Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

Reviewed By David Pearce

Artist – Sami Anttila
Album – Moment of Clarity
Label – Unsigned
Year – 2012

Track Listing

1. Divide
2. Light Disappears
3. Lost
4. Dead Gone
5. Horror Defined
6. The Day You Return
7. New Beginning (ft Aga Williams)
8. We Stand Alone
9. On The Edge Of Sanity

Sami Anttila is a Finnish solo artist and a producer. He has been releasing music as a solo artist since 2002. First demos were guitar instrumentals following the footsteps of known solo guitarists. Learning different vocal techniques made it possible to expand his range beyond instrumental music. After releasing several singles, demos and EP’s Sami released his debut album. The album consists of five new tracks and remakes of the previously released songs. Writing, recording and mixing of the album was a long process. At one point it seemed that the release would never be finished due to heavy external workload. But after a short break the recordings were finally finished in few sessions and material was ready for the editing.

The first song on the album is Divide starts off straight away with some harsh vocals and some really good heavy guitar riffs, pounding drumbeats and some good shredding solo’s aswell. It is a real good song to start the album with. The second song on the album is Light Disappears is starts off with a cracking riff then the vocals come in heavy and harsh but it goes so well with the music. The song again is full of heavy riffs, pounding drums also in this song the vocals near the middle change to clean vocals then back to the harsh which gives it a different edge to it but goes very well. The next two songs are Lost and Dead Gone, the first song of these two has an intro similar to a band called Chemicals Of Democracy but then it all changes into Sami’s own style but it is very hard to get something that sounds original nowadays. But this song is really good a mixture of clean and harsh vocals that with the cracking riffs and the heavy drumbeats makes it a cracking song. Dead Gone starts off with a real pounding drumbeat in which it continues through most of the song but this is another real good heavy song. The fifth song on the album is Horror Defined, starts off with the drums then breaks into a heavy guitar riff and the harsh vocals, the intensity of the song is awesome. If this don’t get your head banging there is something-wrong cause this is just top-drawer musicianship. The next two songs are The Day You Return and New Beginning (ft Aga Williams) these songs are just brilliant full of what you need from a heavy album good guitar work, harsh and clean vocals, pounding drums and some stunning solos. New Beginning feat Aga Williams which is another really good song with a bit of techno style at the start and near to the end to it but it went very well with the rest of the song. The harsh vocals are really good, the solo on this was hit perfectly and it had the same intensity as all of the other songs on the album. The eighth song on the album is We Stand Alone, starts off with the drums then the harsh vocals come in over them which continue the same sort of beat through the song with a few changes along the way. The vocal change between being harsh and clean, which goes really well also the guitar, is again done to the highest standard throughout. The last song on the album is On The Edge Of Sanity, starts off with a clean guitar riff that then breaks into a heavier riff then the harsh vocals come in but keeping the same sort intensity that has been keeping this album going from the start. The song is a great ending to the album from which I have been amazed by.

Overall
This is an absolute stunning album for Sami to do this all on his own is amazing. I must say this is an album that would fit into anyone’s music collection. It is full high intensity guitar work, pounding drums and harsh and clean vocals. For one man to do this album for me is amazing the musicianship to get this altogether is brilliant. This is an album that would climb the metal charts quite easily and for him to do it on his own puts him in a league of his own in my eyes. He is up there with the like of the great solo artists in the industry and long may it continue.

8/10

http://www.youtube.com/samianttila