Again marrying the guitar/keyboard interplay popularized by countrymen COB with musical sensibilities of Sonata Arctica, these Finns prefer to generally keep the vocals clean and rely on a strong melodies within their unique, aggressive, yet commercially viable brand of hard rock.

These ten tracks continue to smooth the rough edges (emasculate?) of a band whose "The Spirit Of Ukko" remains their best platter. Only a few here even approach that outing: the opening and appropriately entitled (even if it’s false advertising for this disc), ‘Kiuassault’, gruff voiced ‘Cry Little Angel’, ‘Heart And Will’ and the concluding ‘Winter’s Sting’. Elsewhere, the start to ‘Of Lust, Love and Human Nature’ sees employ a modulated voice atop sporadic piano/music box tinkling. Acoustic guitar introduces the ‘Lights Are Many’ ballad (ditto the countrified/Spanish guitar ‘Summer’s End’), which concludes with plenty of ivories. ‘The Visionary’ includes a brief orchestral instrumental interlude. While a second ballad, ‘The Quickening’, utilizes plenty of the aforementioned elements, it stands head and shoulders above almost all the material, based solely on the killer hooks.

Overall, disappointing, too watered down, seeming content to head away from the Spinefarm roster.