Review Summary: A solid outing, but lacking in surprises. Maailma Tarvitsee Sankareita follows the same basic formula as its predecessors, and is better or worse for it.
Maailma Tarvitsee Sankareita. The World Needs Heroes. And Terasbetoni intends to be those heroes.
For the uninitiated, Terasbetoni is a power metal outfit hailing from Finland. However, you wont be finding any keyboards or screeching vocals like you might find on many other power metal albums. Don't get me wrong, singer Jarkko Ahola has incredible range, and uses it, but the main characteristic to his voice is power, not pitch. And that's good, because this album, like all others before it, is composed of anthems and power ballads. Because that's what Terasbetoni does.
Now, full disclosure: If you didn't like the previous albums, you probably won't like this one. You should still give it a listen, but let's be honest, not too much has changed. Also, everything is sung in Finnish. Because that's what Terasbetoni does.
The first half of the album is good, but... spotty. The opener and title track ('Myrsky nousee' and 'Maailma tarvitsee sankareita' respectively) are both okay, but feel somehow lacking. 'Maailma tarvitsee sankareita', in particular, seems to building momentum towards something it never achieves, and is one of the great tragedies of the album. However, the let downs are carried by the interspersed 'Metalliolut', 'Jumalten Usva', and 'Mies'. The latter two are reminiscent of the material on
Myrstkyntuoja, fast and forceful. However, the real standout is 'Metalliolut'. It's really just a great song. It's fast paced and, most importantly, fun. The guitar work is particularly catchy, and the song really showcases Jarkko Ahola's vocal capabilities. This is one song I'd check out even if you're not a fan of Terasbetoni's work.
Unfortunately, the album hits a brick wall with 'Uudestisyntynyt'. It's slow and boring. So boring in fact, that it made me stop listening on my first few attempts. Is it bad? No, not particularly. It's just a
huge bummer of a song.
Fortunately, 'Thanatos' is exactly the kick in the pants the album needs. It's picks up the pace significantly and has the kind of chorus you want to sing along with, but can't because it's all in Finnish. It's exactly the kind of song you want from Terasbetoni. The next song, 'Konstantinopoli', is appropriately near eastern tinged. It also happens to be one of the other standouts on the album. The song really shows off Jarkko Ahola's voice, and the guitar work is interesting, albeit relatively simple. It's also not really what I would call an anthem, and brings some much needed variety to the album. 'Eteenpäin' is a very solid song, and were it placed somewhere else on the album, would be more notable. As is, it's slightly forgettable. The album closes with 'Gloria', a ballad. Terasbetoni's ballads tend to be pretty hit an miss, but this one is definitely a hit for me. Arto Järvinen sings lead this time, and the song benefits from it. He brings a certain solemnity Jarkko hasn't really shown yet. Although the song drags a bit at the middle, it's ultimately a really beautiful song.
Overall, the musicianship is good. It's not particularly technical or complicated, but I've never believed that more complicated is better. The music sounds good and is well produced. However, it is undeniable that the album is carried by the vocal prowess of Jarkko Ahola. He's really just a pleasure to listen to. It's also true that the music is not particularly daring. Terasbetoni know what they like to do and do it. I suspect some listeners will find the album repetitive, but I didn't personally.
Ultimately, Maailma Tarvitsee Sankareita is solid album. Although the album begins shakily, it ends on a really strong note. I just feel like the album could have used a more critical eye. One that would have just cut 'Uudestisyntynyt', really, is all I'm asking for.
