So, this is the debut of Finnish power metallers, Winterborn. I picked this up in a local record shop among the cheap CDs, and hell was I in for a nice treat! Wait, I know what you’re thinking. “Not another cheesy Finnish power metal band”. The fact is that there is nothing cheesy about this at all. Except the name of course. Pasi Vapola, the only guitarist here, sounds a bit like Doug Aldrich on the new Whitesnake album. His riffing flourishes with cool details such as overtones and short, thrilling fills. His leads are mostly pretty good and well-played, but his vibrato is not top notch and sounds pretty out of place on some parts. Take Last Train to Hell, which is one of the better songs on the record as an example. The solo is pretty damn good actually, but his vibrato sounds a little out of tune when it kicks in. Other than that, I have nothing to complain about. His playing keeps my attention through every spin, and that is not a bad thing, is it?

Teemu Koskela is not your typical wailing power metal vocalist. He also got this annoying vibrato thingy, and I don’t know if he does on purpose or because he can’t endure the high notes as his range is not very wide. He usually stays in the middle. That isn’t necessarily bad. He actually fits the music pretty well. I just can’t picture their sound with Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica)or Joacim Cans (Hammerfall), as some of the songs, like Lovehunter is pure 80’s-worship. Teemu fits it perfectly. When he does the lower notes, his voice gets a little thicker, and it adds some well-appreciated spice to the overall sound.

Well, enough characteristics, and on to the songs. Wildheart kicks it all off with cool riffing, catchy melodies, and a sing-along chorus. Previously mentioned Last Train to Hell continues in the same vein, and slips into the epic highlight of the album On the Edge of Eternity. A beautiful intro bursts into a guitar-driven riff accompanied by atmospheric keyboards. This song drifts into prog territory now and then without getting too “weird” with some tricky rhythmic patterns. Vapola’s riffing is awesome; Rami Heikillâ (drums) provides a rock solid backbone and creates hooks everywhere, and Jukka (keyboards) sets the mood.

After a weak moment (The Real Me), Lovehunter and New Dawn picks up where they left off. The latter has been stuck in my head forever, and I really don’t mind. It’s a great song, and even though he shows some weak spots, Teemu does a pretty good job, and his melodies are damn catchy. The instrumental and rather dull In my Dreams follows. Paso Vapola shows off his skills, but the song itself is not much to write home about.

The King and the God and the slow Coming Home, finishes a rather enjoyable listen. This album has its moments, some of them very impressive, some of them pretty good, and some of them not that good. I hope their next album which is due later this year, is “all killers, no fillers”. They’ve shown what they’re capable of at best, and I’m looking forward to hearing their new material.