Seven years were sufficient for the five Finnish boys from Thunderstone to make three great albums and to promote new material in the beginning of 2007. However, “Evolution 4.0” is not really an evolution in their music. The songs are well played and sound mature, with a powerful and full-toned sound, but there are no new ideas. It is hard to find a leading track in the record. Each of them is quite unique, but not enough to impress the listener. Thunderstone have proven they can be original and modern, that’s why this type of unvaried composing does not fit them well. From the short self-titled intro to the last speedy songs (“The Source” and “Great Man Down”), the mood of the album does not change drastically. More attention deserve only “Swirled” with its speed rhythmic drums, and “Down with Me”, which continues the “one ballad per album” tradition. My negative attitude on this album also gains strength from the memory of the last full-length record, “Tools of Destruction”. One fast parallel between them shows that the “evolution” in this band is happening slowly. To put tit short, Thunderstone are not giving the best they can in the new songs. “Evolution 4.0” is homogeneous, but this makes no difference, because the CD does not leave its mark in the listeners’ heads after several hearings. It is not easy to be the best in everything you do and to make fresh stuff in times when power metal albums are produced almost every hour. I am not sure that Thunderstone can make something better than the stuff on their new album, and it will be pity if it really turns out like this.