Category: Music

{mosimage}We don’t know what Kate did to be hated like this, but sure we know that the Californian guys are able to provide some awesome lyrics.

From Huntington Beach in California comes this original band with a good load of power pop that turns to be in some songs pretty danceable. Listening to their new album, embrace the curse, during the first couple of songs I had the impression that they could share some features with the Australian the Wombats, but I hate Kate goes far beyond the simple formula of just offering easy listening songs to forget about worries, and are able to compose intelligent and wonderful pieces like the funny I´m in love with a sociopath or the romantic It’s you.

The band has been around for 3 years now, and it is comprised of Justin Mauriello (vocals/guitar), Scott Hayden (bass) and Jeremy Berghorst (guitar). Step by step, they have gained a reputation touring around USA and recently they also had the chance to play a visit to Japan.

We wish good luck to the Californian guys, and hope that in a near future they will be able to visit Europe and delight us with some kickin´pop-rock.  

Rating 4/5.

{mosimage}The band from the Finnish capital features their debut album during this August, followed by an extensive tour around Finland.

Coming from the capital, there is no wonder that the introductory track of the album is named after the band: Haloo Helsinki!. A good representative track of what you can expect later: the voice of Elli singing lyrics for a youthful urban audience. At some point it feels a bit like the singer is a younger version of Maija Vilkkumaa, with the record company EMI making an effort to catch teenage audience around the country. The rest of the members of the band are Jere and Leo on the guitars and Jukka on the drums.

Do not misunderstand me. For being a debut album from a young band, Haloo Helsinki! sounds pretty cool. The production work is nice and some songs are really catchy like Yksinäiset or Perjantaina. It is just the feeling that the Finnish market is a bit overwhelmed with bands and female singers with similar style. Sure Haloo Helsinki! will leave a good feeling when appearing on live gigs and festivals together with the bunch of the other pop-rock Finnish bands aimed at youngsters, but it will be difficult that they can head out unless they are able to find a bit more personal style and “trademark”.  

Rating 3/5.

{mosimage}With this philosophical title the Finnish guys introduce us their new studio album full of good indie pop.

Indie Finnish music scene is not as strong as hard rock and heavy metal scene, but surely it has improved a lot in the recent years with fresh bands like Brightboy or the invasion by the record label Fullsteam. What we have here is (thanks god some diversity…) not another band “made in Fullsteam”, but a group of 5 guys that started 3 years ago with this project and are at the present day signed with Pyramid/Johanna Kustannus, releasing their debut album after having gained experience in the international music scene.

Actually, we recently talked to you about the Californian guys from I hate Kate, and saving the distances, there are some resemblances between both bands: they have been around for the same time, they both gained a good reputation in Japan and they both have new albums with excellent lyrics. As an example, listen to Weakness for Welfare or Brand New Beginning from the Finnish guys, and be ready to enjoy.

Maybe the compulsory melancholic mood is here more constantly present than in the Americans I hate Kate, but certainly Automatic Eye deserves to be recognized far beyond the frontiers of Finland. We hope that they can get a good push of promotion and show the world that in Finland there is also space for a good indie pop scene.  

Rating 4/5.

{mosimage}The Finnish guys feature their self-titled debut album with a sound that will remind you of the rock from the 80s.

Land of Tales is a band led by Kristian (Juhan Kontu) on the vocals and guitar and Palle (Harri Lehtonen), and certainly you can notice that when listening to their debut album, because it is the keyboards and the guitar riffs the ones that steal the show here to the other instruments. The other two members of the band are Sami on the Bass and Sami O. on the drums.

It seems that looking back to the American sound of the 80s, with so many nice melodic bands, is becoming a trend in Finland. If few weeks ago we were talking to you about the virtues of Brother Firetribe, now Land of Tales seem to follow the same path. Although being their first album, the musicians are experienced in the music business. Kristian and Palle have been playing together for 15 years in a previous band called Naiskala. About the record, it certainly has everything you can expect if you like the genre: catchy lyrics, some excellent cutting riffs, good melodies, nice vocals skills by Kristian and a couple of songs that can work perfectly as hits like the introductory Silence or the blowing Slow Waters. Outlander could fit perfectly in the soundtrack of a Hollywood romantic comedy.

