Loppuun ajettu

Timo Rautiainen's second solo album is an interesting misfire. Known for his raw, old-school heavy metal sound, Rautiainen attempts to broaden his scope with Loppuun Ajettu by adding blues, folk, and even a chunk of rap into the mix. Where the album fails is in his indecision whether to go out on a limb or to stick with his back catalog of tried and true Sabbath-riffing. The titular opener sounds like a sludge-metal Guns N' Roses fronted by a rather bored singer. This may be the point, but it makes for an uninteresting listening experience. The riffs aren't catchy enough, nor is the noise loud enough, to disguise the lack of hooks. Yet when the band goes for broke — as when the acoustic folk-instrumental "Kylätie" ("Village Road") flows into the single-release "Outolintu" ("Strangebird") — the music is exciting and fresh while still true to Rautiainen's past efforts. Similarly, the desolate "Loputon Suo," ("Endless Swamp,") and the tragic "Veriside," ("Blood Ties") offer juxtapositions of crisp acoustic folk elements against the droning metal to improve the record substantially. At points it's a joy to listen to despite the mostly dark subject matter. Lyrically the album is strong, and the continued participation of co-writer, Jarkko Martikainen (from the band Y.U.P.), adds to the variety. Rautiainen touches on subjects close to his heart, from ecological concerns to dysfunctional families. Despite a few reservations, you'll want the album to last longer than its 35-minute total. The most frustrating aspect to Loppuun Ajettu is the constant suggestion of a great record hiding within a sonically average album underlining just how close it comes to scoring a bull's eye. Rautiainen needs to push forward to new pastures and complete his metamorphosis.