Wow this album is flooring. After not expecting much from it (really, what is a
Human Temple anyway and what does it have to do with
AOR?) some of these songs simply have the power to blow one away.
We are talking top tier melodic rock, the kind that easily can sit on a pedestal and lord over all the crappier songs under their reign. Seriously solid material and the album contains freaking
four songs of this caliber. Four! And its not like the rest is bad or anything, in fact the entire "Insomnia" experience is generally so catchy it will keep you up late at night with the melodies streaming through your brain with no off button in sight. Color me impressed, because truly these Fins have hit up some killer material for their debut outing, but the feeling lurks that its going to be nearly impossible to follow this up and not let expectations sag. But let's not worry about that for now because we have the red hot "Insomnia" to enjoy for the present.
Lead singer Janne Hurme has a huge bent towards mangling English words, but does it in subtle ways that are endearing to the songs. He has a strong voice that lends itself well to the pop rock foundations that makeup the very basis of
AOR. This isn't surprising since apparently Mr. Hurme is a pop sensation solo artist in his homeland and holds the achievement of having one of the biggest hit singles in the past decade there for "Kirje". The duo of Janne and drummer Petri Lehto have been bopping around in various rock bands since the mid 80s but only now have managed to get it together and in a form that we can purchase, take home and enjoy to our heart's content. Then there's guitarist Jari Salo, bassist Harri Kinnunen and key man Tony Green. The band is joined by a trio of Finnish bred guest guitarists to lend a pick and a six string to one song each, these being Emppu Vuorinen from Nightwish, Jani Liimatainen from
Sonata Arctica and Erkka Korhonen from Urban Tale. Ah and Taage Laiho of
Altaria makes an appearance on backing vocals. Quite the lineup!
"Insomnia's" biggest holdup is surprisingly the production, the songs sound a little sparse and shallow at times despite being mixed at Finland's Finnvox studio. A few extra layers of padding could have upped the bombastic factor and taken the band to another level altogether. Unfortunately the hollowness is a nagging drawback, but is not enough to ruin the spectacular musical treats that are on hand. Another annoying factor is the sometimes quite intrusive drums have the tendancy to take over a couple of the songs, the lovely harmonies are easy to follow along as a distraction but still its noticeable enough to merit commenting upon. Luckily this is only a major problem in one song, and the rest are left to their own devices.
The music itself can be compared to so many bands, and here's just a few name drops for you so a general picture can be formed: Skagarack, Treat,
Bon Jovi's " 7800 Fahrenheit", Pretty Maids, Craaft and many more. The mid 80s vibe is overwhelming but sounds so authentic, some might swear this came out of 1986 and others wouldn't argue.
Human Temple is that rooted in the past, and what a joy it is to taste some of these tunes that have been sheltered so fondly from the influences of today's musical wasteland.
Opening with the hoppin' hook laden
"I'm Sorry" the band kicks off with a fierce melodic swift kick to the seat of your leather pants. A sing-a-long piece where everything clicks, from the catchy bridge that moves right into the bouncy chorus to the melding of keys and guitars to create a snappy rhythm.
"I didn't mean to hurt you but this is the last goodbye, just like you before, I'm walking away."
"Goin' All the Way" keeps up the dance-able pacing, you know, the kind of melodic rock that has enough punch to get your head nodding but not true headbanging. The hooks here are absolutely electric and the backup echoing vocals lend a sense of depth. Still seems a little sparse on the exterior but that's easily forgiven. This one has a taste of early
Bon Jovi flowing through it and the first guitarist guest makes his debut. Urban Tale's Erkka Korhonen pops up for a slick solo indeed.
Kids playing in the background?
"Dream Child" kicks off with these sound samples and a mellow acoustic guitar matched with easy going drumming, the latter which is a bit intrusive but matches better later in the song when the electric guitars blend in and the vocals are plushier. The verses have a haunting feel and the guitar's web weaving before the chorus only solidifies this feel, which rolls along a smoother, easier path than the previous two rockin' cuts.
"Out of Love" is probably the pick of the disc. This thing roams around in the head days after last hearing it. That's how catchy this bloody song is. Vocals and drums, a simplistic atmosphere and then BOOM! Guitars, bass, everything else fills out the sound while the vocals just lap in their rhythmic catchy way. Hurme purrs anything with an "er" sound such as the words "danger" and "stranger" which actually adds so much to the delivery of this song. Boiling down in the center for one of those heart stopping six string quickie excursions, its pulled right back into the hook in the blink of an eye.
