GANDALF
"Rock
Hell" (Earache/Wicked World; 2001)
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
What happens when you combine the lethal strains of melodic death metal
with classic riffing of hard rock? You'd get Gandalf's "Rock Hell" and you'd probably call it 'death
rock.' Gandalf remind me of a cross between In Flames and AC/DC; while this description may not be accurate
for every single song it does a great job getting across the basic idea of Gandalf's sound. Gandalf hail from
the fertile musical grounds of Finland.
The aggressive vocals are straight from the Swedish school of melodic death metal growling. The
music is fairly straightforward with the focus on riff-oriented material that is somewhat simple yet
memorable. "Human Value Zero" and "Geysir" are a good tracks that showcase the
band's strength in mid-paced rockers that have texture and substance. "Live To Suffer" perfectly combines the
styles of In Flames and AC/DC in a weird but effective alchemy. The songs tend to be a bit long for
my tastes as far as hard rock goes as most tracks exceed four minutes in length. However, there are
plenty of catchy hooks and great hooks despite the songs' fairly traditional song structures.
Gandalf bridge the gap between hard rock and melodic death metal in a
way I've not yet heard before. "Rock Hell" would be a good starting point for fans of heavy metal who haven't quite
gathered the strength to listen to In Flames or Gardenian on a regular basis.
Gandalf is Jari Hurskainen on vocals, Timo Nyberg on guitars, Kimmo Aroluoma on bass, and Nalle
Osterman on drums.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2001 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised:
18 Nov 2024 12:24:00 -0500.
