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Kalmah - For The Revolution review



Reviewer:
8.5

445 users:
7.92
Band: Kalmah
Album: For The Revolution
Style: Melodic death metal, Extreme power metal
Release date: April 2008


01. For The Revolution
02. Dead Man's Shadow
03. Holy Symphony Of War
04. Wings Of Blackening
05. Ready For Salvation
06. Towards The Sky
07. Outremer
08. Coward
09. Like A Slave
10. Arise [Sepultura cover] [Japanese bonus]

Kalmah's new release was one of the most expected albums of 2008 for me, with the band being one of my favorites. Following The Black Waltz, an album which I like very much, For The Revolution came rather disappointing after hearing it for the first time. But with time, as I was listening to it more and more, it really grew on me, and I consider it a good piece of music worth to be called a Kalmah album.

The thing I love about Kalmah is that they are very devoted to their style on each new album, this one being no exception. They keep playing their swamp metal and don't experiment much with the sound: one can still hear the storm of fast and slow riffs, mixed with good and flexible drumming, multifunctional keyboards, Pekka's traditional growling, and on top dressed with solos, both guitar and keys. As for the lyrics, they keep talking a lot about the evils of society as well as politics, pollution, and mass media. Another very vivid lyrical theme on the record is Christianity, the direction that the band took I believe starting with "Man Of The King" from The Black Waltz. As far as this record, songs like "Wings Of Blackening" and "Ready For Salvation" are clearly Christian, with some others relating to the subject too. For instance, "Toward The Sky" expresses exasperation towards God and the title track has something to do with it as well. The album also contains two potentially great live songs, which are "For The Revolution" and "Holy Symphony Of War." The choruses on both songs are real battle calls (the latter is a bit ironic though) and would sound great with the forty-thousand-people crowd singing their part. Maybe with those two Kalmah will finally go on a big tour and make a real "swamphell" out of any venue.

Despite the steadiness in the music that this Finnish combo shows, For The Revolution gives you a feeling of listening to something new, interesting, and filled with fresh ideas here and there. Some people say this is Kalmah's worst album, and probably this is indeed not their best effort, but at least they keep making great quality albums, they don't follow the trends and they are consistent with their music. As a result, For The Revolution can be easily nominated for Extreme Power Metal album of the year, giving dust to Children Of Bodom and Norther.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 9

Written by K✞ulu | 24.07.2008




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.


Comments

Comments: 25   Visited by: 179 users
27.07.2008 - 15:34
Rating: 8
Elio
Red Nightmare
i agree man...this album in my opinion is not their best but very good though..i rate it 8.5 too...and we also think the same about holy symphonies of war...man that song will rock in gigs!!:banger2:
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IntoPlighT said: "Slipknot is 15 years old how the fuck is that Nu metal?"

BEST. QUOTE. EVER.
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27.07.2008 - 15:38
Rating: 8
K✞ulu
Seeker of Truth
Written by Elio on 27.07.2008 at 15:34

i agree man...this album in my opinion is not their best but very good though..i rate it 8.5 too...and we also think the same about holy symphonies of war...man that song will rock in gigs!!:banger2:

Gracia mille. I wish they could come to Ukraine, but that probably would never happen. They almost never tour even in Europe.
----
Savor what you feel and what you see
Things that may not seem important now
But may be tomorrow

R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner

Satan was a Backstreet Boy
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27.07.2008 - 16:21
Rating: 8
Elio
Red Nightmare
Written by K✞ulu on 27.07.2008 at 15:38

Written by Elio on 27.07.2008 at 15:34

i agree man...this album in my opinion is not their best but very good though..i rate it 8.5 too...and we also think the same about holy symphonies of war...man that song will rock in gigs!!:banger2:

Gracia mille. I wish they could come to Ukraine, but that probably would never happen. They almost never tour even in Europe.

i know i know...it's saaad
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IntoPlighT said: "Slipknot is 15 years old how the fuck is that Nu metal?"

BEST. QUOTE. EVER.
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27.07.2008 - 17:56
Sunioj

Hmm... I guess I'm one of the few that thinks that this is one of the best (if not the best) albums from Kalmah. To me, it seems that they have taken the best details from each album and placed it in one.

