Despite being unable to conduct a follow-up interview with Titus Hjelm, I was immensely excited when a package containing the new Thunderstone plopped unceremoniously through the front door. After hearing it, I was delighted to find that “Tools of Destruction” was not only a solid third album, but seemed to have picked up where their self-titled debut album left off as opposed to their sophomore “The Burning” (2004) which I wasn’t as keen on.

“Tools of Destruction,” while it contains touches of the heaviness from “The Burning,” has the same feel and breathability of “Thunderstone,” as well as many more memorable and enticing passages. Their overall style has not really changed; most of the subtle differences I find to be positive ones.

Singer Pasi Rantanen, for instance is more articulate in terms of pronunciation (i.e. there are less “WHAT did he just say??” moments), as well as having expanded slightly in varying his vocal tones. His growing abilities serve to augment any emotional expressions as well as just making his performances more interesting.

Another refreshing quality is the composing. While the other members have most likely improved technically, I found the song-structures on the whole more simplistic or concise than on “The Burning,” which in my opinion lacked coherence and direction. When I interviewed Titus Hjelm pursuant to the release of “The Burning,” he cited classic Metal / Rock as an influence as opposed to contemporary Power Metal. These influences are far more apparent than ever; I liked these touches. It felt very natural, sincere and complimented Thunderstone’s primarily ‘Power-Prog’ style. That’s not to say “Tools of Destruction” is a simple Rock album—not at all—but it feels as though they’ve refined their sound.

The interplay of heavy and light is a Thunderstone trademark I’m very fond of. On “Thunderstone,” some of the most enchanting passages came in the form of Karl Tornack’s atmospheric keyboards over Nino Laurenne’s chugging guitars and the exchange of tempos within each song. Sometimes there’s a full-blown breakdown, while at others the riff expertly changes pace. In the above ways “Tools of Destruction” is more similar to “Thunderstone;” on these two records all the heavy/light stuff is really organic, but on “The Burning” much of this sort of composing felt forced to me. Perhaps it’s because “The Burning” was a rougher album I felt slower parts didn’t quite work, I don’t know.; but in any case, it seems like Thunderstone have regained the magic of their debut.

Lyrics are still very much Thunderstone—as commonly found in many Finnish bands, Thunderstone’s lyrics run along the lines of personal / human experiences and vague social commentaries. And for any of you who have followed Thunderstone’s career, YES there is a lyrical reference to that recurring ‘Will to Power’ / ‘Power and Will’ idea somewhere on “Tools of Destruction;” and NO, they still haven’t said the word ‘love’ yet in their lyrics!

There is something I enjoyed about all the songs, I think. Even the ballad had a cool middle-section, though other than that, I found “Another Time” to be a bit of a flop. Anyway, the album gets off to a groovy start with the mid-pacer “Tool of the Devil.” It contains a charming, timeless Rock/Metal chorus like I was mentioning before, though I think track three, “Liquid of the Kings” would have made for a better opener.

Other favorites include the emotional “Without Wings,” “Welcome to the Real” and “I Will Come.” And at just over eight minutes, “Land of Innocence,” the epic of the album, takes us through emotional and musical twists and turns, from lilting to headbanging to a chilling narrated interlude.

I’m so excited about all the songs (except “Another Time”), but I got carried away in my original review of this, so now, in rewriting it, I’m just going to say the whole damned album is amazing. My faith in Thunderstone, which was left somewhat shaken after “The Burning,” has not only restored itself after “Tools of Destruction,” but has doubled. Though they will surely change and grow through their career, I think Thunderstone has found their sound. If you’re into any sort of Melodic Metal, or even Rock, check these guys out. *Clare B*

When Finland's Thunderstone hit the commercial streets in 2002, they were praised as being the next big thing. Power-Prog listeners such as myself at the debut up and anxiously awaited the follow-up. Now that it's finally here, I must confess my disappointment-"The Burning" is in no way a trial to listen to, but it's unfortunately more useful as background music. I feel horrible saying that, since I know Thunderstone are a talented bunch, and especially since I still can't get over the strength of their debut.

It's hard to put my finger on the specific problem. It certainly isn't the line-up - Thunderstone is an energetic quintet, for sure. Singer Pasi Rantanen may even have exceeded the range shown on the first album-all the members do well… Nor does the problem lie in the style-Thunderstone have not really varied in the past two years, which is good as it works for them. "The Burning" presents the same, Finnish Power-Prog, keyboard-driven sound. Actually, it might be a tad heavier, but that's about it.

