Gandalf

The name Gandalf might conjure images of a German (or perhaps Italian) power/speed metal band, since often such bands are steeped in fantasy lyrical themes. But that's not what this Gandalf is about -- instead, this Finnish band is rooted in Gothenburg melodic death metal, inviting some comparisons to bands such as In Flames, but with less emphasis on death metal (except the vocals) and more emphasis on straight-ahead rock riffs. Indeed, their sound has been billed as "At The Gates meets AC/DC", and while they aren't quite as unusual as that tag might suggest, it is not an inaccurate description, particularly on Rock Hell*, their second album (the debut, *Deadly Fairytales, stays truer to the Gothenburg style). It's hard to tell exactly what audience this band is made for -- on the one hand, their blending of two disparate styles may draw fans from either extreme, while on the other hand, they sometimes can come across as not extreme enough for the death crowd and perhaps too heavy for the more rock crowd. Nevertheless, there was cause for optimism for something greater here, but in April of 2002 they decided to disband.

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Discography

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