J-Man If you're a fan of old school, riff-heavy, and kick-ass thrash metal, Tornado is one of the few bands out there on the scene today who manages to deliver the goods just as terrifically as the pioneers from the eighties. Even though this young act seemingly came out of nowhere, the music on Amsterdamn, Hellsinki shows that they mean business - and by business, I mean some of the most impressive thrash metal you'll hear all year! Tornado may not offer a whole lot in the way of innovation on this debut, but the sheer strength and energy of the songs is more than enough to compensate for that. Fans of thrash metal on the more upbeat and energetic side should be sure to get Amsterdamn, Hellsinki in their collections as soon as possible!

The music here is rather upbeat old school thrash metal with obvious influences from the likes of Forbidden, Artillery, Megadeth, and Anthrax. Tornado may wear their influences proudly on their sleeves, but the music here does sound new and fresh and I wouldn't ever label Amsterdamn, Hellsinki as a mere cloning exercise. The heavy and occasionally technical riffs are always top-of-the-line, and the rock-styled vocals are packed with power and emotion. Tornado deliver an extremely inspired performance here, and every riff breathes of power and raw aggression. Factor in the top-notch musicianship and the highly professional production, and you have an all-around musical success!

One of the things I actually found most interesting about Amsterdamn, Hellsinki was the lyrical content. The politically-charged lyrics about pedophilia within the Catholic church, global warming, freedom, and oppression are always extremely interesting, and the occasional dashes of sexual humor and profanity assure the listener that Tornado are still having fun in the long run. Whether or not you agree with the political agenda portrayed in the lyrics is almost irrelevant - Tornado's seamless combination of anger, intelligence, and humor makes this an excellent lyrical journey for nearly every listener.

Amsterdamn, Hellsinki may not be the most appealing album for those looking for a true act of innovation within the thrash metal scene, but it's an essential purchase for any fan of eighties' thrash metal with modern production values. It's rare that I'm left this impressed after hearing a thrash metal album these days, and I have to admit that Tornado are one of the most impressive acts on the scene right now. I'll be very curious to hear where these guys head in the future, and this terrific debut fully deserves 4 stars in my book. Don't let this kick-ass slab of old school thrash metal slip under your radar!

Time Signature A bold statement...

Genre: thrash metal

History has shown us that good thrash metal kicks ass.

This is thrash metal.

It is good.

And it kicks ass.

We are dealing with powerful and energetic thrash metal along the lines of Forbidden and Artillery with a hint of Exodus-influence, which means a blend of uptempo semi-technical thrash metal with loads of moshing-friendly midtempo passages, so you can really thrash out in your living room.

I really like how Tornado manage to successfully draw on a lot of the best things that the thrash metal genres has had to offer since its birth in the mid 80s. And a lot of this success obviously owes to them being very skilled musicians who executed every single guitar stroke and drum beat with impeccable precision.

Like Forbidden, Death Angel, Anthrax and post-"B.A.C.K." Artillery, Tornado make use of clean and more rock-ish vocals rather than the gruff, yelled and harsh vocals that are popular within the genre, and, just as with the above-mentioned bands, the combination of sung rock vocals and aggressive thrash music works brilliantly.

The lyrics deal with relevant serious socio-political issues such as the revolution in North Arfica, pedophilia in the Calothic church, racism, oppression, social injustice, the climate crisis and man's strife for freedom - and, lyrically, Tornado may be compared to the likes of Nuclear Assault and Sacred Reich. However, there is a general tongue-in-cheek feel to the way that Tornado approach things, and there is also a good dose of Anthrax-like humor in tracks like 'Diva' and 'A Bold Statement', as well as the album title itself.

Now, I've made a lot of references and comparisons to legendary thrash metal bands. Does that mean that I think that Tornado are just a bunch of rip-offs? No. I bring up these bands, because Tornado are at the same level of greatness as these legends; yes, "Amsterdamn, Hellsinki" is that good.