the more romantic one Luotisade
that gives name to the album.

There is also space for heavier sound as you can
find in the seventh track Varjoon Juuttunut. Singing all the songs in
Finnish language, the bands market gets reduced basically in a great extent to their
native Finland.
Uniklubi faces quite a tough competence in this national market against other bands
with similar style and more experienced as Apulanta (many guitar riffs
sound exactly the same), Technicolour or Negative but album after
album the “Tamperelaiset” boys achieve quite a personal sound and own style
that undoubtedly will make them gain positions in the band list of future
summer festivals.

Turbojugends
of the world, rejoice! Get your asses ready! The best fat gay Norwegian punk
metal band has a new album out and it is a helluva album. With Retox,
Turbonegro goes back to the basics, gets heavy and deliver its best album since
the classic Apocalypse Dudes (1998).

Turbonegro
returned from hiatus in 2003 and since then the band has been very active,
touring constantly, while the fan base of Turbejugends grew and show the
Turbonegro official uniform across the planet. Retox is the third album since
the comeback and it is somehow different than the previous Scandinavian Leather
(2003) and Party Animals (2005). While those were pompous productions, full of
clichés and easy wow-ooh chorus, Retox is a return to form with a raw and edgy
sound.

The album
sounds furious and energetic since the very beginning with the explosive We’re
Gonna Drop The Atom Bomb. There are some heavy riffs and many songs are metal
flavored: Welcome to the Garbage Dump, Boys from Nowhere, Hot and Filthy, You
Must Bleed/All Night Long.

Apart of
the violent riffs and chords, there’s a bit of sex obsession: No, I’m Alpha
Male is one of the most outstanding songs in the set and probably one of the
best ones Turbonegro has recorded since Apocalypse Dudes. And of course, there
is a tremendous sense of humour which characterizes the band. Singer Hank Von
Helvete takes a look at the mirror and laughs at himself in the songs Every
Body Loves a Chubby Dude and Hell Toupée, which is the great hymn to male
baldness every written: “Spent my life fighting off the
pigs, drinking beer and smoking cigs / stealing riffs and a blowing gigs, but
now I'm stuck googling for wigs / Skin is glowing, dome is showing, my
bio-clock is ticking so fast / And it's gonna be Hell Toupee”.

The album closer is the eight-minute prog/metal/punk
suite What is Rock? This is a three-part song which brings the best of
Turbonegro and which in its last part answers to that philosophical question.

Less glam,
more metal, 100% Turbonegro!

{mosimage}Any new
album by Hanoi Rocks has to be celebrated. After so many years, it is a wonder
that Michael Monroe and Andy McCoy are still doing music together. Some might
even say that it’s a wonder that they are still alive. But indeed, they are
very much alive and Street Poetry is their best album since they reunited as
Hanoi Rocks in 2001.

{sidebar id=16}Street
Poetry sounds like a band’s effort, instead of individual parts put together,
with Conny Bloom and A.C. completely integrated in the group. Actually that is
how the recording was done in a studio in Suomenlinna. The whole band playing
together live in the studio. There are not many overdubs, synthesizers nor
artificial effects nor experiments like Reggae
Rocker. This gives a very fresh feeling to an album that sounds like good
old rock and roll.

Indeed,
Street Poetry sounds very classy. Conny and Andy deliver a good amount of rock
and roll riffs and the guitars don’t sound so metal as in the previous release
Another Hostile Takeover. There are some good rockers, like the opening
Hypermobile, Tootin’ Star and Powertrip that includes some good guitar licks
with slide. There are even some retro sounds: Teenage Revolution has all the
qualities of a classic Alice Cooper tune. Even its chorus features the vocals
of the 6th graders of the Suomenlinna elementary school. The new single, This
One’s For Rock ‘N’ Roll, is a classic rock and roll anthem that could have been
penned by Ian Hunter and his Mott The Hoople.

But after
all, this is Hanoi Rocks and in Street Poetry we find the mark of The Muddy
Twins: the catchy choruses, the riffs, Michael Monroe playing sax… even the song
Transcendental Groove has the same vibe as the classic Taxi Driver.

Street
Poetry is 13 songs and 45 minutes of good rock and roll. It will be a real
treat to see them played live. Indeed this one’s for rock’n’roll.

