Finnish band The Rasmus are pretty steady with releasing a new album every two years. 2003 was their breakthrough year when the single In The Shadows reached an unexpected international success and topped the charts across Europe. Hide From The Sun is the follow up to the very successful Dead Letters (2003). It's their sixth album and the third to be released internationally.
Hide From The Sun contains a mixture of ballads, pop tunes and rock tracks. The quality of all of this goes up and down. The opening track Shot starts off with a couple of 'ahaas' like in In The Shadows. It has a laidback rhythm and a very catchy chorus. Or should I say annoying? Decide for yourself. Night After Night (out of the shadows) is a lot better with rocking guitars and great lyrics. Why No Fear was released as a (first) single is beyond me. Like Shot, it's poppy and catchy, but it's also a little boring. Lucifer's Angels again rocks and has killer lyrics. This would have been a better opener for the album than Shot, it sets a very good example of what the band is all about. Definitely one of my favourites! And then, you guessed it, a slower track again! Last Generation has a rocky riff, but that's the only good thing about the song. Speed the chorus up a bit, like the guitarry bits, and the song would be better. It gets whiney now. This song is much better live. Track six is Dead Promises, a collaboration with fellow Fins Apocalyptica, who's cellos give this song a very nice edge. Amazing! This would do very well as a single! Immortal again is better live than on the album, but generally a good song. Second single Sail Away has a nice flow to it. Good choice as a second single. Keep Your Heart Broken doesn't do much for me, though it's a favourite for many fans. Heart Of Misery is rocking, but catchy. Again a great live song with a lot of power to it, lyric and music wise. The album ends on a slow note. Don't Let Go is a moving ballad, with lyrics that will appeal to a lot of people. It's nicely build up and a perfect closing track.
Starting out as a funk-pop band whose main inspiration were bands like the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, with bouncy songs and funny lyrics, The Rasmus have come a long way since their first release in 1996. Previous album Dead Letters was the first that set a different, darker mood. Hide From The Sun continues this and even deepens it with tracks like Lucifer's Angel and Dead Promises.
Verdict: Previous album Dead Letters was ok, but with an overall similar sound it got boring after a while. Hide From The Sun has more variation, and some songs are great, but the cliche and simple lyrics of some of the other tracks don't really do much for me. This band is a lot more exciting on stage!