Finnish Guitar Heroes album

[Iced Dog]

www.guitarheroes.fi

11 of the most respected and talented Finnish heavy metal guitarists
gathered together into the studio to record a killer album for everyone who
loves virtuous playing and guitar solos from outer space.
With internationally acclaimed shredders like Alexi Laiho and Roope Latvala
(Children of Bodom), Timo Tolkki (Stratovarius) and Emppu Vuorinen
(Nightwish) showing their skills, the album will certainly attract every
metal fan and guitar enthusiastic all around the globe.

All of the 11 players composed a new, instrumental song for this album and
for this album only. On top of that, there's one "battle song" where each
fastfinger has a solo spot to show off his skills. Even though the album is
based on heavy metal and hard rock, it is quite amazing to notice how many
different styles are represented, and how much the songs differ from each
other. Every single guitar player was free to express his creativity with no
limitations. You can really hear it on the tracks how much fun guitar
playing can be when freedom of creativity and virtuosity are taken to the
highest level.

Finland has a long history in heavy metal and it is often considered as one
of the leading metal countries in the world with bands like e.g. CoB,
Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica, Nightwish and HIM. There has been a strong
unity among the metal bands since the mid 80´s and many of the guitar
players here asked the same question: "Why hasn't anyone thought of this
before?"

GUITAR HEROES will be released in Finland on Nov. 7th 2007 by SONY BMG MUSIC
ENTERTAINMENT (FINLAND) OY.

Guitar players appearing on the album are:

Timo Tolkki, Stratovarius
Alexi Laiho, Children of Bodom
Roope Latvala, Children of Bodom
Emppu Vuorinen, Nightwish
Esa Holopainen, Amorphis
Nino Laurenne, Thunderstone
Mr Crab, Bleak
Mikko Salovaara, Kiuas
Tuomo Louhio, Impaled Nazarene
Sakari Hietala, Tarot
Euge Valovirta, Godsplague

Other musicians appearing on this special album are also well known metal
aficionados e.g. Lauri Porra, bass (Stratovarius, Kotipelto), Kai Hahto,
drums (Wintersun, Rotten Sound), Janne Parviainen, drums (Ensiferum,
Sinergy) and Mirka Rantanen, drums (Thunderstone).

[DemonXeno]

sweeeet...

[Tramz]

This will definitely be one to check out. Some guitarists can't fully flex their playing ability in their bands, hopefully they will be able to push it to the limits on this album.

[seraph7]

This sounds way cool. Hope I'll be able to pick up a copy eventually. I still think they needed to have Jari Maenpaa on it but I suppose if he's still slaving over the new Wintersun....
It's also sweet to see Roope Latvala and Emppu get to cut loose and show off their chops. I really don't think he get enough chances to show how talented he is.

[Tramz]

After waiting for this album to become available since i first heard about it a month ago, i finally nabbed a copy tonight and i am listening to it as i type this. So far i'm absolutely enjoying it. Right off the bat you are amazed by "12 Donkeys"; a song which shows off the guitar skills of everyone involved. After that, it is a true tour de force of talented musicians that most of us are familiar will with (see Iced Dog's post above for the details).

The Emppu track (track 5, Ulterior Motive) isn't quite what i expected, having something of an acoustic, middle-eastern aesthetic (i haven't decided if the flavor has more of an Arabian or Persian feel, but you get the idea). Still, i think it's really good stuff and not to be missed. If there is one song i am not wild about, it would be "Hellbilly". It sounds exactly as the name implies. However, the album quickly becomes enjoyable once again and remains so straight through to the end (even if "God Will Send Her Angels" is a bit safe and boring, it still serves as an enjoyable epilogue or outro).

Also included is a second cd which gives you all of the tracks of the album, sans the lead guitar. So you have the rhythm guitar, bass and drums there. A great gift for all of you guitarists out there who might care to load it up and add your own shred to the mix.

We've had some discussions here at the OSA about the nature of music fans around the world, and the fact the in many (though not all) places, they've been trained to view the vocalist as both the focal point of the band and the only thing that matters. It's especially nice to see an album like this not only see the light of day, but succeed on an artistic level (and hopefully a commercial one as well) to remind everyone out there that our music, especially our kind of music, is about so much more than just a vocalist.

[seraph7]

Where did you get? I want it!

*tries not to get too jealous and fails*

[Tramz]

I have my ways! MuAhaHAhAhAha.