1. Hypermobile

2. Street Poetry

3. Fashion

4. Highwired

5. Power of Persuation

6. Teenage Revolution

7. Worth Your Weight In Gold

8. Transcendental Groove

9. This One's For Rock´ Roll

10. Powertrip

11. Walkin´away

12. Tootin´Star

13. Fumblefoot and Busy Bee

Just look at the names in the list: Apulanta, Hanoi Rocks, Ari Koivunen (the young heavy metal singer, last winner of Finnish idols) Viikate, Liekki, Sunrise Avenue, Uniklubi or Tea gives some good examples of how healthy the hard rock scene is nowadays in Finland, while new names like Hanna Pakarinen (the Finnish representative during last Eurovision song contest) can be compared with other female top dogs in Finnish music scene as Jonna Tervomaa.

As in most of the cases with this kind of albums, Suomipoppia 10 turns to be the perfect album in situations like finding that hit from the Finnish radio that you liked so much and did not know the author, as a present to a friend or relative or as a good first introductory step to get immersed into the fascinating music scene of Finland. Although next time, for avoiding misunderstandings among the buyers, we will have to see if the guys of EMI can make the difference between pop and other music styles.

Tracklist 

After her big success with the last studio albums Ei and Se Ei Olekaan Niin, now Maija offers a special present to the fans with this
double album, Ilta Savoyssa (and not Ilta Savoyassa as appeared funnily
in some Internet music shop services) that registers her live performance in
Savoy Theater, Helsinki, during last March gigs.

The album starts with a funny intro, where with good sense of humour
we listen how the managers are looking for somebody to replace Maija since she
does not show up for the concert, and go to ask to…Maija faking being other
person who sings awfully.

Musically, the album consists of 22 tracks where Maija sings one after
another her greatest hits. The atmosphere for singing in Savoy is slightly
different from a summer festival, and Maija takes advantage to explode her most
intimate side in tracks like Mun Elämä or Ei. In general the tone
of the album sounds more pop oriented than usual, with a bit excessive orchestral
flourish accompanying Maija’s voice.

I must admit that I prefer
Maija when singing for wild audiences in student parties or festivals, and she
shows her rock and roll side, usually linked with a wilder behaviour on stage
that makes her connect deeply with her audience. Songs like Kristiina does not sound as powerful in this live album as they should be, but
nevertheless, Maija’s singing skills, with her soulful voice,
work well enough to delight our ears and it is exciting to hear once more
performing Satumaa Tango as a big end to the album.

A slightly different album that shows new features in Maija’s
repertoire. Recommended for those who are already fans. For the new ones, try to
approach the older albums first.

That I mention Jack and Meg White's
influential duo here is not by accident. Certainly, most of the  slow, gentle and angst-ridden songs of Low
doesn't sound anything even remotely close to the sped-up,
electronica-and-distortion-washed rock of the 'Stripes (although even a direct
comparison of the music wouldn't be totally off base in songs such as “Cold,
cold night”). But I find something in these two bands' attitude that is
essentially the same. It is the achievement of a monumental sound with
minimalist orchestration.

Minimalism in this case is not merely an
eloquent way of saying simplicity: with the combination of a handful of weird
noise samples, a soft drum pattern, an apologetic bassline and heart-breakingly
painful vocals, Low creates a rich, massive and at the same time fragile flow
of sounds, the slowness of which accentuates the importance of the small
details.

“Drums and Guns,” the eighth album of the band is probably not the record you want to
listen to before a night out. It is not easy listening – merely by its
slowness, it demands your full attention –, but you might just find yourself
captivated by its depth.

The best attempts on her second album, N.B.,
come close: “I wanna have your babies” is a similarly joy- and tuneful
confession of feelings, and the opening track “How do you do” also
impresses (evoking Gwen Stefani without being, alas, terribly annoying).

But the rest of the album fails to create
anything memorable. Natasha's voice is simply wasted in the uninspired
presentation of meant-to-be-r'n'b songs that sound, mostly, like a corporate
marketing plan to appeal to the American market. The whole record is coated in
the sugary icing of “smooth” drum loops and “slick” bass lines, so the result
is a radio-friendly, danceable r'n'b record, which is, by the way, utterly
boring. If not for this generic, over-produced presentation, songs like “Say
it again” (evoking none other than the Red Hot Chili Peppers) or the
haunting “Tricky Angel” could have been great.

But as it seems, you're better off
downloading “I wanna have your babies” and “How do you do,” and hope that she
will do an acoustic performance sometime, where her voice could truly shine. That
would be amazing.

Main roles are cast to the acostic
guitars, Beatles-esque drums and Rhys' distinctively nasal and always low-key
vocals, but the essence of Candylion lies in the details, the carefully
placed samples of backward guitars, strings, harmonica riffs and weird, mellow
noises. Expect a few surprises too: 
"Lonesome Words" sounds like a melancholic tribute to
spaghetti western, the hymnical folk of "Con Carino" is
followed by Welsh-language "Gyrru gyrru gyrru," a dynamic
piece of driving soundtrack, while the title track is merely a sweet and simple
example of great songwriting. The 14-minute closing track "Skylon!"
is also worth a mention on its own: a tale of a plane hijacking, full of quiet
anxiety, that hints to what a collaboration between Thom Yorke and Bob
Dylan would sound like.

