Poets of the Fall, topping the music charts in Finland, performed a surprise gig at the residence of the Consul General at the end of April. The band had arrived in Los Angeles to perform at Musexpo - the main event for music industry professionals on the West Coast.

Poets of the Fall performed a surprise gig at the residence of the Consul General.

Having arrived in the small hours of the morning, the band members of Poets of the Fall did not let travel fatigue bother them. With a glass of juice in his hand lead singer Marko Saaresto entertained guests arriving to the Consul General's residence and discussed with guitarist extraordinaire Carl Verheyen about touring and gigging. During the past year POTF have done some 70-75 gigs. The band came from Berlin and continues from Los Angeles to the Finnish Lapland and from there further to Stockholm and Gothenburg.  

Marko Saaresto, lead singer of Poets of the Fall, wanted to become a rock star already at the age of 15. 
 
The surprise gig at the Consul General's residence was the groups first public appearance in the U.S. and was exceptional in many ways. The band played with a skeleton crew and Marko was accompanied by Olli Tukiainen (guitar), Jaska Mäkinen (guitar) and Jani Snellman (bass) as the keyboardist Captain Markus Kaarlonen and the drummer Jari Salminen were enjoying socializing with the guests. On top of this the band only used Consul General Manu Virtamo's instruments and amplifiers. During the evening the band played their hits from the Max Payne video game and from the albums Signs of Life and Carnival of Rust, both of which have sold platinum.  
   
Olli Tukiainen and Jaska Mäkinen embraced the American guitarist extraordinaire Carl Verheyen. 
 
The event was successful and showed once again the appeal of Finnish hospitality and popular music on the U.S. west coast.

Before returning back to Finland, Poets of the Fall performed at the renowned House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard as part of the international Musexpo music and media event.

René Söderman

Thanks to Finland.org and to the POTF_Admin

Revolution Roulette
By Jay Ziegler on April 17th, 2008

The 1990’s represented major achievements in the United States. The economic activity of the country went through the roof, Generation X led the way for what looked like a promising future for the first time since the late 1960’s and many highly influential albums released throughout the decade set the world aflame.

The 1990’s however had it’s setbacks. In a retrospective sense, the 90’s split into two completely different halves, much like the 60’s did. The first half of the 90’s were lead by their de-facto leader, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. Unofficially he became the spokesman seemingly overnight for an entire generation of people destined to change the world. After his death in 1994, things shifted from a much deeper and personal sound (again, much like the 60’s) to the later, corporate and marketable sound of the late 90’s.

With the rise of nu-metal and the watered-down grunge movement intact, the unofficial leader of the late 90’s title has to go to Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit. The 90’s split itself into two opposites of each other; Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde; day and night; the Union against the Confederacy. The 90’s became a highly-touted boxing match between the two eras, each entering the ring with undefeated records and a strong list of knockouts.

Timeline aside, Finland’s own, Poets Of The Fall’s third album Revolution Roulette contains elements from both eras of the 90’s, seemingly wedges itself right in the middle and like the 90’s itself is incredibly hit or miss. The album opens with the heavy handed rocker “More” in which lead singer and guitarist Marko Saaresto sings with a heavy handed ferocity behind a strong guitar progression. The band happens to combine Marilyn Manson, Better Than Ezra, Seven Mary Three, Nirvana and Motley Crue all at once. While on the surface this may look good, the band has it’s ups and downs. The album continues with the first single “The Ultimate Fling.” Memories of 1996 post-grunge come back just in the guitar distortion alone. The song resembles a strong output by the band and the nostalgia factor for the 90’s clearly hits home.

