This is album number fifteen for Finland’s finest exponents of speed metal, and was released in 2015. While I do like the band and what they have achieved, this album (well, the production) has me scratching my head somewhat. The vocals are there but they feel almost buried at times. There are numerous sections that have the gang vocal, maybe they were trying to hide Timo’s vocal problems. Add to that, the whole mix is muddy at times.
It’s a very one paced album and that is full on gallop mode. Now, I don’t mind a good gallop but a little variation would be good and a look back to the past might be the way forward. It sounds as though I’m being a Debbie Downer and that’s a tad unfair because this is still a good record, and it’s still a Strato record and when they are having an off day it’s still better than most bands in the genre. So, it’s no surprise that I’m going for a non-gallop tune as my favourite. Lost Without A Trace is a mix between melodic rock and Prog metal and has great dynamics with a killer solo.
7.5/10 from The Grooveman.
