New Allen/Lande!!!

[Zook]

Completely uninteresting, generic, Avalon, etc.

[YtseJamittaja]

I really liked their first album but this is just too simple, uninteresting song. Allen and Lande needs to be much more balls-crushing and metal band than this.

[obscure]

I would definitely have preferred an Allen/Lande CD with Karlsson on board .. duh! But this is better than I expected tbh... after all those shitty Avalon songs....

let's wait and see....

I'll still check it out on release date, but the steaming turds that Tolkki laid with the two Avalon albums means I can't even be cautiously optimistic.  I mean, when he can attract vocalists like (for the first one) Rob Rock, Russel Allen, Elize Ryd, Kiske, Sharon Den Adel, and Tony Kakko... then (for the second one) Simone Simons, Floor Jansen, Fabio Lione, David DeFeis, Ryd, Zak Stevens... c'mon!!!    With that cast of vocalists!?!?!?!  WTH man!?!?  I could eat alphabet soup and shit out better lyrics, then rip popcorn fart bubbles underwater that have better melodies than he put out.

I lol'd hard 


100 % truth though!

[jingle.boy]

You rip popcorn fart bubbles too!?!?  Awesome.   

[obscure]

OMG hahahahahaah 















































yes 

[Lowdz]

OMG hahahahahaah 















































yes 

But not in front of JLB! 

[Bertielee]

C'mon, it sounds like Helloween with Kiske on board (not the vox, the song of course). Welcome back to 80s power metal. Frankly, if I want something in that vein, I'm going to listen to the original or the first Masterplan for that matter. Not even the best rock singers there are currently can save the song.

B.Lee

[wolfking]

Completely uninteresting, generic, Avalon, etc.

Yeah.  I have no interest in listening to it again, but I will check out the album when it comes out.

C'mon, it sounds like Helloween with Kiske on board (not the vox, the song of course). Welcome back to 80s power metal. Frankly, if I want something in that vein, I'm going to listen to the original or the first Masterplan for that matter. Not even the best rock singers there are currently can save the song.

B.Lee

I don't really hear that myself.

[Bertielee]

Well, I was thinking of the chorus mainly in fact. Tbh, I'm not really into that kind of metal anymore (meaning Allen/Lande), so I've surely been a little biased.

B.Lee

[obscure]

OMG hahahahahaah 















































yes 

But not in front of JLB! 

  nooooooo

[wolfking]

Well, I was thinking of the chorus mainly in fact. Tbh, I'm not really into that kind of metal anymore (meaning Allen/Lande), so I've surely been a little biased.

B.Lee

I guess I could see that with the ending of the chorus.  If it was sped up, it would be a standard Strato song, so I see what you're getting at.

[Bertielee]

Well, I was thinking of the chorus mainly in fact. Tbh, I'm not really into that kind of metal anymore (meaning Allen/Lande), so I've surely been a little biased.

B.Lee

I guess I could see that with the ending of the chorus.  If it was sped up, it would be a standard Strato song, so I see what you're getting at.

Yep, that's more what I was hinting at.

B.Lee

[Bolsters]

This is up on Spotify, if anyone cares.

[wolfking]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y6e6fSa7oJM

Sounds like Paradise.

This is up on Spotify, if anyone cares.

I'll listen, but I doubt I'll buy this.

[jingle.boy]

This is up on Spotify, if anyone cares.

I'll listen, but I doubt I'll buy this.

Pretty much what I'm anticipating too.   

[Bolsters]

Well, this is a Timo Tolkki album, no doubt about that. The same boring song structures, tired drum beats, and underutilised vocalists.

Solid Ground is almost passable because it actually has a riff in it, but other than that I can't even remember what I just listened to. The songs are near-identical and absolutely nothing stands out.

[jingle.boy]

Well, this is a Timo Tolkki album, no doubt about that. The same boring song structures, tired drum beats, and underutilised vocalists.

Solid Ground is almost passable because it actually has a riff in it, but other than that I can't even remember what I just listened to. The songs are near-identical and absolutely nothing stands out.

Sadly.... exactly what I expected.



Also, not on Spotify US yet.

[Lowdz]

Well, this is a Timo Tolkki album, no doubt about that. The same boring song structures, tired drum beats, and underutilised vocalists.

Solid Ground is almost passable because it actually has a riff in it, but other than that I can't even remember what I just listened to. The songs are near-identical and absolutely nothing stands out.

Sadly.... exactly what I expected.



Also, not on Spotify US yet.

