The project is a two piece, and it brings together bass player Jussi Lehtisalo(one of the main minds behind both Circle & Pharaoh Overlord, and runner of Ektro records), and guitarist Samae Koskinen (solo artist, and live guitarist with Finish grindcore/ heavy rock band Xysma).  I’m guessing either on or the other is playing the extra drums, guitar & sparing keyboard/ piano elements on the album, with the pair sharing the mainly English sang vocal duties.  Though it  does seem in a live setting the band have a full line-up, but  I’m not sure who this conists of.

The release is available in both vinyl & CD versions, and I’m reviewing the CD version. The album features 10 tracks in all, and these run between just under the two minute twenty mark, to just under the five minute mark. The blending of different metal genre traits here is at times  a little haphazard, and a few tracks do feel just like strung together genre traits. But there are also more than a few tracks here that are rather effective, fun & fist punching/ head banging successes . A few of these coming in the form of: “Sea Of Sadness” which blends together a galloping electric & acoustic guitar 70’s occult rock vibe, clear moody spoken word vocals, twin Maiden like soloing, and epic metal ohhs that bring to mind later day Bathory. The glam bounce ‘n’ chug meets legible death metal vocals of “Bitch From Hell”; which also has a great 70’s metal guitar meets acoustic chours, and some neat melodic 80’s metal soloing.  The speed metal fist punching riffing of “Synthetic Death” with it’s NWOBHM guitar harmonics, and effective moody mid-dip that mixes together mid-paced 80’s horror movie like piano rolls ‘n’ guitar moodiness.

All told “Torches Ablaze” is an effective & creative enough blend of various metal & rock genre traits. Sure some of the tracks don’t quite pull off the metal trait mixing, and a few tracks lack memorably hooks, but on the plus side there are more than a hand full of tracks here that do work, and as debuts go this isn’t bad & it certainty shows promise for the future.