amazing art
Cain's Offering, a project of Jani Liimatainen, started ~2009 with Mikko Härkin, Timo Kotipelto, Jani Hurula and Jukka Koskinen. Well shit, talk about almost perfect supergroup for me: My favourite vocalist of all time, 3rd favourite guitarist, 3rd favourite bassist, second favourite keyboard player and only the drummer is unknown to me. As predicted, their first album was a total hit for me, mixing Sonata Arctica's catchyness with Stratovarius more serious and progressive approach. Highly anticipated tour never came to life and the project slowly withered away, leaving only a handful of idiots (including me) bothering Jani non stop on his blog to make more CO.
And yet again history showed that being an asshole is the best way to get things done, Cain's Offering returns with album nr 2 and more promises about the tour, but with a different lineup- no more Mikko (what a surprise.. That guy has some major problems staying in one project for more than 1 album), no more Jukka
but with some guys I was too devastated to even check their names.
Oh well, let's give it a try: Jonas Kuhlberg on bass, probably one of the forgotten Jonas brothers aand..
Jens Johansson.
WAITWHAT!?
JENS THE TOILETSLAYER?
JENS THE GUARDIAN OF FABOLOUS KEYBOARD DUCKS?
Let's just add an extremely fancy art on the cd and I'm creaming myself like a 16 yo fangirl. A 16 yo fangirl with their parents credit card actually as I bought 5 damn copies of it, including 2 japanese ones.
But a review is still a review, so let's check it track by track.
Stormcrow
Sharing the name of the album, the track wastes no time for intros and just jumps into the epicness with it's bombastic choir. Talk about chorus that will stay in your head for good. Actually it starts to piss me off, everytime I hear "the prices are RISING! FROM THE ASHES! A DARK MESSENGER OF SORROW!", ekhem, see? The track is pretty straightforward most of the time, before the solo it starts to take more progressive turn and the "hit radio song" turns into Pathfinder-like epic song, blasting the audience with a great solo (absent in first CO album) and Timo's vocals cast a big shadow on everything else, ending this song with so much power it right what up writing fucks ?! now my hell the
The Best Of Times
I like the first vocal parts sounding so far, like Timo from Stormcrow passed through some dimensional barrier with his scream and tries to go back. The track starts with some heavy blasting and I just love to hear Jani riffing- last 12 years of watching that guy's guitar playing was a pure joy- from a young
A Night To Forget
Mid tempo song, again with heavy focus on vocals and those wonderful lyrics. I write some stuff myself, but that bastard Jani can write some killer lyrics, and even when melody is hard to keep up he has a support of Timo Kotipelto, who can sing the shittiest lyrics with awesome results. Most important part of the song- I can hear bass!! And it's good, playing along in the intro until guitar makes it go to the background. Come on, focus on something else than Timo wonderful work during the chorus.. Sorry Jens, Jonas and Jani nr. 2 - those 2 totally dominate the sound so far. You are doing a great job supporting, but it's hard to focus on something other than vocals and guitars.
I Will Build You A Rome
Finally some good drums and bass can be heard from the start of this song. Title is weird, but it fits the song. A typical hit radio song with a decent speed but no sound overload. Jani is heard riffing somewhere behind Timo vocals and the drums finally have some killer double bass pedals well heard. Jens is going wild during the solo. I think. Sometimes I have difficulties distinguishing guitar solos from keyboard solos (if my reviews can suck even more). The lyrics are extremely cheesy, but are surprisingly fitting and catchy. Just don't sing it too much to your loved one, she might puke out of unicorn-rainbow-lovely-dovely-overload
Too Tired To Run
Yay, finally a flaw on this so far awesome album :D The song? No, it's great, maybe the best on the album. The problem is it's placement on the album. It's too soon, it sounds like an album climax to me and would work perfectly as next-to-last song on the album. Placing it as 5th song has some benefits of course (it's a slow song, so it fits between 2 fast songs, also it makes the first half of the album totally flawless and wonderful) but for me it would fit way better after few more songs.
