VELVET THUNDER

Shadow Tribe’ is a new Finnish power metal band put together by the well established bass player Marko Pukkila (Altaria, Stargazery) and vocalist Kimmo Perämäk (ex-‘Celesty’, ‘Spiritus Mortis’, ‘Masquerage’) with guitarist ‘Simo Pirttimaa’ and drummer ‘Petri Heinonen’ (‘King Satan’) coming in to complete the team. ‘Reality Unveiled’ is an album two years in the making and is the band’s debut release and is everything that you would want or expect from a European power metal record.

The vocals of Kimmo Perämäk are soaring and powerful and he is a singer just so at ease with his delivery and his confidence seems to blast out of the speakers. The choice of  Simo Pirttimaa is inspirational as he is a guitarist who riffs and solos with the best of them and is central to the bands heavy but melodic delivery and it seems he came into Shadow Tribe from a Pink Floyd tribute band so his guitar work is therefore sweeping, epic, crisp and oh so sweet. Indeed, the band is as much classic rock as it is power metal with an abundance of hook laden songs and glorious vocal arrangements and a special emphasis on harmony but not at the expense of power by any means. There are plentiful keyboards and synth work to enjoy too but this is not credited yet is so very integral to the band and helps give them a flavour of the likes of Stargazery and also the wonderful Freedom Call.

The songs are perfectly written and delivered with flair and inventiveness and will appeal to all rock fans as it is an album of very broad appeal. The album was produced by the band and was mixed and mastered by singer Kimmo Perämäki and he also did the same with the recent Stargazery album Constellation so it is no real surprise that there is a hint of  Stargazery about this album and that is a very much a positive as they are a truly great power metal band too.

I look forward to hearing more from this new band as it seems they have much to offer to the rock world with their superior brand of metal.