Title: Rock’n’Roll Children
Artist: Sturm und Drang
Genre: Rock
Release Date: 16th January 2009
Label: Gun Records
Album Review
STURM UND DRANG was formed in 2004 by André Linman and Henrik Kurkiala. Kurkiala’s dad suggested the name. Shortly afterwards Jesper Welroos and Calle Fahllund joined the band and soon the first rehearsals took place. Later, after playing their first concert, they realized that they needed one more guitar player, and Alexander Ivars became their fifth member and completed the line-up. Their first album ‘Learning to Rock’ (2007) reached #3 of the Finnish album chart and stayed in the Top 10 for 5 weeks there. Now, that everyone has learned to rock, they pushed out the next disc ‘Rock’n’Roll Children’.
Quite an uncommon start for a rock record; not the track as a whole, it’s just not very likely to find a tinge of distorted industrial like on the intro sequence of ‘The last one of the heroes’, but don’t worry all you rock addicts out there. The “Sturmis” haven’t opted for a stylistic change as all of a sudden the track gears up and not just a little bit. Then staccato drum beats take hold and light speed riffs and keyboard flourishes duel each other and won’t allow any respite for the listener. Listening to ‘Break Away’, the second track, once leaves no doubt why this track had to become the first single out off the album. Equally in speed to the opener, it’s most of all its increased melodic approach and a kick-ass catch phrase in the chorus that screams for being intonated by a huge crowd that make it an absolute burner. ‘Photograph’ backs up the melodic elements, that is, mostly the keys, a little and brings forth a rather classic rock sound and by the way the starting riff realized with a talk-box sounds pretty cool.
Coyotes or wolves howling at the moon in a desert welcome us to a proper ballad with the apt title ‘A Million Nights’ and André who carries the first part of the song, before the down-tempo drums and guitars come in, only underscored by mild guitar chords and a gentle backdrop of wistfully sighing strings makes the longing he feels palpable, and that’s a vocal performance you just have to give him big credit for. The potential to become an anthem inhabits ‘That’s the way I am’ runs directly into your ears and stays there. Very fine melodic work both in the riff and keyboard department altogether making for the creation of a great atmospheric depth rounded out by André’s vocals adding a warm and emphatic texture to it. With ‘Fear of the Dark’ the lads are breaking out of the typical duration scheme of the track that runs through the album and close the disc with an epic composition of almost 8 minutes that brings together all the qualities we’ve experienced so far and complements them with an elaborate structure of rhythms shifting in tempo and a truly awesome XL guitar solo.
I mean I can’t do comparisons to the debut, but this one sounds damn professional and regardless the age of the band members it’s safe to say they’re treating their instruments like veterans of the genre. Kudos for an impressing record guys!!!
Tracklist
01. The last one of the Heroes – 4:01
02. River runs dry – 4:28
03. Break Away – 3:34
04. Photograph – 2:57
05. A Million Nights – 4:22
06. Alive – 3:25
07. These Chains – 3:50
08. That's the Way I am – 4:28
09. Life – 3:44
10. Sinner – 4:27
11. Fear of the Dark – 7:40
Line-up
André Linman – Vocals, Guitar
Alexander Ivars – Guitar
Henrik Kurkiala - Bass
Jesper Welroos - Keys
Carl Peter Fahllund - Drums
Website
http://www.sturmunddrang.fi/ / http://www.myspace.com/sturmis
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Extras: -
Total: 8 / 10
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