Released by: Escape Music
Release Date: February 24th, 2012
Genre: Melodic Hard Rock/AOR
Links: http://www.humantemple.com/
Line Up:
JANNE HURME : Lead Vocals
RISTO TUOMINEN : GUITARS
KALLE SAARINEN: Drums
JORI TOJANDER : Keyboards
HARRI KINNUNEN : Bass
Tracklist:
I will follow
Bleeding through
Like a beat of a heart
Our world our time
Almost there
Run away
Little lies
Because of you
Misery
Some things are never long time ago
She talks to angels
This is what I liked to hear, yes the sounds of many of these Scandinavia bands are similar but some have enough in their core to make the music they create a bit distinctive, Human Temple the natives from Finland are one of these bands. After two successful records under their belt already; the group returns to attempt to keep that same momentum of the previous albums going strong. Lead by the enticing vocals of their charismatic lead singer Janne Hurme, the guys seem to be on a high pedestal and on the verge of tapping into the right formula for many years ot come. Solid songwriting with your typical AOR traits alongside a harder Hard Rock edge that adds enough force and chunkiness to each song to bring each song to life with vibrant melodic allure.
Is always interesting to see the releases that come out in the open of a new year and what our initial thoughts about a record end up being from beginning to the end of the year, well is safe to say that Human Temple breaks in the new year with a bang and leaving a lasting impression undeniably positive. The extremely catchy hooks and riffs are dominating all over the place on the bands newest effort “Halfway to Heartache”. Janne’s voice has never sounded better and the guitar work of Risto Tuominen are exquisitely attentive and fresh.
Take into consideration that the album drops right into melodic gear on the first 5 songs, the opener “I Will Follow” does well with a leading riff that leaves a catchy mark. The give and go rhythm in the addictive chorus of “Run Away” is another full pledge highlight with more pleasing melodies. The Fleetwood Mac remake of “Little Lies” is an interesting choice for a cover tune, while not the best song to cover or style for that matter, the band turns the song into a hard rock cover and it’s at least tolerable.
The more up tempo metal swings of “Misery” is a keen change of pace as far as the album goes and the keyboard solo is a nice touch as well. The kinky bass in “Some Things Are Never Long Time Ago” has a nice AOR touch and follows the same pace of the beginning of the record, smart and nifty melodic vibes carry yet another cool track. The last tune “She Talks to Angels” is a nice power ballad song, with a super tantalizing groove.
Alright there’s enough here to enjoy if you’re a hardcore listener of Melodic Rock/Hard Rock as Human Temple has taken another step forward and not abandoned their sound from their past records. One thing that I get from people is the complain about the voices and accents of certain singers from other countries and even as good as Janne Hurme’s voice is, he does have that foreign accent which in my opinion is little a minuscule deduction, the good news is that it doesn’t take away from the music and with the many powerful choruses on this album, you have enough indulgent that overall leaves a nice trace. I didn’t care too much for the cover on the album as it felt kinda on the cheap side. This is a an expected result from Human Temple which is why I’m not surprise at all at the high quality of the music, good songwriting alongside a keen production leaves an incessant impression when it’s all said and done. Break the champagne and welcome the new year with a solid bang, Human Temple style.
Written by Denys
Ratings Denys 8/10
For listening preview go to Escape Music
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