THUNDERSTONE - The Burning
December 14, 2003, 21 years ago
(Nuclear Blast)
Dismissed as the ultimate Stratovarius rip-off with their debut thanks to links to Timo Tolkki and a paint-by-numbers approach, Thunderstone's follow-up effort is an unexpected surprise. The Strato-clone elements still exist, but they've been reduced to background colour, mastermind/guitarist Nino having discovered he can actually use his own friggin' paintbrush while sticking to the bombastic Finn-metal style he loves. It's singer Pasi that steals the show, however, putting in a bang-on Jorn Lande performance that has to be heard to be believed. Tracks like 'Until We Touch The Burning Sun', the Sonata Arctica-ish 'Break The Emotions' and 'Spire' sound like they were taken from a Masterplan recording session, all of 'em killers if you like this sort of thing. I wasn't expecting much, but I got more than I bargained for.
