Be prepared to carry out some swift mental adjustments to accommodate vocalist/guitarist Niko Rauhala's guttural, vowel mangling howls and snarls. Vaguely recalling OTT fellow countryman, Lordi, he whispers, he chants, he hams it up (and down). Anything that's worth doing he overdoes. He lives each lyric like an actor zooming in and out of the zone and loving every minute. It's an Oscar winning performance, and worth every single vote.
Rauhala fronts Finnish band Masterstroke.
'Apocalypse' is their debut album. It follows in the footsteps (and easily fills them) of albums from similar styled melodic metal bands like
Thunderstone and Dreamtale, then adds a theatrical swagger to its lurching gait.
The album runs the genre's chromium plated gauntlet, from power metal's ramped up bpms to symphonic metal's epic ambitions, slotting grand ensemble pieces with Gothic overtones between immediate, stampeding rock songs and cheesy, invigorating melodic metal moments.
'Theater Of Madness' and bonus track for Japan,
'Metal Storm' build a heavy riff, dark wit and rampant paranoia into humungous melodic metal anthems with insidious hooks, leaving little room for frills. In contrast, openers
'Evil Forces' and
'Take My Time', swirling hypnotically around intricate, playful keyboards, strident, dextrous guitars and vaulting rhythms are constantly changing shape and form.
It's a dichotomy that rapidly becomes the album's trademark, pulling you toward the edge of your seat, eagerly awaiting the next instalment.
The album
hurls itself headlong into Sonata Artica territory for
'Calling', then suddenly steps on the brakes for the delicate, restrained, piano and cello instrumental,
'Memory Of.', before taking off again with the roaringly empowered
'Seven Deadly Sins', probably the album's standout track.
'Rusty Angel', twisted, hooky, dark, opens with doomladen keyboards and a menacing spoken word intro, yet is nevertheless imbued with a determination to ensure that powerful images and memorable melodies remain at the centre of the band's sound. And that just about sums up this inventive, entertaining band.
Take a chance. Go out and buy 'Apocalypse', now.
Written by
Brian Sunday, May 28, 2006
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