The pronunciation for
"Desert Rain" comes off sounding like "disseray" but again, this slight unique twist, most likely unintentional, sounds much better than if it had been crooned correctly. Veering down into gentleness of ballad-land, its a lovely tune that's put together well, but is still not a patch on a ballad that's yet to come. A nice soft song with loneliness spreading through every touch of the keys.
Next up is
"Animal" which has a completely different feel than anything else on the disc but is also the weakest link on the disc. Laid back in a manner that some might say plodding in comparison to the high octane rockers found elsewhere on "Insomnia", the song actually works quite well placed here and while the repetitious parroting of the word "animal" with various inflections can grate after a couple of dozen listens, it does fit with the slower, deliberate theme. Jani from
Sonata Arctica makes his appearance here, continuing to prove that Finland has been home to some of the best guitarists from this generation of six string heroes.
"Walk Between the Shadows" brings us back to the delightful keyboard driven
AOR-esque style seen on
"Out of Love". This is like Skagarack clashes with Craaft with a chorus that slays and kills with the best in Treat's catalogue. Lapping acoustic sets the verses simmering in anticipation of the buildup which is driven by heaps of synthesizer and electric pushing against the restraints with full force on the bridge until that chorus explodes again.
"Dream again, dream of me."
"Judas My Brother" sees the band switching up styles again, this time experimenting with rougher guitars, thumping bass and an overall heavier state of mind. This all falls away for little sections that seem almost like progressive metal. Other parts have a taste of
Stratovarius in their mid 90s melodic glory. Swirling instrumental passages and strongly belted vocals make this a different little track, but one that's infinitely enjoyable. The synthesizer jam in the creamy center throws off 70s vibes in that
Deep Purple vein, proving they are a versatile outfit that can mix and match metal styles and bust out with something that retains the core melodic sense but also bursts with individuality and an overall epic shine.
High flying heart melting
AOR is back for the attack in the form of
"On a Night Like This", Janne opening with a throatier deeper croon and snapping right into those higher registers for the melodic clearings in the storm of the track. The rhythm guitars are grittier than one would expect on what appears to be a candy coated piece like this at first glance, but its the little things such as this that sets it apart, and Jari is whipped back into sizzling pristine shape for the rather elegant solo that caps off the proceedings nicely.
"Till the Day I Die" seems to take even a larger chunk from the holy book of Skagarack, and turns into a gorgeous gem of a song with a bombastic chorus that is packed to the hilt with keyboards. Dramatic half pauses in the music while the vocals continue on helps to dig the hooks in even deeper. The guitar solo is from Nightwish's Emppu Vuorinen here for those keeping track, and is the last one to feature a special guest behind the axe.
Finally its time for that ballad, yes the very same one that leaves
"Desert Rain" to a drought of dust. Milking the emotions for maximum effect is the rather simplistic
"Forever" that sounds like the complimentary piece to Europe's even more beautiful forgotten classic "Tomorrow" that leaves you dabbing tears from your cheeks on "Out of This World".
"Forever" carries its own beauty, the edges rounded smooth, the verses soft and delicate, nutured with the natural organic sounds of piano. Of course it can't lay dormant and easy going simple for the entire song. Towards the latter half, the rest of the instruments kick in for a powerful finish, including a stirring solo by Jari.
Human Temple's "Insomnia" is truly a hit out of absolutely nowhere. The band tackles several different styles while retaining their own unique feel, thanks heavily by the experienced and distinctive pipes of Finland's former pop sensation Janne Hurme. The shifts in musical approach make for a varied album and allows the pure melodic rock pieces to stand out and gives the tracks that take things from a different perspective their own space to breathe.
Unfortunately not all is perfect within the walls of the
Human Temple. As mentioned before, the album has a shallow feel which shouldn't be there in this day and age. Many of these songs feel like they could use extra padding to push them to the next level. I think this is more of a fault in the production area than anything else, because the core of most of these tracks is composed of top notch material. A few more uplifting
AOR bits would also make it even more of a decadent delight, since you can never overdose on too much of that sugary sweet goodness. The band handles this with ease and its a shame there isn't more sprinkled on here.
Oh and for the record, my fab four picks are the not-so-sorry rocker
"I'm Sorry", the
AOR booming
"Out of Love",
"Walk Between the Shadows", and the spine prickling shifts of
"On a Night Like This" with
"Till the Day I Die",
"Desert Rain", and
"Forever" leading up the rear. Not that there's a bad song to be found (well maybe
"Animal" after the hundredth time, but that first hundred, it sounds pretty darn good). Anyone into the 80s scene will find
Human Temple a nice place to kick back and rest awhile. While under the spell it is an impossible disc to shake out of the head or CD player.
Written by
Alanna Sunday, June 27, 2004
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