Artist: Masterstroke
Label: Dynamic Arts Records
Released: 2007
Duration: 41.58
Rating: 3.5/5
The second studio album from Finnish melodic metallers Mastersroke is a showcase of a dark approach to melodic heavy metal, miles away from the brighter-mood power metal heavyweights a la Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica. Their production is far livelier, leaning on raw, “in your face” riffing on one side and anything but controlled romping around in the rhythm section on the other. The vocals sound a bit like a hollow, muffled Blaze Bayley, only with a much throatier delivery. That voice is one of the key building blocks behind the gloomy atmosphere Masterstroke build.
Melody comes first, as ever, along with writing highly listenable tunes wrapped in dramatic Scandinavian ambience and a live-sounding production that works effectively, meaning it feels real. A touch of keyboards likes to sneak into the chorus melodies, backing up the band’s melancholic melos and filling out the basic sonic spectrum of Materstroke.
Let me point out that Masterstroke are not rally drivers of soloing, and you’ll look in vain for a crossfire of guitar and keyboard solos on this album. The band does keep instrumental mid-sections in the songs, but they’re limited to guitar soloing only. What takes the lead and grabs your attention on the album is the building of a dark atmosphere on a voluminous curtain of riffs, which the confident, strong, resolute vocals communicate with in a seriously tasty way, while a “drilled-in” rhythm line gives it a rock-solid backbone on the other side. So technically speaking, Masterstroke are polished musicians, and their main motive right now has to be getting as much recognition of their own as possible, as a band on the verge of a breakthrough. The tactic is a good one: combining high listenability with the right dose of aggression and increasingly popular “no way out” pathos.
For everyone into the realms of Morgane Lefay, even Pagan’s Mind, Tad Morose, or the good old Germans Angel Dust, Masterstroke could be worth a look too. That means that from time to time Masterstroke tighten up a riff thrasher-style, but throughout they keep a milder, melodic “old school” streak in the riffs that keeps them in the power metal camp. Let’s call it dark “power metal”. The songs are also different enough from each other in their basic motifs, so the album doesn’t fall into repetitiveness. It’s easy to get into, though, since it combines some generic elements that, added up across the songs on “Sleep”, don’t really surprise. A nice, good album, but with no standout moments. “Sleep” is a good omen, as the guys don’t hide their potential in their musical expression, and with the direction they’ve set out, it will definitely mature in the future.
Lineup
Niko Rauhala – vocals, guitar
Markus Kekoni – guitar
Jussi Kulomaa – keyboards
Marko Kolehmainen – bass guitar
Janne Juutinen – drums
Production
Annto Nikolai Tuomainen
Tracklist
1. Transition
2. Killing Creatures
3. Turn Away
4. Under Our Command
5. Another Failure
6. The Circle
7. Being Me
8. Sleep
9. Silent
10. Final Journey
