Post by thesoundmonitor on Mar 27, 2004 19:16:32 GMT -5
LAMBS
Finis Fidei
(Verikauha)
I didn't know much about Finland, so when a CD from three-piece rockers Lambs landed in my mailbox, I thought it might be a perfect time to pull out the SBS World Guide and brush up on some facts. After all, I never did Finnish history (in fact, I never finished much while I was at school - boom boom!). I was operating under the misconception that such "research" might shed some light on where this band were coming from musically, as well as geographically.
So I chucked on the disc and opened the textbook. A melodically metallic guitar riff and (praise be!) a thrash drumbeat usher in the first track. I could tell that this CD was about push some of my others aside, just as the Finns had done to the Lapps in the 1st century AD.
The singer's voice has a rasping, throaty quality, at times reminding me of a slightly less angry Phil Anselmo (Pantera, Down, etc…). I guess it might come from the extreme low temperatures (as low as -30°C in Northern regions), which would tend to play havoc with one's vocal chords.
Track Two, 'Too Far Away', is much more conventional rock song, with a catchy chorus, and a tinge of late-80's LA rock in the verses and the solo. It's a good song, and a nice respite after the opening onslaught.
Other highlights on the album include the 'Shut Your Life', with its rumbling, brooding, central theme, and the patiently heavy 'Stood Alone'. 'Ends in Rain' is a great song to finish on, with the performance of each band member blending beautifully to produce a grand, stylish rock song. It's reminiscent of the balance Finland managed to maintain between the Soviets and the West during the Cold War era.
Not every track is great, not everything they try works, but overall it's a fine collection of music, particularly for those who like a touch of melody in their metal/hard rock. If you like Life of Agony, or still yearn for the glory days when hard rock gave way to grunge, then you should seek this out, or at least look them up on the web. Like Finlandia vodka, they could turn out to be one of their country's finest exports.
Web: listen.to/lambs
Finis Fidei
(Verikauha)
I didn't know much about Finland, so when a CD from three-piece rockers Lambs landed in my mailbox, I thought it might be a perfect time to pull out the SBS World Guide and brush up on some facts. After all, I never did Finnish history (in fact, I never finished much while I was at school - boom boom!). I was operating under the misconception that such "research" might shed some light on where this band were coming from musically, as well as geographically.
So I chucked on the disc and opened the textbook. A melodically metallic guitar riff and (praise be!) a thrash drumbeat usher in the first track. I could tell that this CD was about push some of my others aside, just as the Finns had done to the Lapps in the 1st century AD.
The singer's voice has a rasping, throaty quality, at times reminding me of a slightly less angry Phil Anselmo (Pantera, Down, etc…). I guess it might come from the extreme low temperatures (as low as -30°C in Northern regions), which would tend to play havoc with one's vocal chords.
Track Two, 'Too Far Away', is much more conventional rock song, with a catchy chorus, and a tinge of late-80's LA rock in the verses and the solo. It's a good song, and a nice respite after the opening onslaught.
Other highlights on the album include the 'Shut Your Life', with its rumbling, brooding, central theme, and the patiently heavy 'Stood Alone'. 'Ends in Rain' is a great song to finish on, with the performance of each band member blending beautifully to produce a grand, stylish rock song. It's reminiscent of the balance Finland managed to maintain between the Soviets and the West during the Cold War era.
Not every track is great, not everything they try works, but overall it's a fine collection of music, particularly for those who like a touch of melody in their metal/hard rock. If you like Life of Agony, or still yearn for the glory days when hard rock gave way to grunge, then you should seek this out, or at least look them up on the web. Like Finlandia vodka, they could turn out to be one of their country's finest exports.
Web: listen.to/lambs