July 2003 Archives

CD-R, Muovi 111 2002

Track list: Motorman - Deathrace 2000 - I need a car - Girl on the hill

Nilly. used to sound more like Nine Inch Nails. I suppose it's not a bad thing that it's not the case anymore. Their music is electronic has certain industrial rock influences, I guess - but also something from trip-hop and wherever. The whole of it sounds guite good, but lacks hits. The songs simply are not catchy enough. With "easier" songs, they'd deserve one more star. ***

CD-R, Muovi 111 2003

Track list: Bossachutney - Al Dente - Tomodachi - Bluenoir

This is the third release from Sorb-i-tol and the second one to include vocals by Lotta Rytkönen. Her presence is definitely a good thing, even though I liked the first album a lot as well. Anyway, there's nothing really new about this four track EP. There's cool and jazzy music by Jukka Sillanpää, with even cooler vocals by Lotta. I kind of wish there'd be more Barry Adamson to it, but it's all right as it is. ***

CD-R, Muovi 111 2002

Track list: Syksy saapuu (single-versio) - Suljettu osasto - Hautajaiset ruusutarhassa - Avointen hautojen päivä

This single is taken from the Avointen hautojen päivä album. The single version doesn't differ much from the original - it's still a good track. Rest of the songs are less impressive, but not bad. "Hautajaiset ruusutarhassa" is perhaps the best of the bunch. A decent single, especially for those who liked the album. ***

CD, Spinefarm 1998

Track list: The Way - Morning Star - Nightfall - Tuonela - Greed - Divinity - Shining - Withered - Rusty Moon - Summer's End

I generally think the opinions presented in All Music Guide are ok, but their review of Tuonela, with 1½ stars is way off. Way way off. The writer seems to be an older fan of death metal -era Amorphis. Well, I'm not. Karelian Isthmus is the worst Amorphis album ever and the only one I dislike. Tuonela, in the other hand, features few killer tracks ("The Way", "Tuonela" and "Divinity") and sounds simply great. Influences from eastern lands and progressive rock can be heard. Pasi Koskinen does great work on the vocals. ****

CD, Interscope 2002

Track list: You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar, but I Feel Like a Millionaire - No One Knows - First It Giveth - A Song for the Deaf - The Sky Is Fallin', Six Shooter - Hangin' Tree - Go with the Flow - Gonna Leave You - Do It Again - God is in the Radio - Another Love Song - A Song for the Deaf - Mosquito Song - Everybody's Gonna Be Happy

I finally went and bought this much-hyped album. Like apparently millions of others, I just love "No One Knows" and "Go with the Flow", which are simply brilliant rock songs. So how's the whole album like? Quite decent. It's not as good as the hype would make you think. The biggest problem with the album is that the whole album sounds very much the same. The acoustic guitars in "Mosquito Song" would've been nice every now and then. However, if you like the hits, you'll like the rest of it. There are other very good songs, too, for example "First It Giveth". For the fans of low, grumbling stoner guitars. ****

2xCD-R, 267 lattajjaa

Track list: Di Maissintähkä: Eka kappale - Uton: Vihreän tuuman hengitys - Avarus: Eppi-Lööna motkottaa "motko-motko" (pliiz, lopeta!) - Greypark: Viistoistkakstoisnollayks - Pylon: Terveys :) - Braspyreet: Kivitalo taantuu - Ilmastointilaitteita: My teeth are cracking I am poor - Michael Knight Ensemble: 8 - Ever Had: Camels eat sand - Verde: Ruma jousi - Can Can Heads: Double talkin' maybe - Rakennustuhkaa: Aina vaan maalataan - O Samuli A: Taloyhtiö tiedottaa - Ektroverde: Kiehua - Slaughterhouse Quintet feat. Mental Alaskan mieskuoro: Ketsulaulu - Aïr: Rouyn-noranda - Plat Ypus: Introduzione-2 - Duhex: Azrrrra - A Shallow Conspiracy: Kaleidoscope language - Syöttöteho: Kateus - Agnosia: Assault of the elektro yiddish - 1 in 10: Green square - Blubberheads: About to leave - Drakes Medicine: Number of the Beats - Ever Had: Reindeers eat snow - Bob of America: 224 unknown countries (excerpt) - Matula: Der Alte (Bruchstück) - Kroko: Sabra - Short Eyes: Spiritual asshole - Skullpture: Untitled - Massaccesi: Science: Finding ways to slaughter millions - Karvaiset orjuuttajat: 2019 - Luu: Valssi - Lalla Khard: o0O - Sonic Temple Assassins: Born in the U.S.A. - Kiva: Keikkaa - kiimaa - Testicles: Lick my funny - Murha Murha Itsemurha: Olin väritön - Fun: U69: Das Loveboot - Maaginen teatteri: Väinämöinen - In-Walked Blank: Under sloppiest quality control - John Strobo: Halavatun kalkatus (kuoleman kukot) - Kvantti: Doppelgänger - No Scene: 230801 - Baby Sweetcorn: Live for kicks and danger - Kilometritehdas: Kävelen