“Revolution Roulette” follows afterwards and the drums have that punchy, 80’s gated reverb sound which isn’t bad for the song, but the overall sound of the band at this point seems to begin to stretch itself a bit too thin. While not a bad song musically, it becomes a bit too predictable. Fortunately, the heavy-handed rocker “Psychosis” follows this and gives another good kickstart to the album. The bass and guitars really sound great on this track and Saaresto’s vocals are at his punchiest here. The weak and tiresome ballad “Fragile” follows this followed by the alternative pop rock sounding “Clevermind.” The problem with this album is its inconsistency

While the band has some really great tunes, like the seventh track “Miss Impossible” as well as “The Ultimate Fling,” Poets Of The Fall put a few songs on here that slow the overall breathing evolution of the album. It creates a sluggish listening experience. This isn’t to say that the band is at all bad because they are talented, it’s just this album has material that could be better left off. The other major issue concerning Poets Of The Fall is the length of their songs. With an average length of about four and a half minutes, this either makes or breaks the album. While the rockers sound great, the throwaways come off boorish and long.

Poets Of The Fall on one hand resemble what was great about the early 90’s, but at the same time include elements of the late 90’s that can be a bit forgettable. Overall Revolution Roulette is worth a listen or two, but there are a few throwaways than can be omitted. To say the least, when the band is on, they’re great. However, much like the 90’s, Poets Of The Fall have a much inconsistent sound.

Lyrics: C
Sound: B-
Instrumentation: B
Vocals: B-
Overall: C

Source: ConsequenceOfSound.net
Thanks to nuhr

Revolution Roulette (Insomniac / Playground Music, 2008)
95/100

Poets Of The Fall, at the moment one of the most interesting rock bands from Finland that is in the last decade recognized as one of the strongest European countries when it's about rock and metal music, released their third album "Revolution Roulette" and without any trouble took lead position on Finnish album chart. Not surprising at all!
Poets Of The Fall are the band that, since they impressed me by their first album "Signs of Life" I liked to call as Finnish Coldplay, on their new album presented a bit harder sound and lyrics that for a moment stagger by their realistic cruelty and without overdo POTF now can be called Finnish R.E.M. in melodically harder presentation.
opens the song "More" that introduces pure rockn'roll sound and clear POTF's intention to leave the trace on the international rock scene. This album again brings very interesting melodies, nowise monotonous. "More" is followed by the song that is released as a first single taken from the album "The Ultimate Fling", that is in the same time one of my personal favorites. Although this album didn't bring any surprise, musically or lyrically,  lyrics are this time closer to the cruel world of show biz but slot the modern world in general and althought the same blood runs through all songs, listener won't have a problem to name favorites, depending of personal mood and prefered themes.
Special compliments I give to POTF also for keepinb vocal lines that perfectly fits to singer Marko as much as for catchy refrains "The Ultimate Fling", "Psychosis" (that with its musical line reminds on the best Marylin Mansons works), "Miss Impossible" and extremely emotional ballade "Where Do We Draw The Line" that closes the album.
"Revolution Roulette", is certainly stronly inspired by some of the best American rock works and also the album that will leave a trace on the old continent. That's why with recommandation: don't miss!, this times goes also: if you'll have the chance to see POTF live, don't miss it!

Review: Ivana Sataiæ - Ivy
Source: Venia-Mag.net
Thanks to wlodi

Revolution Roulette

Poets of the Fall are playing live shows as a sextet for some time already, but just now the names of the second guitarist Jaska "Daddy" Mäkinen, bassist Jani Snellman and drummer Jari Salminen appear for the first time in the booklet. The also self-produced third album crashes a whole level more aggressive and louder from the stereos than it’s predecessor "Carnival of Rust"; the fourth track "Psychosis" even starts off with an intro à la Manson.

Just with the following "Fragile" the poets allow themselves the first melancholic moment. "Revolution Roulette" brings with it the emotional passages, the characteristic vocals and the well thought out lyrics, but plays the eleven songs clearly more feisty to the gallery. An album for POTF fans – and those yet to become.