This is just how I want it to be, the last album didn't have as much tremelo leads and was more driven with melodeath-ish power chords and almost completely covered with low pitched growls yet this one seems to combine that for the best with their early sound imo.

I'm pretty impressed.
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27.07.2008 - 18:28
Rating: 8
Elio
Red Nightmare
Written by Sunioj on 27.07.2008 at 17:56

Hmm... I guess I'm one of the few that thinks that this is one of the best (if not the best) albums from Kalmah. To me, it seems that they have taken the best details from each album and placed it in one.

This is just how I want it to be, the last album didn't have as much tremelo leads and was more driven with melodeath-ish power chords and almost completely covered with low pitched growls yet this one seems to combine that for the best with their early sound imo.

I'm pretty impressed.


ehy man the things u say are true...infact this is maybe my 3rd favourite kalmah album...i only said this is not my fav...and 8.5 is a very high ratwe
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IntoPlighT said: "Slipknot is 15 years old how the fuck is that Nu metal?"

BEST. QUOTE. EVER.
Loading...
27.07.2008 - 18:43
Sunioj

Written by Elio on 27.07.2008 at 18:28

ehy man the things u say are true...infact this is maybe my 3rd favourite kalmah album...i only said this is not my fav...and 8.5 is a very high ratwe


Well, yeah, I wasn't doubting that mate 8.5 is damn good.

Though, I can't help but notice how the reviewer mentions that the lyrics of some of the songs indicate that the songwriters perhaps are christian. Its understandable how one can come to that conclusion, but I feel that Kalmah's songs have somewhat sarcastic lyrics when it comes to religion and politics, so it's hard to tell what they are thinking. Not that it really matters in the end... (well, depends if lyrics are that important to you )
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27.07.2008 - 22:39
Rating: 8
K✞ulu
Seeker of Truth
Written by Sunioj on 27.07.2008 at 18:43

Written by Elio on 27.07.2008 at 18:28

ehy man the things u say are true...infact this is maybe my 3rd favourite kalmah album...i only said this is not my fav...and 8.5 is a very high ratwe


Well, yeah, I wasn't doubting that mate 8.5 is damn good.

Though, I can't help but notice how the reviewer mentions that the lyrics of some of the songs indicate that the songwriters perhaps are christian. Its understandable how one can come to that conclusion, but I feel that Kalmah's songs have somewhat sarcastic lyrics when it comes to religion and politics, so it's hard to tell what they are thinking. Not that it really matters in the end... (well, depends if lyrics are that important to you )

"Wings Of Blackening" don't seem sarcastic at all... and "Man Of The King" even more than that. But actually of course one could sing about such thing with sarcasm even in their manner, so I don't know. They never mentioned anything about it.
----
Savor what you feel and what you see
Things that may not seem important now
But may be tomorrow

R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner

Satan was a Backstreet Boy
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26.08.2008 - 21:46
Rating: 7
Janne
Hugin
Which is your favourite song from the album? (Mine is Outremer)
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age]


-FOLK METAL HUNGARY-
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26.08.2008 - 22:55
Rating: 9
Jason W.
Razorbliss
I really like this album, it's got some great catchy hooks, and they get stuck in my head for hours And I agree with what you say here: "a feeling of listening to something new, interesting, and filled with fresh ideas." It's not original in the broad sense, but yet I feel like I've yet to hear anything exactly like it before, which is quite an accomplishment at any rate for metal bands.

And my favorite song: "Holy Symphony Of War"
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"After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
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27.08.2008 - 09:38
Rating: 8
K✞ulu
Seeker of Truth
Written by Janne on 26.08.2008 at 21:46

Which is your favourite song from the album? (Mine is Outremer)

Well, that's a hard pick. But it's probably the title track.
----
Savor what you feel and what you see
Things that may not seem important now
But may be tomorrow

R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner

Satan was a Backstreet Boy
Loading...
27.08.2008 - 13:07
Rating: 7
Janne
Hugin
3 votes, 3 different song. It shows how strong is this album.
----
age]


-FOLK METAL HUNGARY-
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27.08.2008 - 16:05
Rating: 8
Elio
Red Nightmare
Written by Janne on 27.08.2008 at 13:07

3 votes, 3 different song. It shows how strong is this album.


Right but here it is For the Revolution getting its 2nd vote.
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IntoPlighT said: "Slipknot is 15 years old how the fuck is that Nu metal?"