An album easy to listen and easy to like. Let´s see what Land of Tales will offer in follow-up projects, but the first impression is certainly very positive.  

Rating 4/5.

{mosimage}The Swedish band is back with an excellent live DVD recorded in Warsaw, Poland.

The Swedish band is back with an excellent live DVD recorded in Warsaw, Poland.

After having released in 2007 the studio album Gothic Kabbalah, here comes one year later a superb live DVD recorded in Warsaw that will serve as a testimony of the end of an era in the band, because it was recently announced in their official website that the main members of the band were departing in different musical ways, staying the founder Christofer Johnson as the core to build up a new formation in the future. 

What you can find here is more than 2 hours of an excellent show that goes through the extensive career of the band. Lori Lewis and Katarina Lilja  put a note of glamour with the female voices and the band sounds consistent and having fun in front of quite a warm Polish audience. The stage is not very big, but on the other hand the close contact with the public is clearly perceived. As highlights we can comment the exotic drum solo with two other members of the band joining Petter Karlsson, and of course the final climax of the marvelous symphony To Mega Therion.

If you like symphonic metal, you can simply not miss this one in your collection. Apart from the DVD the concert has also been edited in a double CD version.

Rating 4/5.

{mosimage}Canadian indie pop band features their second studio album.

After the release Apologies to the Queen Mary, Wolf Parade gained quickly a place as a cult indie band. Now, with this second album, the Canadian trying to settle down into the international scene touring also around Europe.  

Founded by ex Frog Eyes member Spencer Krug, who enlisted promptly Dan Boeckner in the vocals, Wolf Parade offers a wonderful and sometimes psychedelically album with certain notes of melancholy spread here and there that surely with make it catch very well with the Finnish pop audience.

Good work with the sound manipulation by Hadji Bakara and songs sharply built like Call it a Ritual or Language City that make this new work a sure success when playing on stage either at festivals or smaller venues. Special mention to the nice artwork of the album that serves to pinpoint even more the oniric atmosphere of this At Mount Zoomer. Some moments in the album like while listening to Bang  your Drum can remind you of The Doors. Not a bad effort.  

Rating 3/5.

{mosimage}The former founder of bands like The Dictators or Manowar features a new album well into the roots of heavy metal.

Beloved by many Manowar fans around the world who would like to see him back with Dimaio and Cia, Ross the Boss has forged an outstanding career as heavy metal and punk rock musician during the last two decades, with many collaborations and new projects with new and old fellas. Now, in August 2008, it is about to see released his new album: New Metal Leader. With Patrick Fuchs doing a decent job in the vocals, the album will give you exactly what you expect, no more no less. This means Ross´cutting guitar riffs all over and a style resembling in many parts of the album the old classics of Manowar. As some of the favorite tracks in the album I would highlight Blood of Knives and the catchy I got the Right.  

The production is well made and taken care by Tarek Maghary and the album sounds consistent, clean and compact. But as usual the question arises: would not be better to hear Ross´efforts back with his Manowar fellas, instead of having an alternative project that sounds pseudo-Manowar? It is up to you to decide after listening to his new album.

Rating 3/5

{mosimage}The guys from Tampere have joined forces with Fullsteam Records to release their second studio album.

Fullsteam Records is well known in Finland for dominating the pop and indie scene with bands after bands that are achieving a kind of “Fullsteam sound”, maybe nothing seen in the country since the times of Love Records. So in a way it is refreshing that they turned their eyes into a project like Medeia, more oriented into a gloomy death metal scene.