Songquality 4/6
Interpretation 5/6
Sound 6/6 

Source Nordische-Musik.de
Thanks to Raspu

Source: NYT
Thanks to Vilma and Tiiwyn (english)

What is the bands USP, Marko Saaresto?
Vocalist of Poets of the Fall once bought an completely useless turnip watch (as in a pocket watch)

Mention a band that has a sillier name than yours is
Toad the Wet Sprocket. A good band, but the name is obscure

Are you more 'poets of the autumn' or 'poets of the falling'?
Falling. Autumn is a great season, and I like rain, but the name, anyway, is falling, breaking and making stupid things

As an former advertiser, you can surely tell, what’s the USP of your band
What’s a USP?

Unique selling proposition
We give "the real stuff” that only an indie-band can make. In the music business it’s the money that rules, and that is why there’s ‘booty shaking’ and ‘bling bling’, which has nothing to offer to anyone, coming out of every pore (or corner, in case that wasn’t a saying ^^)

What part of humanbody must one massage to create hit songs?
Neck and angles

You had to move back to your parents house after all your money went in making the first album for Poets of the Fall. Where are you going to move next?
Into a (detached) house, preferably to some warm country

What is your most worthless purchase?
A damn fine brand watch, a turnip kind. Completely worthless, but I had wanted one for a long time, even though I don’t use a watch

What kind of an song would you create for the background of Minesweeper?
Oh, the game. Maybe a mix of Christine – the killer car, Jaws and James Bond themes. You’d constantly have a lurking feeling, and on occasion something really corny would happen

And what kind of game would you make…
A Kung-fu game

Wait, the question continues. What kind of game would you make for Bob Dylans ‘Like a Rolling Stone’?
A Kung-fu-game. That would be the toughest kun-fu man has ever seen.

What’s the best in/about United States?
Hard to say. I have lived in Florida, and in Tampa Bay we often visited a store that was located in the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, at the end of a hundret meter long dock, three meters above water. They were selling cool looking decorative arts there.

Are you a bobo?
What’s a bobo?

Bohemian bourgeois
No, I’m not. I’m a being, growing in this world and acting guided by my own reactions

You’re a rockstar, but you write your name with a ‘k’. Why’s that?
It’s an illusion that a person would need an artistname. When you put your real name in the cover of the record, people will get used to it, and that’s what’s right.

Poets Of The Fall - Revolution Roulette
Release date: 26-03-2008
Label: Playground
By: Nina Mende

Finnish rockers Poets of the Fall - singer Marko, guitarist Olli and keyboardist Captain - started out their musical adventure from scratch in 2003. Marko sold everything he had to invest in pursuing the love of his life, music, with his buddies Olli and Captain.

He moved into his folks’ basement, when he couldn’t keep a place of his own any longer. The guys then built a little studio of their own in Captain’s living room for the recording and producing sessions, and kept an office in Olli’s beat up old car. The result of the recording sessions was a novel blend of pop, rock, metal and industrial sounds.

Since then they have released three albums and gained international recognition. Poets Of The Fall toured through Europe and received several awards, reached pole positions in the charts and are quite successful with what they are doing.

Their latest album “Revolution Roulette” has a quite interesting layout, serious and strong. Although it is held in darker tones of red and brownish it does not really seem sad nor depressive, just held serious and classic. The newest Poets Of The Fall album is a little harsher than the previous ones, but just as inspiring and touching as the others. Marko, the singer, knows how to use his voice to give each song, even each section of the song, a deeper meaning. By doing that the actual meaning of the lyrics itself are easier to understand and even to feel. It goes straight underneath your skin, grabs your mind and won’t let go of it until the very last second has passed. “Revolution Roulette” contains eleven songs, with a great mix of fast and slow songs. “Fragile” is a very thoughtful and slow song, with its acoustic guitar is it even touchier, a really great song. The grand piano at “Where Do We Draw The Line” sounds great as well, that song is also the ballad of the album. “Revolution Roulette” is a great album, with a balanced variation between slow and fast, quiet and loud songs. It is very touchy, thoughtful and serious, an inspiring and very creative album. No wonder that Poets Of The Fall are that successful, and I hope they will keep on being it.

Thanks to umberrella
Source: Tempelores.com