e:vil fire hearted

Released: 24 June 2009 Label: Spinefarm

Fire Hearted is the third solo album from Sonata Arctica guitarist, Elias Viljanen, under the guise of E.vil, and is a predominantly instrumental album showing off the guitarist’s huge range of guitar playing skills.

Track two, The Last Breath of Love has the welcome vocals of Nightwish’s Marco Hietala who does a glorious job, his superbly strong voice soaring on this classic rock track with a spine tingling catchy melody in the chorus. It even includes a great key change at the end in true 80s style.

Track three is much more aggressive with almost thrash drums coming in followed by squealing metal guitars for another instrumental, followed by Kiss of Rain, the only other track on this album with added vocals, this time from Sonata’s singer Tony Kakko. Whilst maybe not as immediately as catchy as the Hietala track, it’s still a top notch classic rock track.

The next few tracks explore different styles, the more melodic classic rock tempo of Head Up High, to the more manic and almost country feel on Up to Speed. One Tonight is the album’s “ballad”. Saying this guitar instrument has a guitar solo probably sounds insane, but that’s how it feels! Showstopper goes back to a classic metal style, before the album finishes with a lovely relaxing funky bluesy track.

Throughout the album there is total variety of style and effects and sounds, using the guitar almost as a vocal, but it all fits together. You never know what is coming next and it’s captivating and entertaining. Like Apocalyptica, you wonder how just using one instrument and very few vocals can hold your attention. But as Apocalyptica manage to capture that something special through cellos, Viljanen manages to use a guitar so creatively that he keeps your attention through this whole album.

As well as guest vocalists Hietala and Kakko, also appearing on the album are Jari Kainulainen on bass (Evergrey, ex-Stratovarius), Mikko Siren on drums (Apocalyptica) and Henrik Klingenberg on keyboards (Sonata Arctica). Along with the impressive guitar skills and intricate compositions of Viljanen it all adds up to a wonderful listen.

by Lynn Wyeth