Founded in 2002, Medeia as any other small band that tries to head out worked hard at the beginning self producing their first album. Now, with a strong record company backing them up, they are projecting to conquer the European market, and no doubt that this Cult is a good step. Just the artwork of the CD exhales quality, and when you start to listen to the album, you realize that it has a lot to offer far beyond a typical death metal sound. Listen to tracks like Manifestation or The Lowest Filth and you can see how the lyrics are carefully mastered and the touch of experimentation puts the band aside from the risk of resulting boring or repetitive. Even when death metal Is not my favorite style, I must admit I am gladly please with Cult. We wish all the best for the Tampere fellas!

Rating 4/5.

 {mosimage}Here comes the premier album by the French-Finnish band led by the sensual voice of Olivia Merilahti. 

Olivia Merilahti and Dan Levy are the leaders of this new band that in a short time is getting popular all around Europe. If you want to see them on live this summer, they are a perfect excuse to travel to France and enjoy some sun and good wine there. The Do offer a sensual and evolving pop, and certainly the voice and presence of Olivia makes the band stand up from others.

What you will find here are easy listening songs about love, unconformity, and relations all wrapped with a thin lay of sadness. Listen to some highlights like Playground Hustle, Song for Lovers or On my Shoulders. An album easy to feel identify with, specially if you belong to the increasing group of middle age people whose dreams start to vanish into the harsh reality of the world. The band offers a good mouthful of good music; Recommendable!  

Rating 4/5.

{mosimage}The first concept album by English metal gods Judas Priest is based on the peculiar character of Nostradamus.

The album takes a look at the life and the prophecies of the French Michel de Nostradame, better known as Nostradamus; a new and in a certain way risky step in the career if the legendary metal band, but was it needed? The album is featured in a double CD with almost 2 hours of duration, and well, maybe it can be a bit difficult to swallow the first times you listen to it. Halford´s voice masters the lyrics, and the band has been able to melt more orchestrated sounds and colorful intros with the classic Judas sound.

But well, maybe the extravagance can be a bit too hard to listen for not open minded fans. Nostradamus includes 23 tracks that fuss theatrical parts with other riffs 100% classic. It is praising that a band like Judas Priest still had time to experiment, but at the same time, the album can end up being a bit boring. Mention apart for the great artwork done by Mak Wilkinson, which makes by itself the CD worthy to pursue. If you approach this album without prejudices, it can certainly entertain you: if not, maybe you will prefer to stick back to their old stuff.

Rating 3/5.

{mosimage}Stay Heavy Records have signed one of the most exotic bands to step into Finnish festivals last months: the Indonesian Noxa.

Noxa became known for some heavy metal Finnish bands after having the chance to play in last Tuska festival in Helsinki, as well as having other gig scheduled in Tampere. The story of the band is peculiar, since they were discovered in a previous edition of Tuska festival when they travelled all way from Indonesia just to assist to what they considered as the best metal festival in the world. No doubt that the chance to be a part of the fun and perform on stage must have been a milestone in the lives of these Indonesian.  

What you have here is their second album, and what we can say about it… if you see the tracklist you will be impressed cause it comprises no less than 31 tracks + 4 videos! A collection of fast and furious grindcore songs that last no more than 2 minutes. Listen to Brutally Murder or Sinetron Sucks and you will have an idea what to expect. Noxa just like to shoot straight to your brains killing riffs and brutal sounds. A good effort by the Asian fellows, and certainly an exotic note to include in your collection if you like grindcore.

Rating 3/5.

 {mosimage}From the very depths of hell Venom is back with a new album! 

Venom set a precedent in dark metal scene with their first two studio albums. Years later and after many changes in its formation, they are back on the track with the unmistakable voice of their singer Cronos, mastering the album from the initial track Straight to Hell and shouting like the devil itself in the fifth track Hell.  

Good drums work all around the album by Antony Lant like in The Power and the Glory or Hand of God, but sometimes the guitar riffs do not sound as brilliant as they should.

Die hard fans will be certainly pleased with Hell, although not the best album from Venom, a good effort. For others not so familiar with the band this will be simply a good album to add to their collection and a splendid way to discover and review older material from the Englishmen.  

Rating 3/5.