Human Temple
Halfway to Heartache

I am not an architect or construction technician at all, but I thought temples were better constructed when built by stones or bricks or something rather than humans. Well, at least a human temple should be quite environmental friendly…

Human Temple play some sort of AOR-inspired power metal that takes my thoughts to some sort of cross-breeding between these different kinds of melodic rock that normally doesn't really work extremely well together. And because of the difference between the genres it appears a quite apparent contrasts when some of the songs leans more towards one of the genres and you compare them to those leaning the other way. They go from great traditional AOR-songs like Bleeding Through and Run Away to quite hefty power metal tunes like the opening I Will Follow and Misery which both comes with keyboards, fast guitars and a quite orotund sound. Then there are quite a few songs with a sound between that as well but when it goes to the most extreme AOR or power metal directions I spend a few moments thinking about the songwriting. Either it comes from two separate heads that wants different things with one leaning towards the glam and AOR sound of the 80's and the other towards power metal, otherwise it's just schizophrenic for some other reason. Either way with this third album the cleavage is more apparent than ever.

I remember 'Insomnia' quite well from the printed days of Hallowed and that I liked it but after that album the Finns more or less completely disappeared until returning two years ago with their second album after six years in limbo and members coming and going. This third album is released a lot faster but it's no over hasted release but and album that sounds really elaborate. The production is great with a sound as clear as a well-polished diamond and the mixing and mastering is top of the line making all the instruments shine without packing it all up to a nice bundle of headache. I also think every musician is given space for his own time to show off in almost every song but the songs are still very well-written and well made and they all play through with a great natural flow and all of them has these super strong choruses. For anyone that is like me and likes both AOR and power metal, this is nothing but a 50 minute long musical gift from this human temple. I don't know why I sound so surprised over that - they are Finnish, aren't they? Of course they're great!

The album has two ballads, the power ballad Our World Our Time and the concluding She talks to Angels which sounds quite close to a typical Eurovision Song Contest ballad. Still it is in the 50/50 mixed AOR/Power metal tunes that Human Temple present themselves the best. I'm absolutelly blown away by the Fleetwod Mac-cover Little Lies and Some Things Are Never Long Time Ago but it's not just those songs that takes me completely into their power. I think this whole album is great and well-made melodic hard rock from beginning to end. If there's one thing I have a hard time swallowing it's this big contrast of AOR and power metal but that's really something of a "nothing issue". To get these great song not to get completely stuck inside your head - that's a bigger issue. But not really a negative one, though.

If I'm entirely truthful I never really feel that this album is close to touch the six H score (or the seven, of course) but that's not something that imply that I don't find this album fantastic simply because of that. I think this is, without a shadow of doubt, the best album of 2012 so far and I'm pretty sure I'll play this album quite a lot in the future. But with grades it's something else because I'm not so sure that you will be as blow away by this as I am if you're not as much into this kind(s) of music as I am. If you're not a fan of power metal or more powerful AOR. But it's still a great album and if you like me are a fan of the genre here's one of the best advices you'll ever get: Buy this album!