Come to think of it, it's a bit of a
mystery how all these elements can work together. But for certain they do. And
if the result is not exactly revolutionary in any way, it is tasty indeed.

The prasising reviews and the soaring sales
are hardly a surprise, and the Monkeys were indeed aware of the positive
prejudice that was to welcome their next move. „We knew that whatever we do on
the second album, it will get played on the radio, so we thought we might as
well do something interesting this time,” said singer-songwriter Alex Turner
in an interview.

It is then a bit of a surprise that „Favourite
Worst Nightmare” does not take on radically new ways; in fact, it delivers
pretty much the same of the energetic, crafty, somewhat barren and
quintessentially British rock music that was introduced on its predecessor. The
guitar and the vocals are as much a rhythm instrument here as the drums (having
said that, drummer Matt Helders' performance is jaw-droppingly amazing
throughout the album), and songs are as far from being theatrical as possible.

The slight changes in orchestration may point to new
directions for the band – if they stick to this work ethic, we'll hear it in
one year –, but if there is a major difference between their first two LPs, it
is in the general mood: this time, everything is darker, and the dominant
sentiment is no longer that of irony, it is plain anger.

And the Arctic Monkeys is still one of the best bands
around these days.

The initial song is one of the most powerful on the album and goes direct to your brain, fast drums and a powerful voice from singer Ville (who joined the band in 2000 replacing Jori in the vocal tasks).

Even when the sound is raw, there is space for good melodies to be heard. The sound is strong but clear, not like other bands of a similar style where you can hardly understand a single word pronounced by the singer. In this case, Most Principium Est. has success in mixing a more classic death style with a careful presentation of the melodies, flourished by keyboards and sound effects that do not overwhelm the power of the guitar blazing solos.

As an example, the female background vocals and other looping effects ornate the second track, The animal within, one of the most recommended on the album. The band sounds compact, clear and focused in general terms. It is clear that they have achieved a more solid sound after the past of years and what is very important, a personal powerful style for a melodic trash band that finds a good balance with the quality of the compositions.

As well, the design of the album cover is one of the best I have seen in recent times. If you like good melodic metal, do not miss them if you have the chance to see them on tour in the future!

This is particularly true of a very spooky piece called, in rough translation, ‘The melting of the great ocean.’ But whatever the influences, Auture brings them together into an original mix with many longer pieces that are certainly worth taking the time to listen to. Some of the music is emotionally ambiguous – and moving as a result – while some is simply pleasant, traditional folk that the listener can float away on. Where the words are in Finnish, their lyrical nature means that you can still enjoy the piece without understanding the language. Usually, these songs use a very small numbers of words, almost like mantras. Anyway, Autere helpfully includes English translations of her songs which deal with the traditional Finnish folk-song subject of ‘nature,’ comparing it to love as in, ‘the spruce roots wither/ but not my tears.’ Amongst the huge amount of Finnish folk music available, Autere is fresh and worth listening to.

Country Ghetto is roots blues rock with
a touch of soul funk straight from Louisiana. The music is like Dr
John singing in the Creedence Clearwater Revival with Stax / Volt
horns. JJ Grey outstands as an original songwriter, singing for the
poor.

It is a laid back and melodic album
that ends up hitting a high note on the gospel flavoured tune The Sun
is Shining Down and the coda Goodbye which bring some hope to the
ghetto.

JJ Grey & Mofro delivered another
enjoyable album for a hot summer night.

Wille's voice is
clean and catchy, and the band sounds great for being a promo album.
Lyrics are well worked, and there is this essence of glamorous
hard-rock from the 80's mixed with love tales that for sure will
make the band popular among the female public. As highlighted tracks
to listen, I would choose the first song Drowned together with
the last one Beautiful Things, and the cover of Pet Shop
Boys' It´s a sin (reminds me of another version of
the same song done years ago by my beloved German metal heroes, Gamma
Ray. although at present time, obviously with a softer tone). The
band also knows how to play a harder sound, like in Roseate Sky,
and in general, it is a pity that there are only 7 tracks available
in the album. One feels like expecting more songs coming. Too
good…too short.

The guys work hard
in keeping their fans satisfied, and you can notice that if they
visit their page on MySpace. Resuming, the album is a great first
step towards a, hopefully, brilliant future.