Another album from a veteran band that’s been around long enough to have seen several waves of metal rise and fall. This time they lean stylistically closer to thrash metal — fast, sharp, riff-driven. Admirable ambition, really. The only issue is that this level of complexity might be slightly above their natural comfort zone. In truth, they might be better off sticking to something simpler — say, straightforward gothic rock — where any shortage of technical finesse could be gracefully compensated by an almost heroic amount of pathos.
Sami Yli-Sirniö’s guitar work is actually quite solid. The riffs are energetic, well-shaped, and stylistically on point. There’s movement, there’s tension — you can tell someone is genuinely trying to inject vitality into the material.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Mille Petrozza’s contributions on guitar and vocals. The contrast is hard to ignore. His playing feels tired, and the vocals… well, let’s just say they no longer inspire confidence. At some point, dignity becomes more important than persistence. Perhaps it’s time to let the legend rest instead of putting him through another tour cycle.
The second disc features a live performance, and here the difference between Sami Yli-Sirniö and Mille Petrozza becomes even more apparent. On stage, without studio polish to smooth things out, the gap widens noticeably. Anyone with functioning ears will likely draw their own conclusions about who is carrying the musical weight.
Overall rating: 4/10.
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