BEST. QUOTE. EVER.
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23.09.2008 - 19:34
Rating: 10
Manzo

I think its a great album. awesome new sound for kalmah
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02.11.2008 - 20:40
Rating: 5
Arcesse Eum

Why did the production drop so significantly back down from Black Waltz?
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As above, so below.
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02.11.2008 - 20:43
Rating: 8
K✞ulu
Seeker of Truth
Written by Arcesse Eum on 02.11.2008 at 20:40

Why did the production drop so significantly back down from Black Waltz?

Did it?
----
Savor what you feel and what you see
Things that may not seem important now
But may be tomorrow

R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner

Satan was a Backstreet Boy
Loading...
03.11.2008 - 01:04
Rating: 5
Arcesse Eum

Written by K✞ulu on 02.11.2008 at 20:43

Written by Arcesse Eum on 02.11.2008 at 20:40

Why did the production drop so significantly back down from Black Waltz?

Did it?


Yeh man, its way less full, the drums arent as heavy, the VST they triggered with the keyboards was infinitly better on Black Waltz -- everything about it just so much thinner.
----
As above, so below.
Loading...
03.11.2008 - 23:38
Rating: 8
K✞ulu
Seeker of Truth
Written by Arcesse Eum on 03.11.2008 at 01:04

Written by K✞ulu on 02.11.2008 at 20:43

Written by Arcesse Eum on 02.11.2008 at 20:40

Why did the production drop so significantly back down from Black Waltz?

Did it?


Yeh man, its way less full, the drums arent as heavy, the VST they triggered with the keyboards was infinitly better on Black Waltz -- everything about it just so much thinner.

I don't dig the whole VST thing, but the production is pretty solid on this album, maybe (and only maybe) a little worse here than on the Black Waltz, but I seriously would say that.
----
Savor what you feel and what you see
Things that may not seem important now
But may be tomorrow

R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner

Satan was a Backstreet Boy
Loading...
05.03.2009 - 19:34
Rating: 9
ms68

Written by Arcesse Eum on 03.11.2008 at 01:04

Written by K✞ulu on 02.11.2008 at 20:43

Written by Arcesse Eum on 02.11.2008 at 20:40

Why did the production drop so significantly back down from Black Waltz?

Did it?


Yeh man, its way less full, the drums arent as heavy, the VST they triggered with the keyboards was infinitly better on Black Waltz -- everything about it just so much thinner.

it's true the black waltz is a masterpiece and my favorite album. but for the revolution don't deserve 5.after i listened it i said like in flames, kalmah is dead too. but after listening more i rate it 9. u can find tracks like coward and outreme. these tracks aren't lesser than the black waltz's tracks. u should listen to this album more.
----
The more you eat, the more you shit
No matter what you eat, it all turns to shit
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20.06.2009 - 15:41
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
Good album.. better than ''They will return'' in my opinion. So not their worst effort to me.

My album didn't have the Sepultura cover Damn Japan
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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20.06.2009 - 16:30
Bobby_Loggins
Account deleted
Im seeing these guys at the local Metalfest in september, cant wait! Didnt know the japanese release had a cover of Arise!
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01.04.2010 - 01:04
Rating: 8
MétalNoir
Fils du Lys
Never liked this album very much... It lacks shrieking guitars and the whole sound is monotonous and repetitive. 12 Gauge rocks though, much more in the vein of their older stuff!
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Notre destinée n'est pas encore tracée....
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06.04.2010 - 18:27
Rating: 7
Janne
Hugin
Written by MétalNoir on 01.04.2010 at 01:04

Never liked this album very much... It lacks shrieking guitars and the whole sound is monotonous and repetitive. 12 Gauge rocks though, much more in the vein of their older stuff!

yeah indeed the same with me. I haven't really known what to think about this album 'til 12 gauge was released. Now I can confidently say I don't like it very much. (though 'outremer' is a kick-ass song)
----
age]


-FOLK METAL HUNGARY-
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01.03.2012 - 20:06
Oaken
Hipster
Holy Symphony Of War is kickass.
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In that case, man is only air as well.
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30.09.2016 - 20:43
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Therer are nothing to do whit swamps in this album, sorry man
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Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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01.10.2016 - 13:42
3rdWorld
China was a neat
^
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