This double-cd is a sequel to OOOOOps-cokish, featuring some bands from that album and many more. Most are Finnish and all are definitely underground. It's a collection of weird and eccentric and thus doomed to rather few playings. However, there are some very good tracks I'll probably copy on a compilation CD with some better tracks to accompany them. Highly recommended for the fans of the curious. ***

CD, Rough Trade 1994

Track list: To the Hilt - Paradise of Sin - Language of Reality - Fatherland - Worst Case Scenario - Shellshocked - Crossfire - Bloodsuckers - Iron Man - Inside Out - New Temptation - Hi Tech Low Life - The Dawning of Doom - Ministry of Fear - Metal Machine Music - Rings of Steel

I'm not a huge fan of Die Krupps' later releases, but I like them anyway. This one was an obvious purchase, as I got it cheaply (3 euros) and it includes the "Fatherland" remix by Andrew Eldritch and Rodney Orpheus. It's great song and the best remix of it I've heard. "The Dawning of Doom" by Waltari and "New Temptation" by F.M. Einheit (of Einstürzende Neubauten) are rather good as well. Rest of it doesn't really stand out. The songs are good, but remixes aren't really that special. I'd really expect something different from a remix by Jeff Walker (of Carcass). ***

CD-r, Muovi 111 2003

Track list: Hautajaiset ruusutarhassa - Kun valat rikotaan - Pauliina palvoo Saatanaa - Mustan ympyrän keskipisteessä - Haudan syleilyyn, versio 1 - Ensikosketus spektrofiliaan - Itsemurha - Haudan syleilyyn, versio 2 - Älä menetä toivoa - Viimeinen tie - Matteus ristillä - Lihan läpi kirkkauteen - Boh - Kirottu talo - Uskonpuute

When I heard Plastic Passion is releasing the Todellisuus 666 (now known as Suruaika) demos on CD, I knew I had to get them. I don't have the tapes; I only have the "Pauliina palvoo Saatanaa"/"Viimeinen tie" -single. Well... First thing to know: don't expect quality. The music sounds rather bad. The vinyl single sounds much better than most of these songs. But that's really a minor problem. The songs itself vary from curious to fairly good. The CD is highly recommended for the hard core fans of Suruaika and goth rock. Others should probably focus their energies on something else... ***

CD, Spinefarm 2000

Track list: Doomwatcher - One Colour: Black - Deep Waters - Goin' to Hell - Avalon - We Die Alone - The Everlasting pt. II - Ozymandias - Blood of the Gods - Bunker King - Winter Winds Sing - Ecce Homo! - Night on Earth

The Black League features Taneli Jarva (ex-Sentenced, ex-Impaled Nazarene) and friends. The style could be heavy metal; I've filed this under death metal mostly because of Jarva's vocal style is rough and music is very bleak. Ichor is mostly rather slow (with the exception of few rockers like "One Colour: Black") and heavy, carved in stone like the beautiful booklet. Jarva's vocal style is angry and complements the music well. Recommended to all who like their metal heavy and bitter. ****

CD, EMI Records 1998

Track list: Tailgunner - Holy Smoke - No Prayer for the Dying - Public Enema Number One - Fates Warning - The Assassin - Run Silent Run Deep - Hooks in You - Bring Your Daughter... ...to the Slaughter - Mother Russia

I also bought the new enhanced CD version of No Prayer for the Dying. See the earlier review I wrote a year ago, it pretty much sums my feelings. ****

CD, EMI Records 1998

Track list: Invaders - Children of the Damned - The Prisoner - 22 Acacia Avenue - The Number of the Beast - Run to the Hills - Gangland - Total Eclipse - Hallowed Be Thy Name - Run to the Hills (video) - The Number of the Beast (video)

I finally made my Iron Maiden collection complete (ie. all Dickinson-era studio albums) by buying this album. 'twas about time! It's even one of their best albums! I notice the album has a track "Total Eclipse", which I've never heard. I guess it didn't fit on the cassette copy I had earlier. Didn't miss much; it's obviously the worst track of the album. Rest of it is mostly pure gold. "Invaders", "The Prisoner", "The Number of the Beast", "Run to the Hills", "Hallowed Be Thy Name", all are excellent heavy metal classics. The enhanced CD contains some videos and a new booklet (lyrics of "22 Acacia Avenue" have unfortunately a ton of mistakes), making it even better purchase. *****