Saturday Singles: The Ragged Saints-"Pretending Diamond"

Turenki Records
2015

Issued back in June of 2015, "Pretending Diamond" is the most current release from Finnish classic hard rock band The Ragged Saints. Members include Markku Kuikka (lead vocals), Tomi Julkunen (guitars), Toni Bite (guitars), Jukka Hoffrén (bass), and drummer Miikki Kunttu and yes, this is the same band that gave us "The Sound Of Breaking Free"*. Formed in 2011, The Ragged Saints hail from Helsinki and they are one of those rare bands that have managed to effectively combine elements of classic rock, radio rock, eighties hard rock, and melodic heavy metal into something absolutely magical! With a new album reportedly in the works there is still hope that the world will catch on to just how good this group is! Meanwhile a cool number like this should give fans a bit of cheer even if it does make you long for more...



*You can read my review of this rock classic by clinking on this link.

The Ragged Saints-The Sound Of Breaking Free

Power Prog (Europe)/Nightmare Records (North America)
2013

There are "rock" albums and then there are albums that "rock". The Finnish collective known as The Ragged Saints fall into that second category with their new 11-track debut-album "The Sound Of Breaking Free". Having laid the ground work with their 2012, 3-track promo, which was also called "The Sound Of Breaking Free" and included not only the title cut, but tracks "Don't Let Me Go" and "While The World Is Burning", I was well-prepared for the notion that this release would be special, but even I could not have foreseen just how good the group's full-length debut-release would be! Formed back in 2012, with the idea of forming a band coming after the band's two guitarists, Tomi Julkunen and Toni Bite (Twilight Ophera), attended a Whitesnake concert, the band would become a reality with the addition of bassist/seasoned veteran Jukka Hoffrén and drummer Miikki Kunttu. The last piece of the puzzle came in the form of lead vocalist and Status Minor front-man Markku Kuikka (Kenziner/ Book of Reflections/ex-Grönholm/ex-Thaurorod/ex-TorneD) whose soaring delivery and stellar showmanship would put The Ragged Saints on the fast-track to stardom! With influences such as Cinderella, Ratt, Whitesnake and Def Leppard playing a part in their early development The Ragged Saints, who also released the track "The Sound Of Breaking Free" as a digital single, had a sound going for them that captured the finer moments of classic hard rock. With the new album though there has been a natural progression and while they were once solely identified as a Whitesnake-like band, which translated means that they indulged the listener's appetite for melodic hard rock at it's best, the new album also finds the band tackling everything from heavy rock ("New Beginnings") to modern AOR ("A Place Where I Belong"). As I first listened to the album I must admit that it seemed as if it was every other song that was really good. The title cut opens things up and it sounds as if the band gave it a spit-shine as I didn't recall it being such a epic rock number! But then it was "A Place Where I Belong" which, at least during the first run-through, came off as good but nothing special. Track three, "Don't Let Go", came up and it was back to killer rock for The Ragged Saints with track number four, the AOR-like "I'll Never Give Up On Love", again coming off as good if nothing special. So yes, I had the fear that this would be one of those records where half of the songs were really cool, but with the other half being, well, decent. But, something happened after track number five, "Love Won't Fade Away", finished up. Suddenly the album gets up and just runs away. The Ragged Saints tore through tracks six-eleven like they were the saviors of rock and roll sent from God himself! At that point I decided to "spin the record' a second time, which was followed by a third time and then forth time (all of which took place yesterday!) and it dawned on me hat stylistically The Ragged Saints were like bands such as Heart, Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones and the Scorpions who wrote their material around the idea of creating a "rock album" and not just "rock singles". So, while there are some cuts that stand out more then others (the excellent "Never Walk Away" being a good example), it's the fact that the album serves as a total-package which makes it so special. Overall there are 11 tracks which do cover a lot of ground from classic hard rock to traditional rock and yes, even AOR, but taken as a whole this is a hell of an album and the sign of mature musicians who just get it. With album number one now out of the way, which (for the record) will be released towards the end of October, The Ragged Saints now can set their sites on new challenges like bringing their music to everyone everywhere.That said, will this Finnish 5-piece be able to capture the attention of both European and American audiences with their debut-album? One would hope so. I certainly hope so. In the meantime though be sure to check out the group's official website and you can read my coverage of their 3-track promo at the link below s well.

http://theraggedsaints.com/
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=the+ragged+saints

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The Ragged Saints-The Sound Of Breaking Free

Self-Release/Independent
2012

"The Sound Of Breaking Free" is a 3-track promo release from The Ragged Saints. Formed in 2011, this 5-piece band hail from Helsinki, Finland and are currently in the process of recording their first album. While the band lists the likes of Cinderella, Ratt, Whitesnake and Def Leppard as influences (as well as 80's hard rock in general) these 3-tracks actually fall somewhere between classic rock/radio rock and hard rock/heavy metal then those influences would suggest. I'm not sure what to make of the addition of  Queensrÿche as an influence either as this promo suggests a young band that wants to play easy going/lose material. That might sound like a bit of a dig against The Ragged Saints, but in reality it's anything but. Instead of sounding like just another done-up retro rock/retro metal act (made all the more phony sounding by slick studio-magic) The Ragged Saints have a bit if a rough edge going for them. This 3-track album sounds a bit raw overall which makes the music sound all the more since and convincing. There's much more of a sincere feeling in these 3 songs then the band might have intended, but that is all the more appealing. The Ragged Saints like to think of themselves as a hard rock band who are not out to reinvent the wheel. That's not entirely true though as the band does stand out from the bulk of hard rock acts given the "band down the lane" appeal they posses. They play like a young band just playing from their hearts who, unsure if they will ever make it, make music for themselves and anyone else that likes music free of fluff. It's easy enough to see that these guys will appeal to those people that like sincere rock/hard rock. What comes roaring out of the speakers is music with a down home vibe, but with the talent to really make a run at it. 

https://soundcloud.com/theraggedsaints

https://www.facebook.com/theraggedsaints