After the first half of the 90's, when attention in Metal were focused on the axis Sweden-USA-UK, things started to become extremely hot in Finland, when a lot of bands started a raid and conquest fans throughout the world, showing the strength of Finnish Metal scene to everyone. Today, Sweden and Finland are the greater names on European scene, and it's not a mere coincidence, because both countries are always giving birth to excellent names. One of them is the Finnish quintet ROKETS, from Helsinki to the world with "Break Free", the band's second album. The band follows a Rock 'n' Roll trend near Hard Rock, with an abrasive energy and many frantic rooks that will earn them a lot of attention, of course. Ok, they're not rediscovering fire or reinventing the steel, but their musical work is really organic and full of life and energy.

Sometimes they sound accessible, based on charming melodies (they're the right band for radio stations), other moments more frantic and aggressive (with sharp and nasty guitars), but always fascinating and exciting for the fans. Yes, these guys are really great, delivering a great set of songs "Break Free" was mixed by Robert Pehrsson at Studio Humbucker, who did the right thing: looked for a massive and organic sound quality without endless digital editions, like they just entered the studio, set the gears and played. It means that the organic feeling is presented, but with a care enabled by modern technologies. And be careful, because it bites!

Their music is really hard to resist to, because it sounds uncompromised and free of anything that isn't fun and full of energy. But one can check it on songs as "Burn Down the Wall" (what lovely and energetic melodies, excellent chorus, and with an excellent pounding playing of bass guitar and drums on the rhythms), "Destroyer" (an amazing and dirty Rock 'n' Roll with some touches of AC/DC-like arrangements, with blazing guitar riffs filling the melodies), "Break Free" (that even ferocious bears amazing melodic hooks and arrangements), "Best Kept Secret" (this one is a more melodic and accessible song, with tender melodies, and that enables to check the very good vocals, from savage moments to deeper ones), "Straight from the Source" and "Cherry Kiss" (these ones combine accessible parts with a savage energy, with tons of melodic hooks awaiting for you all), and... Oh, come one! All the songs are great, including "Night Time", "(Always) On the Line", and "Roots" (this a bit more melodic than the others, due its romantic appeal). Listen to all of them at once.

"Break Free" is that kind of album that is easy to be heard, hard to resist, and the name of ROKETS will grow a lot. Once heard, never forgotten.