Sunday, April 15, 2012

WALKALONE: "The Stand"


Rating: 8/10

Label: Playground 2012

Review by Kimmo Toivonen

This band's name and their home country of Finland might make you think that they're just another post-HIM rock band with a slight case of depression and tendency for drama. Especially when their album opener "Echoes" starts with the lines "Heart full of hope/Turning to stone"... Yeah, I should listen without prejudice, because Walkalone may have a dark undertone in their lyrics and music, but they don't sound too depressed. In fact, the aforementioned first track of the album is actually a rather cheery, uptempo track with a killer pop-rock hook. Quite a contrast to the not-so-cheery lyrics. And they follow it with another hit potential melodic rocker with an apt title - "Drama Kills". Superb stuff - kind of like the lovechild of Duran Duran and HIM! I heard some similarities to Scottish rockers Gun too.

The first two tracks are the strongest ones of the album, but the rest of the album is quite good too. The band's "signature song" "Walkalones" and "Roll The Dice" are my two picks among the remaining songs. The weakest track of the album is probably "Break You", which features my biggest pet peeve in modern rock during the chorus - the yawn-inducing "coldplay rhythm".

The production is good, the arrangements are colourful and the band sounds good, so what's there not to like? Nothing really. Good stuff. Check 'em out!


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