VON HERTZEN BROTHERS – War Is Over (2017)

Tomorrow is the release day of the brand new studio album “War Is Over” from the award winning cinematic Finnish rockers VON HERTZEN BROTHERS. To be honest, I didn’t liked much the combo’s previous work, but this new album is something different.

Mixing light prog-rock, power pop and modern rock, resulting into an elaborated material but very accessible at the same time. All tracks have a ‘song format’ and classic instrumentation.
“War Is Over” is much more ambitious than the previous Von Hertzen Brothers works, and that’s why now I like the band.

It begins with a statement of intent. The title track is the only ‘long’ song on the album, the kind of composition you place at the end. It is almost as if it is the soundtrack to some imaginary film in their heads, as it appears as though the credits are going up for the last two minutes.
A truly astonishing opening song, it is followed up with ‘The End Of The World’ an absolutely mighty bass infused groover of a thing, in which the returning Sami Kuoppamäki distinguishes himself on drums (the kit is the only thing the brothers don’t play here).

‘The Arsonist’ shows the brothers at their most harmonic, and it is a real twisted journey, a song designed for being the radio single, fine but the less interesting song on the album. “Jerusalem” is built on a tide of keyboards that sweeps in, together with a stadium shaking rumble.
Trying to describe the VHB sound is an incredibly tough challenge. But if you could sum “War Is Over” up in one song, it would be ‘Frozen Butterflies’. Just over four minutes long, it has no right to cram in as much as it does, even down to the twin guitar solo it possesses.

‘Blindsight’ is basically a guitar-driven rocker, but then ‘Long Lost Sailor’ is merely proof that the band can do whatever it wants. Perhaps the simplest song here, with a catchy hook, it is nonetheless an electro rocker with one eye on the dancefloor.
A band as confident and daring as this one, doesn’t usually have words like “fragile” and “hesitant” used about their music. ‘Wanderlust’ is absolutely gorgeous and thoroughly deserves both, while ‘Before The Storm’ in many ways brings things back full circle. An epic rocker, just like the opener, it has a military drumbeat and repeats the phrase “War Is Over” as if in hope.

On “War Is Over” the Von Hertzen Brothers demonstrates they understand their craft perfectly. Where on previous works I found futile prog now there’s substance, and insipid poppy / modern rock sound are now replaced by strong, solid songwriting.
An album with as many moving parts as this perhaps shouldn’t work, an yet absolutely does.
Von Hertzen Brothers are different, and are quite good for sure.

01. War Is Over
02. To The End Of The World
03. The Arsonist
04. Jerusalem
05. Frozen Butterflies
06. Who Are You?
07. Blindsight
08. Long Lost Sailor
09. Wanderlust
10. Beyond The Storm

Mikko von Hertzen – vocals, guitar
Kie von Hertzen – guitar, vocals
Jonne von Hertzen – bass, vocals
Juha Kuoppala – keyboards
Mikko Kaakkuriniemi – drums

PRE ORDER:
www.amazon.de/War-Over-Von-Hertzen-Brothers/dp/B075JBR32S
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