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Stam1na is a band bursting with ideas--too many, some might say. A complex barrage of unusual riffs, rhythms, melodies, and vocal stylings, their music is challenging, individualistic, and highly stimulating. These four guys have the requisite skills to pull off something this progressive, their talent manifested by veteran thrashers Mokoma having made Stam1na the first act (other than themselves) signed to their Sakara label. Expertly recorded and mixed by Miitri Aaltonen (Monsteriser), mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox, Uudet Kymmenen Käskyä is even more all-over-the-place and quirkier than their self-titled debut. Yet the new album's frenetic, thrashy, chuggy, grooving, pounding, fluidly melodic, occasionally poppy, heavy attack rarely becomes too chaotic, which is particularly impressive on wildly involved tracks like "Merestä Maalle" and "Vapaa Maa," a blow-by-blow description of either potentially lengthier than one required for an entire album by some bands.
With their hyper-variety, Stam1na may not please everybody all the time. Winner of the 2005 Finnish Metal Award for vocalist (Stam1na also took Best Newcomer honors.) and nominated again for 2006 (guitarist Pekka "Pexi" Olkkonen likewise getting a 2006 Best Musician nomination), Antti "Hyrde" Hyyrynen has a great voice and a limitless repertoire. While I love most of his bellowing, suave crooning, yelling, screaming, etc., when yammering or chirping he can be annoying. Moments of irritation are brief, however, because Hyrde never sticks with any particular style for very long. Unfortunately, neither do his equally gifted fellow musicians. Even fans of the "cool bits" approach to songwriting might experience frustration or headspinning due to the brevity of some of Stam1na's snippets. Still, Uudet Kymmenen Käskyä wouldn't leave one feeling so bereft if its rhythms weren't so damned fascinating, and without all the rapid switching there wouldn't be as many excellent segues to bask in (for a few microseconds). Although unable to rid myself of the impression that the motivation for some of their musical choices is "because we can" or "because it might be irritating/goofy" rather than "because it will make the song better," I'd never want Stam1na to embrace restraint completely. Doing that could stifle one of their most alluring qualities: the capacity to surprise.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Uudet Kymmenen Käskyä |
| 2. Merestä Maalle |
| 3. Edessäni |
| 4. Viisi Laukausta Päähän |
| 5. Vapaa Maa |
| 6. Lapsus |
| 7. Paperinukke |
| 8. Suhdeluku |
| 9. Likainen Parketti |
| 10. Ovi |
| 11. Kaksi Reittiä Yksi Suunta |
: 48.00
| Buy other Stam1na albums |
