Finnish band Thunderstone continue to cut a swathe through an overcrowded market, and with 'Evolution 4.0' deliver an album that supersedes both their own benchmark and every other power metal album I've heard these last six months.

The album's title is something of a giveaway. The band have added several layers of heaviosity to their continually evolving sound. It's surefooted, it's knowing, it plays to the band's strengths, and above all it's filled to the brim with aurally adhesive tunes and vertiginous hooks.
So many niches have formed in this genre - melodic metal, symphonic metal, power metal and so forth. Thunderstone stand astride them all, taking elements of each, adding in a little prog, a smidgin of thrash and fire out the result in a swirl of hardbodied, combative heavy metal.
In Pasi Rantanen they have a vocalist with the power and range of Jorn Lande and in Nini Laurenne, they have a guitarist with the technique, the tone, the invention and the sheer aggression of a world class power metal axeman.

They're clearly ploughing their own deep groove, though you can't help drawing comparisons. There are the obvious ones, like Stratovarius and Helloween, but it's the fact that the band's music is tempered with the melodic sensibilities of hybrid rock/metal crossover bands like PC69, Beautiful Sin, TNT and Masterplan that makes all the difference.

It would be no wild claim to assert that anyone who has an appetite for well written, well performed metal will devour this album in lip smackingly double quick time. From 'Swirled's crushing chorus and thundering, staccato riff to '10,000 Words' spinning chorus and stuttering guitar. From the epic, soaring 'Holding On To My Pain' to 'Face In The Mirror's faded grandeur.
This is unquestionably an album that will sustain even the most ravenous and demanding of metal fans.

Written by Brian
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
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Ratings

Brian: 8/10

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Comment by metalman (Anonymous) - Friday, April 6, 2007

Oustanding ? i think not, a 5 from me

Comment by Jarkko Kyntäjä (Anonymous) - Tuesday, April 10, 2007

This time I agree with Brian 100%. Exactly my thoughts, quite different from their earlier works and indeed evolution in the bands sound. Not everyone´s cup of tea I suppose, pure power metal fans can have a little bit different opinion on this one, but with Thunderstone´s "wide open metal", you just can´t go wrong. Surprisingly good and HEAVY effort. Check especially Roots Of Anger, Holding On To My Pain, Down With Me and Great Man Down. No fillers here.