STALA & SO. – Stala & SO. (2015)
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We already featured here previous works from Finnish rockers STALA & SO., and now the band is back with a new album on Escape Music, this time self-titled, “STALA & SO. 2015“.
After listening this new 10-track CD it prompts a question ; how did founder, bandleader, and vocalist Stala (aka Sampsa Astala) ever become a member of Lordi, the goofy monster rock band?
His true calling is definitely classic Melodic Hard Rock.
Perhaps somewhat heavier than the previous disc Play Another Round, this album still delivers more of Stala & So’s AOR, accessible and catchy, melodic hard rock. In this sense, all the good stuff remains intact.
An abundance of melody and harmony, much of the latter coming from twin guitars. Lively and catchy rock groove from the bass and drums. Severely catchy riffs and sweet refrains. Big guitar solos, a must of course.
And rounding it out, Stala’s melodic and effervescent vocals seem to naturally lead every song.
At the start ‘I Need More’, ‘When The Night Falls’ and ‘Headlong’ pull the aforementioned elements together, and bust out with a near melodic metallic edge. Equally so are ‘Living For Today’ and ‘The Girl With The Guilty Eyes’. The latter demonstrates how easily Stala & So spin the AOR accessibility into the hard rock, again and notable in the vocal arrangement and refrain.
But the band can dial it back, tame things down, for more strict AOR melodic rock. It definitely comes with ‘I Can See It In Your Eyes’, ‘You Don’t Mind’, and ‘Goodbye’, all blurring the lines between anthems and ballads. Perhaps ‘Goodbye’ leans more to the latter, while ‘You Don’t Mind’ has mild touch of that Westcoast AOR vibe, especially when the guitar lightens or when all the instrumentation drops down for Stala’s vocals.
All in all, “Stala & So” is pretty darn terrific melodic hard rock, all fine songs with no filler.
It might even show up on my top-40 AOR / Melodic Hard Rock albums of the year.
Highly Recommended.
01 – I Need More
02 – When The Night Falls
03 – Headlong
04 – Now N’ Everyday
05 – I Can See It In Your Eyes
06 – Shine Out
07 – Living For Today
08 – The Girl With Guilty Eyes
09 – You Don’t Mind (Devil In Disguise)
10 – Goodbye
Stala – vocals
Nick Gore – bass
Sami J – lead guitar
Pate Vaughn – rhythm guitar
Rudy – drums
Craig Hartranft – words
BUY IT !
www.amazon.co.uk/Stala-So/dp/B010K2OAGM
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