Symphonic speed metal from Finland. The history of Requiem goes back to the year 1999. Requiem founded in Haapajärvi, Finland. The band started first as a trio and in the beginning the music was melodic death/power metal with neo-classical vibrations. But in 2001, after scoring a record deal with Sound Riot Records, they changed into a more progressive power metal unit.
THE
ARRIVAL (2002) SOUND RIOT
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Line-up: Jouni Nikula - Vocals Arto Räisälä - Guitars Teemu Hänninen - Guitars Jari Huttunen - Drums Pasi Kauppinen - Bass Henrik Klingenberg - Keyboards |
Finland is really putting themselves on the heavy metal map these days. Not only do Stratovarius sell themselves into the hit lists in several European countries, but bands like Sonata Arctica, Children Of Bodom and Nightwish are also making noise enough to get noticed. So how is it to be a new band from the country of the thousand lakes then? Well, if you make music the way Requiem do, with equal parts of talent and conviction, then I suppose you're bound to get noticed too. I've read nothing but good reviews of this album, and I can only join in those ranks. Requiem are not the best new band I've heard this last year. But they are certainly not the worst either. The CD starts of (after the intro) with a blistering Rhapsody-esque tune. The speed, the drama, the symphonic background, it's all there. I wouldn't call it plagiarism, because these Finnish boys. Especially the vocalist gives them a unique sound. And also the vocal-arrangements are nothing near the Italian dragon slayers. Then after a couple of songs Requiem takes on the form of a more Stratovarius-like band. They manage to pull this off as well. But it doesn't end here. Because the last songs on the album is of a more progressive note, not unlike Symphony X. All in all this is a great debut, but also one that had been even better had it been given a 'cleaner' production. The symphonic parts almost drowns the music. So I hope that on our next meeting this band will have been picked up by a larger record company. One that can cough up a little more money for production and mixing Requiem's otherwise great music.
Killer tracks: Revival, Broken Alliance, Halls Of Eternity
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