THUNDERSTONE are one of those bands that are just friggin catchy that you don't really have a choice whether or not you like them unless you just totally hate them.  This release is going to help them gain popularity in European metal scene not to mention singer Pasi's participation in Eurovision.  This album's title is Evolution 4.0, but is it really an evolution from the last album?
Nino started the band in  2000 when he recruited the Rantanen brothers as well as Hjelm.  Janne Warmen (CHILDREN OF BODOM) would be the session keyboardist for the first batches of sessions.  TUNNELVISION keyboardist Kari would step in and help record the first release Thunderstone.  The next album, The Burning, Nino would produce and Michael Romeo (SYMPHONY X) would lay down a guest guitar solo.  The next album, Tools Of Destruction would lead to their North American debut live performance at ProgPower USA VII.
If you want lush and catchy as hell choruses and verses that keep you wanting more than you have found the right album in Evolution 4.0, but then again you would if you picked up any of the THUNDERSTONE albums.  I don't believe this album is really a far departure from the tired and true formula that THUNDERSTONE has become known for.  I find that tracks such as Forevermore and Solid Ground don't really push the limits nor would they would warrant the word evolution in the title for their album, but they are absolutely solid tracks.  
THUNDERSTONE have so real talent and that is why I am so hard on them when it comes to them titling an album Evolution 4.0 with no real evolutionary change to their sound. If any thing the songs were good, but not as memorable as the songs from Tools Of Destruction.  So what I think THUNDERSTONE needs to do is to think what they title an album as well as focusing their real talents to write an album that is truly superb.