Signs of Life [Import]

Poets of the Fall | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 11, 2008)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: 101 DISTRIBUTION
• ASIN: B000TM03GU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #108,199 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #94 in Music > Pop > Euro Pop > Swedish Pop

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm not gonna leave a title for this review...no short, creative phrase can sum up the talent that these guys have., August 1, 2005

By 

Dave "A casual music listener" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Signs of Life (Audio CD)

Nowadays, it seems custom for popular bands (modern ones, I'm not talking about bands that remain popular due to sucess in the past resulting in cult followings and stuff like that) to follow a certain formula for making a CD.

1. Think of one above-average song.
2. Think of a great song.
3. Think of a good song.
4. Have all of the songs start with either bass or drums. If it starts with drums, add in bass next. If it starts with bass, add in drums next.
5. Have a lead singer that sounds like a teenager who's voice suddenly ceased to mature. Make sure he's good looking.
6. Add in a bunch of filler tracks with little or no effort put into them in hopes that record companies will only pay attention to the previous three items and allow for the securing of a record deal.

I don't know if all Finland bands are like Poets of the Fall, but these guys are determined to stay away from this sell-out-and-bring-in-the-dinero-so-we-can-go-home attitude and they succeed by any standard one could think of. Most noticably in two areas:
The instrumental ssection is certainly played brilliantly in all songs, but where this band has accepted a fact that many people are in deniable about right now: the lead singer's voice can be good AND sound fully grown, and not like a boy going through puberty. The lead singer, if you were to classify him by his vocal range/sound, is a baritone who *nearly* can make the tenor range. And, to all of those who have not heard the lead singer's voice and are worried about potential European accents or mannerisms, his English sounds impeccable despite the fact that he's Finnish. You'd think he's a US native. A faint, barley noticable "southern twang" is evident in his voice because that's how non-British Europeans sound when they sing in English, but I thought these guys were US until I found out they were based in Finalnd. He is just what the music-starved soul ordered: a beutiful albeit an unusual voice.
Secondly, absolutley every single song sounds like it came from a "Greatest Hits" album, so well-thought out and enjoyable to listen to. What's more, these guys are one of the most versatile rock...no, *music* groups that I have ever seen. I use rock with hesitancy, but if I absolutley had to classify them, that's what I'd call them. But, unlike every rock group out there now, they have figured out almost all demographics of music possible and made 2-3 songs for each of them.

For the faint-of-heart love-song and lullaby suckers:
"Sleep"
"Late Goodbye"
"Someone Special"

For the Tough Guys and Electric Guitar Junkies:
"Lift"
"Overboard"
"Don't Mess With Me"

For the Sit-Back-And-Relaxe Slackers and Road Trip Drivers:
"3AM"
"Shallow"
"Stay"

For the Poets and Pondering Intellectuals (admirerers of lyrics):
"Illusion & Dream"
"Seek You Out"
"Everything Fades"

The second-most amazing part of this band: THIS IS THEIR DEBUT ALBUM!
The most amazing part of this band: THEY HAVE NOT SECURED A US RECORD DEAL DESPITE AMAZING SUCESS IN FINLAND AND AN EVIDENT TALENT THAT SURPASSES ALMOST IF NOT EVERY CURRENT MAINSTREAM ROCK BAND!

If you are ready for twelve tracks worth of amazing and perhaps unparalleled music, buy this CD. Better yet, if yo're in the recording industry in the US, SIGN THESE GUYS AND GIVE THEM THE RECOGNITION THEY DESERVE!!!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this CD. Period. I realize it costs over $20, but buy it!, December 20, 2005

By 

Fly Guy (Eastern Shore, Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Signs of Life (Audio CD)

I cannot even begin to describe how much I like this album. I heard "Late Goodbye" after finishing Max Payne 2, and was transfixed. I think it was the only time I've ever sat through closing credits of ANYTHING, much less a video game. The lyrics, the vocals, and the musicianship were fantastic. Anyway, I finally figure out who wrote and performed the song, then went to their website. I have been waiting for this album to be released for almost a year, and it has been well worth the wait. It kind of reminds me of Tantric with talent, and more melodic.

My major beef is that the CD costs some clams, but it's worth every penny. I hope that these guys get some sort of record deal here in the States and release a few songs to the mainstream music scene, because it would thrash anything even close to what is passing for music now on American radio. This is a concert that I would not miss were they to play here.

Just get the CD. I've said enough.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This CD is so-o-o good!, July 3, 2006

By 

John L. Berger (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Signs of Life (Audio CD)

I took a gamble with this CD, having only known "Late Goodbye" from the "Max Payne 2" video game, but this gamble paid off with a royal flush! This album is so incredibly good!

The style falls into what I call "ambient rock". No, it's not New Age or anything close. It's style relies a lot on powerful, rock instruments and background sustain, which makes the music seem to suspend itself, with very little dependency on synthesizers. That gives it a raw yet tempered sound that is incredibly genuine and unique.

Each track is powerful yet smooth at the same time -- sort of like a combination of Dave Matthews, Pat Benatar, Matchbox 20, and Creed, yet at the same time nothing like any of them. Each track is pure rock that completely envelopes your senses. Listening to this CD with quality headphones is absolutely amazing. It's baffling why this group is not more popular than they are.

Buy this CD. Seriously. It's that good. This is the best CD purchase that I've made in years.