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ALBUM REVIEW Thaurorod deliver power metal masterclass on Coast of Gold

ALBUM REVIEW Thaurorod deliver power metal masterclass on Coast of Gold

FINNISH power metal maestros Thaurorod may have slipped below many a metal fans radar to date, but with the release of Coast of Gold they will no longer be just another European band.

This album is a stunning exposition of what can be achieved by a band with the confidence to explore their musical ability.

From the almost 80s sounding keyboard intro on opener The Commonwealth Lives the listener is aurally assaulted by rampaging riffs, battered by double bass runs, seared with solos on guitar and keys and swept away with muscular melodies.

The hyperbole is justified. Sure they are on the same page as Dragonforce et al, but they take the template and add their own nitro that could launch the genre that bit further.

And, the song that could do this is Cannibal Island. From the sweet childs voice and the mid-paced opening it develops into an almost impossibly catchy tune Andi Kravljaca vocal gymnastics sounding impassioned and filled with glory and gore as he recounts the horror.

Throughout Coast Of Gold the combination of Emil Pohjalainen, Lass Nymans guitars and Harri Koskelas keyboards provide a deft weft and weaving, never over-powering the song.

The nods to their influences are clear - the opening piano of 24601 nods to Jovis Runaway before developing gradually into a show-stopping tune, texture emerging into a full throttle battle.

And, that combination from almost Battle Metal and Power Metal will have the hair splitters arguing for weeks, but the reality is this is simply a great heavy metal album. Its the sort of album you could play your "non-metal" friend and have them hooked after the first listen.

It is, however, not all pedal to the metal, with on the penultimate track, the delicate Halla gives a counterpoint, a sense of the Finnish landscape and the sound of seaborne adventures.

While the lyrical content does have a mariners tale twists, it is not a forced concept, it is incidental to the enjoyment of Thaurorod on this album.

Blasting through the closer Illuminati in all its intensity and power as it ends the first thought is to play the entire album again. No better recommendation can there be.

Review by Jonathan Traynor

Coast of Gold is released on Drakkar Entertainment on February 16th






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