Reviewed by Dave Palmer
'Tools of Destruction' is my third album review for this Finnish band that has hints of their fellow countrymen such as Stratovarius or Sonata Arctica, but I do think that by this album, they really have to be considered one of the best from that land. So far through the bands three releases, they have been able to capture a very good amount of melody and also deliver a bit of an edge. This translates into some very good, catchy metal. It may not all be heavy to the classification of metal, but it is fairly traditional in it's approach, and for those of you that detested the 90's music and nu-metal, you really need to restore your faith by checking out some of these bands from foreign soil. The album starts off very solid with the track 'Tool of the Devil'. This track sets the tone with tempo only going slightly heavier of a little lighter through the listen. The band offer up their music in a disciplined approach with not a bunch of noodling to be found, which is something you do see from time to time in this particular genre. Other standout tracks include 'Welcome to the Real' which has a nice atmospheric feel, 'Without Wings' which is one of the albums quicker tunes in terms of tempo, 'Liquid of the Kings' is uptempo as well and has a memorable chorus. As far as laid back melodic tunes, I really liked 'Another Time'. It definitely shows another dimension to the bands writing and has hit potential in the AOR arena. The closing track 'Land of Innocence' is quite good as well. Good guitar driven tune with some cool piano accents.
Overall
If you have heard some of the other talent from Finland where power metal really seems to prosper, but you haven't heard Thunderstone, I could really recommend any of their three albums so far. The band is consistent in their songwriting. They have a winning formula that translates to some very good music with not really too much in the way of filler music. 'Tools of Destruction' continues to build their fine tradition of quality music. Very good release!
Questions or Comments? Email Dave by clicking here.
Reviewed by Dave Palmer
Bloodbound...I couldn't really say I had ever heard of them. One of my friends from down under who helps me not miss some great stuff let me know about this one. I was initially told it was one of her contenders for favorite album of the year. After grabbing a copy of it I was amazed that I actually did know who some of the musicians were. I was also very taken back by just how good this release is. Upon starting it up, one band came to mind very quickly...Iron Maiden. Bass is used in a similar fashion on this album although maybe not as quite in the forefront. The bands tempo at times feels familiar with classic Helloween from the 80's popping out from time to time. I found this whole thing a bit interesting since the members I recognized included Urban Breed from Tad Morose on vocals and Fredrik Bergh and Tomas Olsson from Street Talk. I wasn't as familiar with Oskar Belin, the bands drummer, but he definitely rounds the release out very nicely. One thing that jumped out right away with this band was the image. A little bit of shock with the face paint and all. Not sure how it works overall. Sometimes takes a live show to fit the whole thing together. Back to the music, oh man this album is good. Opens with the track 'Behind the Moon' that has a Maiden-esque feel with it's hard driving sound, but also delivers truckloads of melody. One track in particular that grabbed me by the throat was the title track 'Nosferatu'. Amazing and very addictive. The music on the album is all really good. I really didn't find myself going for the next track too much. Other favorite tracks include 'Crucified', 'Desdemonamelia', the Helloween sounding 'Fallen From Grace' (think Keeper 2 on this one), and the album closer 'On the Battlefield'.
Overall
Definitely an early contender for my top 10 of '06. I have always been a huge fan of Iron Maiden and feel that there is a bit of their sound in this release. I wouldn't classify this album as a clone however as it has some very good traditional metal to it as well. The band is defining it's sound and I find it quite impressive. As a fan of metal, I am always looking for the bands who are going to carry metal into the future and bands like Bloodbound are really going to deliver the goods. This one comes very highly recommended!
Questions or Comments? Email Dave by clicking here.
