CAIN’S OFFERING – Gather The Faithful

Essentially, Cain’s Offering is Jani Liimatainen’s baby. Some of you may recognize this Finnish guitarist’s name, as he was one of the original members of Sonata Arctica. He wrote all of the music and lyrics on Gather the Faithful. There are some other well-known names in this group. None other than Timo Kotipelto, of Stratovarius fame, provides the vocals. Another former Sonata Arctica member, in Mikko Harkin, contributes the keys. Norther fans will be familiar with Jukka Koskinen, who plays bass. Jani Hurula (drums) is the least recognizable name in the band.

If you figured this is a Melodic-Power metal release, you guessed right. The guitars are fast paced throughout and this is very reminiscent of an old Sonata Arctica album or two. Imagine that band, as polished as ever, and with vocals from Timo Kotipelto. That’s what you get with Cain’s offering. Kudos to TK for being able to sound as strong as he does, despite being around the scene for so long.

The guitars and keyboards also sound especially good. It’s clear that Liimatainen and Harkin have some history together. When the sounds from their instruments intertwine, the chemistry that’s created is second to none. It’s obvious that the entire band was trying hard to sound their best while recording. There’s a very professional feel to this stuff and the production (by Liimatainen) is exemplary.

The problem with this release is the lyrics. They seem to center entirely on relationships and love. There’s a redundancy here that’s very difficult to dismiss. The following lines from “More Than Friends” are a good example of just how tacky this band can be. “You have always been much more than a friend to me / And I can never hope to find another one / Now the time is right / Just tell me what to sacrifice for you tonight”. And it doesn’t end there. Here’s some more from “Oceans of Regret”: “Take me in / Then tell me you hate me / Dream with me / Make love to me until I bleed”. This is just a sampling from the many cheesy songs on this album.

With variance in subject matter, this band could be a force in the future. Every member of the band performs at a high level, and the music sounds pretty good, but the lyrics just don’t stand up. The lovey-dovey factor is too high for this to appeal to a broad audience.