Great review, Kayla! Also thanks for bringing up my countrymen and occasional drinking buddies (admittedly just the bass player
) on Metalreviews.
Although I must point out that calling Stam1na simply thrash would be an understatement. They mix a whole lot of things into some bonafide thrash beats and burning riffage. Pantera-like grooves are here and there, System Of A Down-styled quirky, off beat tempo-twists, Widdling solos like much in the glory days of Dream Theater...all kinds of stuff. To put it differently, the biggest thrash-purists on this forum definitely wouldnt consider it thrash
There is so much more in it.
Their latest album, the second disc Uudet Kymmenen Käskyä illustrates the point above even better with more proggish twists in the song structures and walls of vocal layers and chaotic moments of total banging that are straight up Devin Townsend-worship. Definitely one of the best metal discs of 2006 and not on my list because I couldnt get off my lazy ass to review it so there would be a link to it on the site. Oh well, my awards are entered and thats that.
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Just balls out heavy rock, no doo-bobs or fancy widdlings - just riffriffriffpoundpoundpound. The occasional ballads happen, of course. But Ive always thought of Kotiteollisuus as kind of our lands answer to Black Label Society, just without the awesome solos.