Luckily I don't even have to bother to do topics of my favorite bands as we have our Ragehead91 for it. Now, I'm a huge fan, I could say! ^^
I love the fact how they've slidden away from power metal all the time, finding their own style, which undeniably really is something new. Heavy/groove/power... I don't know what it is, but it sounds rusty, not in a bad way. Dirty. The name for the new record is perfect!
Evolution 4.0 had its completely own sound, and according to the new songs Star and I Almighty I've listened to a lot of times via Spotify, this sound pretty much remains. According to these two new songs, the style isn't changing too much anymore. Although I've heard from a reviewer, who has the promo version, that it will be even more groovy and dirty and heavy than before. That's NOT bad news! I really loved Evolution 4.0 and its originality, and I'd hope they can achieve something as great with Dirt Metal. Even though I don't believe they can.
Of the new songs, Star was mediocre, kinda bad, actually, I found no common thread on that song, it was a bit splintery. I didn't like I Almighty at first, either, but now it would make to Evolution 4.0 with ease. It reminds me of the songs The Source, Solid Ground, 10,000 Ways and Down with Me a little, and the kind of slow ending after yet another short and catchy, personal Laurenne guitar solo we didn't hear on Evolution at all, except on some slow parts on Down with Me and on the Forevermore Eurovision qualifying semi finals edit.
What I thought was absolutely the worst thing on the album, the absence of the singer Pasi Rantanen and keyboardist Kari Tornack, won't be that bad after all. I never liked Rick Altzi as he was a wannabe replacer of Oliver Hartmann in At Vance, as a singer such as Olli can't possibly be replaced, and the fact that apparently Altzi was in the stealing process of the song "Shiver" from a Finnish band a few years back. But, after listening to expecially I Almighty a couple of times, and seeing some recording video footage on Thunderstone.org, turns out he has a really ballsy and powerful heavy metal voice after all. And I mean Patrik Johansson / Jorn Lande-esque strong. Maybe even stronger than Pasi himself, although never that personal (good)!
Those Scandinavian guys just tend to have those awesome vocalists... also there are of course Hansi Kürsch and our own Marco Hietala as well.
As for the new keyboardist, Jukka Karinen, I don't know the guy yet. I just fear he developes a similar style to Tornack's. Tornack wasn't the best (as in quickest ;I) keyboardist there was, but he replaced that speed with his personal, pleasant solos heard especially on the album The Burning. The solos of Evil Within might still be his quickest and possibly best performance ever, though... if Jens didn't play them or something.
Can't bother to look at the credits for that. Anyway, I hope that Karinen guy manages to bring something new to the band still, although they are unique enough even if he can't.
The Burning > Evolution 4.0 > Tools of Destruction / Thunderstone
It's good though. Time will tell more. >: D I can't really say anything else about it but I was surprised how easy it was to listen. I had problems with I Almighty and Star already in the beginning - maybe they let me understand the rest of the album once I got it though. It was clear right in the first listen that this album is a) heavy and b) angsty as fuck!