So what really seems to be my issue is the writing-which is an unfortunate weakness to find. It's not even so much the music that is poorly composed; it's more specific than that. The general melodies (especially the vocal lines) are, frankly, dull. I must say "The Burning" has grown on me since I first heard it, yet I still can't say I have fallen in love with the thing. There are certainly some outstanding elements to it, but as a whole it's really missing that magic of the debut, which ties into my next point…

I can deal with music being slightly uninteresting as long as there is some feeling in it. My biggest disappointment was due to the overall lack of emotion. Thankfully, Rantanen is a really expressive singer, which helps things out a bit. And there are some exceptional tracks, namely the ballad "Sea of Sorrow" - one of the best songs on the record. It's reminiscent of the ballad "Spread My Wings" off their debut in that it's rather unoriginal but very powerful, emotional and sincere-sounding. Some of the other notable tunes are "Mirror Never Lies," "Spire," "Drawn to the Flame" and "Tin Star Man."

I know Thunderstone resent the Stratovarius / Sonata Arctica comparisons, but the finale, "Evil Within" starts off sounding almost exactly like Sonata Arctica's "Wolf and Raven," though the rest of the song is very Thunderstone.

If you enjoyed the debut, check this out; but if you're a new comer to the world of Thunderstone, I'd suggest picking up the first one. I'm really hoping that "The Burning" is just one of those 'transitional albums' as I liked to call them-the awkward, mid-point record. Every band has at least one. I hope that their next endeavor will tie everything together and make me understand this album. Already it's grown on me, and continues to do so; but for the moment, I'm still lukewarm. *Clare B*

From Finland comes yet another fantastic act– Thunderstone. This energetic progressive band (although they don’t like being labelled as power or progressive; they don’t want to be “Strato-clones!”) really delivers an outstanding display of capability in musicality as well as a fine ability to write (and to rock!). This is not surprising; unlike many newborn metal bands, Thunderstone’s members are a bit older, having been floating around in Metal Land for a number of years doing different line-ups. Finally, these five members have somehow come together to create something truly worth listening to. Their debut album as Thunderstone, “Let the Demons Free,” is reminiscent of the noteworthy Sonata Arctica– a comparison that the members of Thunderstone would probably resent. Well, it’s just to give you an idea of what they sound like– but they have a truly unique sound worth exploring.

Like Sonata Arctica (sorry– again!), Thunderstone has taken classic elements– love, power, the quest, standing alone, obsession, and of course death– and incorporated them into a unique and very enjoyable album. Unlike acts such as Rhapsody or Virgin Steele, Thunderstone has integrated these themes into a very progressive sound and into music which fits the times. For instance, the track “Virus” tells of a ...well, virus in the computer age. It discusses the inevitable collapse of power, information and communication and how we gaze at computers so innocently, placing them on a pedestal. (This is a really frank, intelligent and somewhat eerie song, displaying a thoughtfulness which goes beyond creating simply catchy music). However, if a more classical-sounding band had written this song, it would probably have been more mystical, or perhaps historical. My point is that Thunderstone has swept components we are used to in metal into the present, making all these concepts relevant again.

There are some really great, hard-hitting songs on this debut album- it begins with the title track, “Let the Demons Free,” whose chorus veers towards an anthem-like feeling, but without the outright cheesiness (there is time enough for that at the end...). The first time I heard this, it was stuck in my head for weeks, no kidding. It’s a fast, powerful song that’s infectious– in a good way. What a great message, too. I’ve already blabbed about the second track, “Virus.” Actually, the latter as well as the third song, “World’s Cry,” are quite similar in my mind. Not musically, but in theme. Both deal with the feeling of “Ok, so we’re screwing up our world: Now what?” Not that Thunderstone is really sending out political messages, only instigating and examining through music. “Me, my enemy,” is one of those tracks that’s “good,” but not overly impressive. I prefer the next three; “Will to Power,” “Weak,” and “Eyes of a Stranger” are somehow connected (if you listen to the album you’ll understand what I mean.). With “Will to Power,” we get a really lengthily progressive-sounding song, with time changes, sound effects... the works. It fades into “Weak,” which for some reason stands out to me. The lyrics are overly simple, however it’s appropriate for this melancholy and very honest little song. Before it can even fade out, “Eyes of a Stranger” comes in with a powerful, catchy riff (which sounds remarkably like “I Want Out,” but never mind that.).

I’ll get into that cheesiness thing I was referring to a moment ago. You’ve heard me praising the band, now I’ll complain a bit. For the most part, Thunderstone is really talented in terms of writing both lyrically and musically– however there are some places where the band is a tad thin. for instance, the final track, “Spread my Wings,” is the one and only ballad on the album. While still quite listenable, I have to be honest in saying that I’m thankful that it is the sole slow song. They have reverted to cliches– which are sometimes fun, appropriate and predicable in that nice, familiar way... but in this case I rather resent it; the rest of the album is really solid and original. Personally, I just think they can do better. Despite this, I sincerely recommend this album to any metal fan– especially to those who are into the progressive/ power scene. I really wish I could say more– but since they’re so new I can’t discuss how they’ve grown and so forth. I’ll just have to wait around an look forward to their next release! *Clare B*