Classy power metal from this hungry Finnish five-piece. Will please fans of Nocturnal Rites and Helloween. Nuclear Blast . 2002.
CD Reviews
An obvious Statovarius clone, but a good one...
John. N | Big Run, PA USA | 02/18/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"It shouldn't be no real shock to anyone insterested in heavy metal and Stratovarius that Thunderstone hails from the figid land of Finland. In fact, Thunderstone's music isn't that much different from their fellow countrymen. I've heard people refer to them as "shameless copycats" and all sorts of other terms that I can't exactly write here (but feel free to use your imagination).
While that might be true in some respects (for example, listen to the opening of the song "Eyes of a Stranger" - does it sound fimilar? It should if your a Stratovarius fan, considering it is a carbon copy of the opening of the Stratovarius song "Tommorrow", from their 1996 album Episode), Thunderstone is still solid heavy metal any way you look at it, even if it might not be hyper-original (what is original in today's world anyways?) Songs such as the speedy "Let the Demons Free" and "Like Father, Like Son", the soothing "World's Cry" and "Spread My Wings", to the mid-tempo "Virus" and "Eyes of a Stranger" prove that Thunderstone covers every corner and every kind of song you would expect a heavy metal band to cover on a album.
Still, Thunderstone is far from from being its own metalic entity like Sonata Arctica (who took an exsisting style - a.k.a. the Stratovarius style - and infused and tweaked it enough with their own touches to put it above and beyond the copycat label, well at least in my book). Add to the fact that even though this is a very good debut record, it never reaches the level of Sonata Arctica's Ecliptica or other extremely powerful debuts by other bands.
Thunderstone is definately a band to watch out for. Their sophomore release "The Burning" is a also good as well (even though I like this album more), and is a step in the right direction, as the band has begun to explore and experiment their own sound more and less dependent on sounding like other bands as much."
Great POWER metal
Andrew grenz | Toms River , NJ | 07/01/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This isnt a bad cd at all. Great guitars and druming as well as the nice high pitched voice. Songs that got my attenion were "Let the Demons Free", "Virus", and "Eyes of a stranger". This was a great debut cd and I see a bright furture for them."
3.5 stars - a good start
Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 03/08/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Finland is known as the home of several first-rate metal bands, including Sonata Arctica, Stratovarius, Nightwish, and Children of Bodom. When it comes to progressive/power metal bands, the focus tends to be on technical proficiency rather than aggression. That's why it was such a pleasant surprise to discover Thunderstone. I ran across a copy of Burning just before catching the band live at ProgPower USA in 2006, and was impressed with just how much they flat out rocked. They had a power metal sound that leaned more towards fiercer bands like Symphorce and Tad Morose, and that was very refreshing to my ears.
Unfortunately that energy and aggression is not as apparent on the band's 2002 self-titled debut album. Sure, it's fairly heavy - it is a metal album after all, but you can tell they were trying their best to follow in the Stratovarius mold. There are lots of pretty melodies, intricate guitar solos, and plenty of keyboards. When they break free and rock out (see Me, My Enemy for example) it really gets your blood pumping. Afterwards though, you're left thinking "why don't they do more of that? I already have Stratovarius CDs."
This is still a very solid progressive/power metal album, and the band can be forgiven for not yet carving out their own unique sound on their initial outing. It helps to know that they do just that on The Burning, which features a much heavier (and more enjoyable) metal style.
If you're looking for quality power metal, Thunderstone is definitely a band to check out. Just pick up The Burning or Tools of Destruction before coming back around to this album. You'll getter a much better feel for the band's sound, and an appreciation of how far they've come in a relatively short time.
"What else is there to really say about such an amazing band. The first thing I must make note on is the amazing quality and production of the album. It'll feel like a Stratovarius album in the sense that the quaility is that good - not just how good the songs are and how well the band plays them. Yes, as you are about to read, the songs are wonderful, but the production makes this album a true jewel, similar to Oratory's new CD. So, if you've been reading my other reviews, you should know by now that I don't bother reviewing albums by popular bands - all has already been said about them! So onto Thunderstone... the only thing that gets to me is that they couldn't actually come up with a name for their album. It's just self titled. Oh and the other thing is that it is rather short - I think... either 42 or 48 minutes - no longer than that. Another big note for Stratovarius hints in Thunderstone is that Timo Tolkki from Stratovarius lets loose in the song "Like Father, Like Son", that I'm listening to now. It is the fastest song on the album and I can compare it to... oh I don't know... ... Find Your Own Voice on Elements Part I? Certainly not as heavy as Father Time on Episode. So about the songs individually. Fortunately, I have been listening to this CD a lot since I got it for my birthday, so I'm fresh with it's sound. The opener is only 4 minutes, but will give you a perfect of a preview of what you're about to hear - not like a one-hit-wonder, or even a song that just doesn't sound like the rest of the album. Eagleheart by Stratovarius on Elements Part I and Everdream by Nightwish found on Century Child are good examples of songs that stand out on the album. (Okay, here's Timo's riff.) You can tell that a more experienced guitarrist joins in for a brief second there. Also, if you've listened to Infinite, then sure, you'll recognize his style. Let's see, where was I? Oh yeah, track 2. Most second songs immediately draw you away with their inferiorority to the first song, which "Will the Sun Rise" on Episode get sucked into easily, but not Thunderstone's. Also, after the 2nd chorus, it gets really cool - you just have to hear it. Then comes the third song, another mid tempo one. Track 4 is faster and a great transition into the first of 2 perfect songs on the album. And when I say perfect, I mean if Stratovarius or Sonata Arctica was playing them, it wouldn't sound ANY better. "Will to Power" is by far the longest song on the album clocking in at about 8:30. It reminds me of Ivory Tower's "Treehouse", for some reason. You can almost go as far to... oh yes! This is a great comparison... "Fantasia", on Elements Part I. A pattern of choruses only twice with a long intro. It's a great slower song. Then is track 6, a shorter one, and then 7 will get stuck in your head between your 3rd and 4th listens. The chorus is repeated a fourth time right after the third with a different tone and God does it sound perfect. I'm telling you, this is just as good as Stratovarius. Like Father, Like Son I've already raved about, and then track 9 I don't remember that well, but track 10, if I remember correctly, is a great slower, ending, non-epic song. It's very enjoyable. This, along with Mirror of Madness, a CD I reviewed earlier today, is one of VERY FEW CDs that deserve about 6,000 stars. You just can't be disappointed. I can't recommend other bands you might like if you like Thunderstone. There are too few bands with this quality of production that I can't recommend Skylark and such - you might not appreciate them, even though they are played to perfection, because of the production."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1