Once I saw the name of this Finnish metal band I was intrigued, as I love a ridiculously over-the-top band name. However `Welcome To The Den’ isn’t a concept album about a character from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (although I don’t remember him having a den). It is instead a grandiose, powerful yet melodic heavy metal debut album from this bunch of devoted rockers from Tampere.
I can only guess that the members of this band must have been in other bands before, so professional is this release. It is so flawless and polished you can practically see your face in it. The musicianship is of extremely high quality, and this could easily be an album from a much larger band at the height of their career, at least in terms of the overall sound of this release.
Musically, the band describe themselves as combining “the best influences of heavy metal from the 80’s and 70’s”. This is partly true as far as I can tell, but the slick, heavy, multi-layered production roots the album firmly in the present. For the most part, MHD play melodic Euro-metal, the kind of band that will always go down extremely well at German Metal festivals. There is a great epic quality to the music, partly helped along by the swathes of keyboard. Admittedly the keyboard does have a Hammond organ sound to it often, which is faintly reminiscent of classic 70’s rock, although for the most part of acts as a great, epic backdrop to the guitars. It has a real chance to shine on the more instrumental sections of the album, in particular `Legacy of the Kings’, which reminds me a little of instrumental neo-classic rockers Trans Siberian Orchestra.
One thing did surprise my rather jaded ears; for melodic Euro-metal, this is actually quite heavy. MHD really do know how to write a powerful riff, and `Welcome To The Den’ is packed full of them. There are some truly rocking, rip-roaring moments throughout the ten tracks, and live I am sure they would induce some frenzied headbanging amongst the audience. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the level of song writing is very high indeed; from the thunderous guitar riffs, the multi-layered vocal harmonies, the well-constructed choruses and the great, classic guitar solos, this band really does have a talent for writing classic, yet epic heavy metal. There are fleeting glimpses of bands like Uriah Heep, but for the most part I am reminded again and again of classic Iron Maiden (and I’m sure I’m not the first to say that). The chord progressions, the high drama, the catchy choruses; it is all there. Taage Laiho’s belting vocals are in the higher registers, but without being screechy or too warbling, thus making for a great, powerful performance without many of the things that annoy some people about this kind of metal. All in all, a great, thoroughly enjoyable metal romp. Let’s hope we get invited back to the den soon.
(8/10 Jon Butlin)
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