The song is a slow tempo ballad with some amazing orchestrations and almost solo Timo performance during first half. And damn those lyrics, damn you Jani! The Liimatainen, Hurula is awesome, no hate here bro! I can totally see this song performed by Kotipelto&Liimatainen duet. The climax of this song will probably send a shitload of shivers down your spine, plus it's split in half so tease level is over 9000. Finally vocals are silent and the orchestrations deliver a long awaited orgasm. Calm outro just breaks the borders of perfection into the deep unknown
Constellation Of Tears
Maybe the fastest song on the album with a catchy chorus that made me wonder if I should finish writing my second single "A Shark That Could Bark" because the chorus is a little bit similar in style. Oh well, only the time will tell. Jens goes crazy here, and solo intro is just plain awesome, drums also deliver some fast and heavy work. But as mentioned in the previous song- this song doesn't fit for me here, after Too Tired To Run. I would move I Am Legion here to have a instrumental break before going back to fast songs. But well, it's just me, song is good.
Antemortem
The Nightwish© song. No, seriously, that intro just doesn't remind me of anything else :D That style of riffing&drum work screams Nightwish©. Also the chorus lyrics and Jani's habits (the Liimatainen scum, Hurula is awesome) make me think of it as a drinking song. Big plus for bass here, heard loud and clear, perfect for deaf fucks like me. Some very progressive elements late in the song, where Hurula shows some nice skills drumming before Nightwish© riff. Great outro
My Heart Beats For No One
Another stupid title, this time isn't supported by good lyrics (but some awesome guitar bits in the background). Actually the weakest song on the album, with a little bit too emo lyrics ("I'm not ok, I'm not fine" bit is great though). Also a bit too many progressive elements to swallow it on the first listen. Good drums and bass moments so in the end remember one thing- the song isn't bad, it's just not as amazing as the others here. And again- placement of a fast song after 2 other fast songs doesn't fit very well.
I Am Legion
Instrumental song, so let me apologise as I'm a shitty reviewer of instrumental flicks (the only reason I didn't review Aephanamer "Know Thyself" album). Mixes both calm and loud&epic elements, but for me fails "telling a story". It sounds a little bit inconsistent in it's progression, "Gather The Faithful" track was way better in this regard. But don't listen to me, it's epic, guitar part during calm half is great, and drums following with choirs is nothing short of amazing. The outro is also wonderful, ending as it started. Oh, a good title as well
Rising Sun
Extremely catchy guitars with fast drumming after just a few seconds on intro surprise with calm and mid tempo part afterwards. Finally way better lyrics than in "My Heart...", the tone is also way more positive. Maybe I'm missing some important message, that the I Am Legion was the thing that changed the person from "My Heart..." into someone more positive. Maybe I'm just overthinking it. The song is so catchy and positive it is almost sure to send some delightful shivers down your spine and skin. The solo allows Jens to go crazy one last time on this album, and Jani also shows some skills, which is great as on Gather The Faithful I thought Jani was holding back too much with solos. In short another hit radio song with cheesy lyrics
On the Shore
Slower, mid tempo song and a perfect album outro (well, at least if I didn't buy the japanese version, huehuehue), another lyrics that make me jealous as fuck. Hurula is also doing a great job because my leg can't stop moving while listening to it. Timo after the scream is so hugged right now, he will need a help of toiletslayer to stop me. And fuck that cliche guitar during the outro, Liimatainen, stop being so fucking perfect!
Just out of pure lazyness I won't review Japanese Bonus track, I will keep it's secrets to myself, muahaha
To sum things up- it's a great follower to Gather The Faithful, I can say that the thing is much less progressive than the first album but Jani said that before Stormcrow came out. He stays as my 3rd favourite guitarist, just behind Syu and Jari Maenpaa. But when it comes to pure songwriting&lyric writing he is the best. I didn't have a favourite one to this moment, now I have one. All bandmembers are amazing, even the Jonas brother, and if anything from this review offended You guys then go on tour- I will totally be there somewhere and You can all kick my stupid ass! :D
Final score:
Guitars 10/10
Vocals 11/10
Bass 9+/10
Drums 10-/10
Keys 10-/10
Additional:
++lyrics
+ stormcrow art
+ flawless mixing (everything has a perfect sound volume)
I won't give any minuses, but (very nitpicky of me) the tracks on the album could be placed better, also japanese version has the same cover as european, I loved the difference with Gather The Faithful
Total score: 107,5% I can only hope this year releases from Titanium and Pathfinder can kick your finnish asses :D
only possible way to make it more awesome
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