Hellcity 13
Hellcity 13 Break a Leg Entertainment

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Comments: What's the worst band ever to come out of Finland? OK, that's a trick question, sort of like the sexist answer to "Do you prefer natural or augmented mammary glands," to which the answer is, "Who cares, I love them all." Meaning, if the band is from Finland, then they absolutely cannot be bad. It's physically impossible for a Finnish rock band to suck, and further proving that theory is Helsinki's own Hellcity 13.

Like H.I.M., Malpractice, The 69 Eyes, Lordi, and a slew of other hellacious bands from Finland, Hellcity 13 is unique, and somehow make the arena of Gothic/Hard rock their very own formula, which is damn near impossible to do. One reason Hellcity 13 sounds different than their compatriots is that they use a near 50/50 mix of male/female vocals, but the female vocals (from Susannah) are not operatic as is the rage. No, Susannah sings with a, well, ABBA-like but rockin' delivery, which fits the music to perfection.

With a name like Hellcity 13, you'd expect a tangible darkness, so hearing the CD open with "In Love With Love" is curious. Mr. Kess on keyboards flows out of your speakers with a beautiful, soft melody. Once the song kicks into gear, you'll get heavy riffs and chugging bass lines. Co-lead singer Mika offers the verses, but Susannah jumps into the chorus, offsetting Mika's lower delivery. Mika doesn't sing like The 69 Eyes or H.I.M., though. It's not low and throaty; it's mid-range and versatile.

"American Psycho" is next, and if it's a shout out to Bret Easton Ellis' book, that rules. More people should be writing about that landmark creation. Anyway, it's probably about Bush. Mika brings the rage with his solid singing, but Susannah tears the roof apart when she blasts out the chorus. There is something inherently "danceable" about their music.

Speaking of dancing, by far the best dance song to come out of Europe this decade is "Shortcut to Hell." Even if you hate techno-dance grooves, even if Euro-dance music confuses you and makes you want to vomit, this song will convert you. Susannah takes the lead this time, with Mika on the chorus, changing things up with his industrialized vocal effects. Absolutely slamming, "Shortcut to Hell" is about as guilty as pleasure can become, besides onanism.

"In Your Eyes" is another smash. Their use of keys to bolster the overall composition is impressive; it's so delicious it's like adding 7Up to your Jim Beam. Mika again handles the lead vocals, and Susannah stays in the background for the most part. The keys play a larger role, though, with effects and spacey passages. Wicked cool …

Is there anything bad on this CD? Not really. Songs like "Dead End" and "Masquerade" are passable at worst, and songs like "Yesterday's News" are stellar. They brush Gothic rock with tinges of '80s English pop rock and modern hard rock to evoke a feeling you just don't hear today. You can hear this all culminated on the last track, "My World Has Stopped," a morose keyboard composition that highlights Susannah singing as well as Lennon or any female rocker.

What's in the frozen Finnish water? Why is everyone over there talented musicians and songwriters? If you like good music, then Hellcity 13 deserves to be in your ever-growing CD collection, near the top of your category you created called "Finland Rules."

www.myspace.com/hellcity13

Track listing:
01: In Love With Love
02: American Psycho
03: One By One
04: Shortcut To Hell
05: Masquerade
06: Dead End
07: In Your Eyes
08: Is Anybody Out There
09: Yesterday's News
10: My World Has Stopped

HRH rating: 7.9/10