Crowdfunding can be a great way for musicians with a supportive fanbase to realize projects, as it offers a certain artistic freedom and independence. For the fans on the other side, it is a chance to get a deeper insight into the creative process because of more interaction. Noora Louhimo, best known for being the charismatic singer of Finnish power metal band BATTLE BEAST, now made a dream come true in this way and was set to release her first solo record on March 5th, 2021. On “Eternal Wheel of Time and Space,” she invites the listener on board of her magical space bus: take a seat and enjoy the ride with NOEX! NOORA LOUHIMO EXPERIENCE.
“Eternal Wheel of Time and Space” is a very personal album and Noora shows different sides of her innermost self in an honest way, expressing a wide range of emotions. Musically, she takes us through many styles: blues, soul, country, gospel, and more, making the journey varied and entertaining.
The album opens with the title track, a mid-tempo song with a mix of blues and a space rock vibe; the accompanying video can be seen below. Next is “Valkyrie,” which lifts up the pace and is pure groovy listening fun – definitely one of my highlights here. “All These Yesterdays” and “Piece of your Love” are slower and balladic, mainly working from the strong vocal performance. The following “New You” features a duet with Noora’s brother Pekka V. Louhimo, who also created the cover artwork and graphic design of “Eternal Wheel of Time and Space.” As this song leans into the country music direction, it won’t become a favorite of mine, but it’s well done and fans of the genre will surely like it.
After this, the mood changes into a more positive direction and things get a bit crazy with “Last in Line” and its intro, as well as the funky “Sinner on the Floor.” Both songs impressively show her variety as singer, but also the creativity in song-writing. I like this mix of styles, and these two tracks always lift the spirits.
With the emotional “If I Was Your Woman,” she shows a very soft side again. “Urban Life” starts as a straight blues rock song, but gets a nice turn in the middle thanks to the gospel choir. Our journey ends with a cover version of “Piece of my Heart” (insired by Janis Joplin, orig. Erma Franklin), then fades out with the instrumental track “CODA.”
All together, “Eternal Wheel of Time and Space” shows two aspects of Noora’s development for me: by going back to the roots and music styles she started singing with years ago, she takes a big step forward by expanding her own creativity with this very personal release, and it’s great to see her exploring these different musical paths. Even though not every genre here is right up my alley, the songs are all done well and show a wide range of emotions. Her vocal performance stands out from the beginning with an impressive variety that gives every song the needed expression. NOEX! NOORA LOUHIMO EXPERIENCE takes the listeners on a colorful journey, and you’re welcome to jump on board of her magical space bus.
Written by Katha
Tracklist
- Eternal Wheel of Time and Space
- Valkyrie
- All These Yesterdays
- Piece of Your Love
- New You
- Intro (Last in Line)
- Last in Line
- Sinner on the Floor
- If I Was Your Woman
- Urban Life
- Piece of my Heart
- CODA
- Relax (Remix, 10 years back bonus track)
Lineup
Noora Louhimo – Vocals
Samuli Erkkilä – Lead Guitars
JC Halttunen – Guitars
AP Kauppinen – Bass
Juuso Raatikainen – Drums
Okke Komulainen – Keyboards
Label
Independent
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