STONELAKE - review added 13th July 2011
Album Review: Marching On Timeless Tales (2011)
For fans of: Heavy Metal
The main chaps in Swedish metal act Stonelake have been performing since the mid 1980s, occasionally in the same bands, though it was well into the 2000s before this iteration of their careers started pumping out new music. "Marching On Timeless Tales" is the band's 5th release.
The sound is a mixture of theatrical heavy rock and boisterous power metal with a few symphonic and progressive elements thrown in for good measure. The sound is dominated by Peter Grundström's high pitched vocals which are often half a tone higher than they probably should be. He's characterful and interesting, and he has great control, but I'm not sure his voice always matches the beefy depth of the music. The musicianship itself is beyond reproach, especially the guitar tone which is epic. The compositions are generally good, although there's not really anything outstanding.
Favourite moments include the Primal Fear-esque opener 'Red Canyon', the huge 'Sound Of A Whisper' and the aggressive 'Give It Up'. It's hard to find anything bad to say about the rest of the album; it's enjoyable but a few notches from greatness.
In Summation:
This is a perfectly likeable album that should give plenty of enjoyable listens to anyone who buys it, but there's a lot of better stuff out there.
Entertainment/Enjoyment:
Musicianship:
Vocals:
Song Writing:
Production:
Overall (Not An Average Of The Above):
Track List:
01. Red Canyon
02. Liar
03. Sound Of A Whisper
04. SnakeChild
05. Fool With No Denial
06. Rain
07. Lay Down The War
08. Give It Up
09. Winds Of Fire
10. Enter The Temple
Band/Performers:
Peter Grundström: Vocals
Jan Åkesson: Guitars
Lasse Johansson: Bass
Jens Westberg: Drums
David Lindell: Keyboard
Special Guest - Tommy Denander: Lead guitar on ”Winds Of Fire”
Other Info:
Label: Massacre Records
Artist's website(s): Stonelake | MySpace | Facebook
