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''12 Gauge'' is the sixth studio album by the Finnish melodic death metal band Kalmah, released on February 24, 2010. The album was recorded with more thrash metal elements than their previous releases, while the melodies that the band is known for and environmental themes regarding the swamps of Finland were retained. ''12 Gauge'' was recorded in three sessions over a four-month period at Tico-Tico Studios in Finland. Each of the band members kept in touch with their fans by keeping track of their recording sessions online at the official website's studio diary. In addition, guitarist Antti Kokko videotaped the recording and photo shoot sessions. Seven videos were posted online during the months leading up to the album's release. Promotion for the album was otherwise minimal. There were no official singles, but the track "Bullets Are Blind" was released on a 2-CD compilation included with ''Soundi'' magazine's 35th anniversary issue, and a music video to the album's title track was produced and posted online. ''12 Gauge'' received generally favorable reviews by European and American critics, with a few considering it better than either of its immediate predecessors, ''For the Revolution'' and ''The Black Waltz''. It was agreed that the band succeeded in producing a thrashier album, but most critics found the music to be less sophisticated than the band's previous efforts. ''12 Gauge'' charted in two countries, peaking at number 32 in Canada and number 15 in the band's homeland. Because the band had not been offered a worldwide tour, support for the album would be limited to Europe and Canada. ==Background== When Kalmah began writing music for their melodic death metal album, their intent was to incorporate more "aggressive thrash material" than their previous recordings had. As a result, the songs were going to be, as vocalist Pekka Kokko described, "quite straightforward", but the band did not want to lose the melodies they were known for. The album would not be entirely thrash metal, since the band planned on adding acoustic guitar sections and also trumpets. Antti Kokko, the primary songwriter for ''12 Gauge'', composed the riffs and melodies at his home. These ideas were developed into complete songs during rehearsals. Guitar and keyboard solos were then written, sometimes with both instruments soloing in the same song, trading off repeatedly. Two of the tracks, "Godeye" and "Sacramentum", were composed entirely by keyboardist Marco Sneck, including the solos. When the music was completed, Pekka began working on the lyrics, which were inspired by various topics, including "politics, religion ... drinking, failure, () pessimism". Several of the songs shared an environmental theme. "Hook the Monster" was about fishing, "12 Gauge" was inspired by hunting, and the impact of land development in the swamps of Finland was the subject of "Swampwar". Commenting further on the swamps, Pekka remarked, "() valuable areas are a part of our northern wilderness and () always threatened to be ditched or drained. People are interested in those areas (use ) as a source of energy." 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「12 Gauge (Kalmah album)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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