Just had a listen. Yup, it's just kinda there. Boring but not awful. Not purchase worthy as a wise man often says... 

[jingle.boy]

Just had a listen. Yup, it's just kinda there. Boring but not awful. Not purchase worthy as a wise man often says... 

[wolfking]

Comments as we all expected.  What a terrible waste this is.  It could have been so much more.

[Lowdz]

Comments as we all expected.  What a terrible waste this is.  It could have been so much more.

It's not awful. Just nothing memorable either. Generic Tolkki. Stratovarius are so lucky not to have him these days. Their last couple blow his stuff out of the water.

[jjrock88]

What would you give it out of 10?

[Lowdz]

What would you give it out of 10?

6 maybe. Most of that is for the vocals really. The music is generally cliched rubbish.
The new MindMaze album will kick the shit out of it.

[wolfking]

Comments as we all expected.  What a terrible waste this is.  It could have been so much more.

It's not awful. Just nothing memorable either. Generic Tolkki. Stratovarius are so lucky not to have him these days. Their last couple blow his stuff out of the water.

Absolutely.

What would you give it out of 10?

6 maybe. Most of that is for the vocals really. The music is generally cliched rubbish.
The new MindMaze album will kick the shit out of it.

That score simply isn't good enough.

[gazinwales]

I gave The Great Divide a chance...
To me it sounds like prime Stratovarius (that horrible self titled album) leftovers.
The riffs and even some of the vocal melodies are right up Kotipelto's path.
I can even picture him singing this stuff.
Really the self titled Stratovarius album was a low point, this could be even worse.
Not even two the greatest singers from our genre's can save this turd from the garbage bin.

[bl5150]

Funnily enough the folks on the melodic rock sites seem to be lapping it up for the most part.

[gazinwales]

Yeah noticed that myself, though they do seem to be 'easily' pleased 

[Lowdz]

Yeah noticed that myself, though they do seem to be 'easily' pleased 

They certainly are.

[ErHaO]

To me the old albums also sounded like simple straightforward rock music with amazing vocals, but I guess I just don't like the genre. It was entertaining though and I loved some of the vocal melodies.

I did not try out this one yet, but reading this I wonder who the hell gives Tollki so much power. Avalon is terrible and has many of my favourite vocalists, I do not even know how he managed to make it suck that bad. And wasn't the guy crazy and difficult to work with? Or was that the other part of Stratovarius?

[wolfking]

Funnily enough the folks on the melodic rock sites seem to be lapping it up for the most part.

Metal Temple gave it 10 out of 10 and claimed it a masterpiece.

https://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/a_2/allen-lande-the.htm

Saying that, the reviewers favourite song is Edge of Thorns.  He didn't mention the similarities though, and he called the song Lady of Winter lol.

I gave The Great Divide a chance...
To me it sounds like prime Stratovarius (that horrible self titled album) leftovers.
The riffs and even some of the vocal melodies are right up Kotipelto's path.
I can even picture him singing this stuff.
Really the self titled Stratovarius album was a low point, this could be even worse.
Not even two the greatest singers from our genre's can save this turd from the garbage bin.

Wow, tough.  I really liked the self titled though.  At least it had some character unlike the shit Tolkki has been serving out.

[Bolsters]

That can't be a serious review.

[wolfking]

That can't be a serious review.

Dunno what to say man.

[Lowdz]

Funnily enough the folks on the melodic rock sites seem to be lapping it up for the most part.

Metal Temple gave it 10 out of 10 and claimed it a masterpiece.

https://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/a_2/allen-lande-the.htm

Saying that, the reviewers favourite song is Edge of Thorns.  He didn't mention the similarities though, and he called the song Lady of Winter lol.

I gave The Great Divide a chance...
To me it sounds like prime Stratovarius (that horrible self titled album) leftovers.
The riffs and even some of the vocal melodies are right up Kotipelto's path.
I can even picture him singing this stuff.
Really the self titled Stratovarius album was a low point, this could be even worse.
Not even two the greatest singers from our genre's can save this turd from the garbage bin.

Wow, tough.  I really liked the self titled though.  At least it had some character unlike the shit Tolkki has been serving out.

That's exactly it. No character. Cliched, generic. Boring... too generic to be rubbish.

[jjrock88]

I'll still buy it tommorow, but it sounds like it will be a listen then shelf it

[Lowdz]

I'll still buy it tommorow, but it sounds like it will be a listen then shelf it

I'd listen first jj. Buying it only encourages them to use him again