Tracklist
1. Tool Of The Devil
2. Without Wings
3. Liquid Of The Kings
4. I Will Come Again
5. Welcome To The Real
6. The Last Song
7. Another Time
8. Feed The Fire
9. Weight Of The World
10. Land Of Innocence

bonus tracks:
1. Spire (acoustic radio live version)
2. Spread my wings (first demo version)

© 2005 Nuclear Blast
TT 58:54

Line-up
Pasi Rantanen (v)
Nino Laurenne (g, bv)
Kari Tornack (k)
Titus Hjelm (b, bv)
Mirka Rantanen (d)

Finnish power metal outfit Thunderstone are forging the iron while its hot. A little bit more than 1 year after the release of their critically acclaimed sophomore album "The Burning", they’re back with "Tools Of Destruction".
As much as their self-titled debut album surprised me, "The Burning" managed to impress me in all aspects. The album kept on growing on me, even after I wrote my review in these columns, and was unfortunately overlooked by many in our year-end poll of 2004. It didn’t take away much anticipation and curiosity for this new album though. Consequently, "Tools Of Destruction" made it into my CD player many times in only a couple of weeks. After that handful of spins, I must say I’m not as surprised nor impressed as with both of their previous efforts. Mastermind and guitarist Nino Laurenne and his boys – still the same line-up as on the debut by the way – haven’t changed the recipe, still focusing on power, a little speed and catchy choruses carried by the raw voice of Pasi Rantanen. But to my ears, they seemed to have had a hard time selecting an equally varied collection of songs as on "The Burning". Don’t understand me wrong: there’s high quality to be found on this disc. What to think of the powerful opener "Tool Of The Devil", the catchy anthem "Without Wings", the mid-tempo "Welcome To The Real", ballad "Another Time" and grand finale "Land Of Innocence". None of these surpasses the quality level of earlier songs of the band as "Virus", "Will To Power", "Voice In A Dream", "Until We Touch The Burning Sun", "Spire" and "Forth Into The Black" though.
"Tools Of Destruction" has become a very solid power metal album by one of the currently leading bands in the genre. Although not their best album to date, they definitely remain at the top of the league, providing their fans with quality disc after quality disc. Recommended! (SL)
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One of my favorite melodic metal bands of the moment have done it again . "Tools of destruction" is for sure the best album Thunderstone have released so far and together with Supreme Majesty and At Vance these guys are becoming leaders of the melodic metal genre at the moment .
For me personal this is a contender for a top 10 position of 2005 .
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Stijn may be right that the overall sound isn't that much different from the other albums by the band but the songs on Tools Of Destruction are wonderful non the less . This is Thunderstones best work to date and as Pompy says catchy as hell , their best to date .
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