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Review:
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Here we have two brand new additions to the HB canon,
their second English language album The Jesus Metal Explosion,
this time a version of their 2008 Finnish release Piikki
Lihassa, and their new CD in Finnish called Pääkallonpaikka
(please don't ask me to pronounce it!), which translates
as Golgotha (or Calvary) in English. They will always be
compared to their fellow countrymen Nightwish, however you
have to add some Lunatica into their sound, especially with
Johanna Aaltonen's voice. These releases are again premier
league symphonic metal superbly produced with choir, orchestra
and a suitably massive sound. Although they are a devoutly
Christian band (HB doesn't refer to a pencil!) they are
surprisingly little known outside Christian rock circles,
it is OK for Therion to be equally proudly pagan, so there
should be no boundaries. The devil doesn't have all the
good music, and I'd much prefer a band to sing about something
they believe in rather than a load of banal nonsense. Turning
to the English album first, their fusillade includes seven
dynamite symphonic pop metal missiles, prime example being
the opening shot and title track 'The Jesus Metal Explosion'
(video on Female Voices Blog). Interspersed between the
volleys are a trio of gentler piano ballads bringing calm
between the bombast. The first half of Pääkallonpaikka is
also packed with monster tracks with the groovy Perkeleitä
adding some fat synths. The melody of 'La Finlande de mon
Coeur' sounds very much like that of Ultravox's 'Hymn',
I hope Midge Ure doesn't hear it or the legal eagles could
be on the case. The second half then alternates between
top quality gentler and heavier numbers. HB are one of the
few bands equipped to fill the vacuum left when Nightwish
have some downtime. Shoot off to their emplacement at http://www.hbmusic.net/
for more bombshells, an explosive score for both albums
of 9 out of 10.
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