TINKICKER

Tinkicker is a band hard to pin down in terms of genre definitions, and on this occasion they reside on the borders between traditional heavy metal, early doom metal and progressive metal. And while fans of the latter genre might find this CD to be appealing, I would imagine the band's core audience this time around being older metal fans, who have a taste for the more advanced bands of that kind ? alongside those who enjoy acts such as Candlemass, Cathedral and - obviously - Black Sabbath.

With a wide range of influences from the world of hard rock and heavy metal, Tinkicker have produced an album very much in the old school style, with few major influences to the sound hailing from after the 80's. They are fond of using acoustic guitar licks as the main melody provider, often with drawn out fuzz guitar chords adding nerve as well as texture to the composition.

One aspect that sets this album apart is that it is a purebred concept album, with a well planned storyline divided into 16 interlocking parts; all tunes connect to each other through melodic segments or sounds.

The downside to this release is threefold: The songs lacks that little extra to stand out, the sound and production leaves a bit to be desired, and the overall sound and style have been explored extensively by other bands for a few decades now.

Still, it's not a bad release, and if you fancy a concept album mixing old school had rock and metal this one might be considered.