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TALVIKUNINGAS

CMX

Progressive Metal


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CMX Talvikuningas album cover
3.75 | 12 ratings | 4 reviews | 25% 5 stars

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Studio Album, released in 2007

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Kaikkivaltias (10:26)
2. Resurssikysymys (1:54)
3. Pretoriaanikyborgit (5:51)
4. Vallan haamut (5:32)
5. Tähtilaivan kapteeni (4:08)
6. Kosmologisen vakion laulu (3:52)
7. Parvatin tietäjä (4:27)
8. Punainen komentaja (4:05)
9. Langennut valo (4:27)
10. Quanta (5:06)
11. Rusalkai (3:41)
12. Kaikkivaltiaan peili (8:31)

Total Time 62:00

Bonus tracks on 2017 double-LP edition:
13. Kuolemaantuomitut (4:06)
14. Mekaanisten Lintujen Puisto (7:45)

Line-up / Musicians

- A. W. Yrjänä / vocals, bass
- Janne Halmkrona / guitars
- Timo Rasio / guitars
- Tuomas Peippo / drums

With:
- Rauli Eskolin / keyboards, production & mixing

Releases information

Artwork: Sami Saramäki

CD Herodes ‎- 50999 503253 2 0 (2007, Finland)

LPx2 Svart Records ‎- SRE198 (2017, Finland) With 2 bonus tracks

Thanks to windhawk for the addition
and to Quinino for the last updates
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CMX Talvikuningas ratings distribution


3.75
(12 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(25%)
25%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(67%)
67%
Good, but non-essential (8%)
8%
Collectors/fans only (0%)
0%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

CMX Talvikuningas reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Marty McFly
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars At first, I thought that the lyrics are in Italian (it sounded to me quite like it), however, I knew that they're Finnish. It's probably that when I think about Finnish metal, I always think about all these endless English-singing ones. They started as punk band - clear to hear on second track. Not classic punk, as it's more complex (which is accomplished by changing pace of song and layering), while first song, Kaikkivaltias is more prog. It's strange, but it's something between Prog Metal and RPI, but mostly, sound here is quite heavy and you have this dense feeling that this music "IS" here, you can feel its presence. Variety of album is so big that one thing here is for sure - you won't be bored. Needed to say that calm parts are more like sparsely present. Langennut Valo ending is very crazy, expect something sinister and dreadful, but when you're ready to face it, do it and await the results. Nah, it's not that bad. Following track, Quanta is more "rock" with furiously calm drums (yes, it's possible, no mindless bashing, but clever and complex line instead).

4(+), let's be sober for this time. Ranging from almost ambient (almost, because it's never ambient) to extreme metal, this album is very unique.

Review by Matti
PROG REVIEWER
3 stars Personally, I don't enjoy this album, it was clear to me upon first listening. Not because Talvikuningas would be a weak work from CMX, no, but simply because it's very metallic, and metal music has never been my cup of tea. Among fans of this Finnish band with hardcore punk roots and varying amounts of pop, metal and prog in their output (btw, I prefer their more pop-oriented albums such as Aura, 1994), Talvikuningas seems to be one of their most respected albums, even THE masterpiece that is said to demand time to really sink on the listener. So, pardon me for merely sharing my totally undedicated overall impression of this ambitious SciFi concept album instead of giving it more time.

The concept, ie. the story filled with intergalactic wars, satellites, cyborgs etc., has a very intriguing frame in the prologue (which is sadly not put in music): in 2727 a good ruler gave a present for his wife, a garden smaller than the nail of her little finger, yet filled with waterfalls, brooks, bridges and a thousand mechanical birds that sing fragments of the Winter King saga. What a charming image indeed. The music and war-filled lyrics themselves do not contain any of such delicacy or vividly detailed imagery, in my opinion. The SciFi/Fantasy illustrations in the lyrics booklet are admittedly good looking, though.

Last year Svart Records re-released Talvikuningas ("Winter King") again on double vinyl, with the originally separately released single 'Kuolemaantuomitut' / 'Mekaanisten lintujen puisto' as the fourth side. At the time of its original release on a single compact disc, the 62-minute album was promoted/hyped as one epic piece divided into twelve parts. Compare e.g. Whirlwind by Transatlantic. The tracks follow each other seamlessly. However, the suggested singularity in the composition doesn't make my own reception any better. To me this is just a tiresome metal album containing more or less similar sounding tracks, mostly devoid of calmer moments to widen up the artistic dynamics. Even a prog metal fan may be disappointed by a secondary or minimal role of keyboards (played by a non-member).

The best tracks for me are 'Tähtilaivan kapteeni' (= The captain of starship) and 'Quanta', but even they fail to impress me deeper. If you want to concentrate on the proggiest CMX, I rather recommend the double set Dinosaurus Stereophonicus (2000) that genuinely contains a lot of sonic and emotional variety and distinctive highlights. Talvikuningas is primarily for the metal oriented listeners.

Latest members reviews

4 stars CMX are a Finnish rock band with hardcore punk roots, nowadays balancing between mainstream and alternative with prog influences coming forth every now and then. The band started in 1985 and Talvikuningas is their 12th album, released in 2007. It's also their most progressive I think. Talvikunin ... (read more)

Report this review (#2376110) | Posted by Hiram | Saturday, May 2, 2020 | Review Permanlink

4 stars When the myths have lost their meaning, new ones must be written. Whether it was this that CMX set out to do on their twelfth studio album or whether they merely wanted to have some fun with some science fiction themes, Talvikuningas ('The Winter King') is a respectably daring and fresh effort fr ... (read more)

Report this review (#284452) | Posted by Vompatti | Tuesday, June 1, 2010 | Review Permanlink

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