Heavy Metal Perse's songs are generally very melodic, which is certainly a good thing. If that is what the listener is looking forward to, the first nine seconds of the first track, Paha Paavo, might make one's heart skip a few beats. What is this, thrash metal? Have no fear, after the initial shock it turns out to be the same familiar HMP. Paha Paavo is a very catchy song, with particularly hilarious lyrics, and its theme bears some resemblance to their older song Pahaksi Parkittu Lalli. It's an energetic way to open an album, a good choice despite the first seconds.
Although Heavy Metal Perse stands out from its peers in many ways, one of the most remarkable feature is their lyrics. The songs on the new album have just as brilliant lyrics as their older ones do. They can barely be overly praised; it is just a pity that the non-Finnish-speaking audience cannot understand the ingenious choices of words. Most of the praise goes to the main lyricist and drummer Heikki Romppainen, who has said – contrary to my initial expectations – that his lyrical themes are not derived from role play games or fantasy books. However, they tell interesting stories, they use the Finnish language in intriguing ways and every now and then they are so good they just make you laugh. But in spite of being occasionally very funny, they are not cheesy or ridiculous. Each track on the new album has strong and refined lyrics and it would be difficult to raise one above the others based on these merits.
And the melodies, well, they are also strong and enjoyable. Honest and melodic heavy metal. Vainolaista vastaan is an interesting track with its few a cappella lines, making it sound like a drinking song in a good way. Hornan koje is attractive because of its strategically placed pauses and a sharp ending to its choruses. And Matias Palm's boyish yet still slightly rough voice fits HMP's songs in such an excellent way and is a pleasure to listen to.
The last three tracks of the album are Viimeisen sillan taistelu, Vanhus ja meri and Vesikeuhko. The very last one is a cover version of Jethro Tull's song Aqualung, and it's quite a weird track on a Heavy Metal Perse album. Well, perhaps it is in the right place being the last track as it seems a bit separate from the rest of the material. In a way it sounds quite true to the original song, in a way it does sound a bit like HMP... But perhaps not enough. Personally, I'm picky – of course the translation is something already, but I find cover songs more interesting if they differ a lot from the original. And even though the song is not actually bad, it is something yours truly doesn't feel like listening when in need of some heavy metal. And when it comes to the last two original HMP tracks, I think they could have been swapped over: even though Vanhus ja meri is a nice, peaceful track, it does make the album fade towards its end, especially since followed by something as dragging as Vesikeuhko. Viimeisen sillan taistelu, on the other hand, is yet another catchy track, a genuine HMP song, and it would have been a good way to end the album with a bang rather than quietly sneaking away. Besides, the name of the song translates to "the battle of the last bridge".
Despite the slightly fading ending, Aikakirjat is a very good and strong album – at least as good as the previous one. One could expect bands to always exceed the expectations set by the previous release, though it does not happen too often. Heavy Metal Perse has at least lived up to those expectations, not leaving me disappointed. Keep up the good work, guys!
You can listen to the album on Spotify. See also HMP's Myspace and their website www.heavymetalperse.com
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