Hide from the Sun

The most immediately hooky number here is "No Fear", which fuses slow-burning verses to a anthemic rock chorus, guitarist Pauli Rantasalmi unleashing crunchy metal riffs from his instrument as frontman Lauri Ylönen singing "rain falls down from the Northen skies/Like poisoned knives, with no mercy" in quavering dark-emo pitch. There's a shift in mood, however, for "Sail Away"--a light acoustic number boasting a surprisingly emotive, cello-laden middle eight. Most metal fans will still desire a bit more bite from their rock offerings, but The Rasmus' bruised take on pop-tinged goth has won them an army of fans, and Hide From The Sun won't disappoint them. --Louis Pattison