Finnish vocalists Noora Louhimo [Battle Beast] and Netta Laurenne [Smackbound] have finished work on their second album, Falling Through Stars. Those of us on this side of the North Sea, and somewhat more southerly than Scandinavia, including me, will be more than a little unfamiliar with both singers, so what can we expect from this album? If I said it was a homage to slick, sometimes highly produced ’80s radio rock would you be surprised? I was, but you know what? They make it work.
Laurenne/Louhimo – Falling Through Stars
Release Date: 18 April 2025
Words: Mark Rotherham
The album kicks off with Falling Through Stars, a slow keyboard intro brimming with menace that is soon joined by the joint vocals and a fabulously catchy guitar riff. This is a gentle, radio-friendly first track with clear vocals. Both Noora Louhimo and Netta Laurenne have their own styles, and I have to confess, I’m not really ever sure which one is singing at any one time, but really, that’s not important. They both sound amazing. 
The Metal gets hotter with Damned, giving us more up-tempo but still slick-produced guitars and fast, fast vocals. Noora Louhimo and Netta Laurenne harmonise really well. This song is well-oiled with keyboards and engineered guitars, and the pace simply grabs your attention. You can see this song taking on a much greater stature onstage. It is polished, very polished, but slightly heavier than you would expect from radio-rock bands. The lyrical content is very familiar Metal fare, take a stand and avoid being damned.
Things have a more up-to-date sound with To The Dark, with superfast riffing at the start and a much more modern sound than the two earlier tracks. This is a song about keeping hold of your inner strength, whatever the challenge or whatever challenging people we might find ourselves facing.
Above all, this is an album that loves to synthesise and engineer sounds, and in this song, they do it to the vocals. Whether you like that approach or not, it works. Simple as that.
All For Sale is a slow, acoustic song telling the story of things of value never being claimed or owned, whether that’s your music, your thoughts, or your love. It is an introspective, thoughtful song, and definitely deeper than your average ballad that appears on Metal albums.
Finnish origins come to the fore with The Cradle, as brooding guitars and drums usher in haunting lyrics. There is a definite Nightwish feel to this song in the way it is arranged, but that is definitely not a bad thing. The ’80s style chorused guitars have a rich tone throughout, and its mid-road territory is also apparent in this, as in many of the songs.
And then things change, like flipping over to side two in the old vinyl days of yore, in the shape of Rotten Gold. This has a much more aggressive start than the previous songs. Just when you think we are lost in ’80s radioland – not necessarily a bad place – you are suddenly transported to badass city.
This song has got absolutely more edge to it, along with a ’70s meets noughties guitar solo. The title, dripping with malevolence, absolutely matches the content.
Want to know what FTS stands for? Fuck This Shit. You just know this song is not about appeasement, and I am here to tell you that it has got a corrosive opening riff while the machine gun drumming really ups the tempo. This song has some great guitar moments and really aggressive lyrics and heralds a much harder edge to the album, giving it more variety.
That said, even within the song, there are slower, melodic moments, mostly just before the shout-out chorus line, for added contrast. Bad day at work? Listen to this song. I cannot promise you will feel any better, but at least you will know that some badass Finnish musicians know exactly how you feel.
Things slow down a little bit for Let The Light Be Free, with its slow, atmospheric reverb intro, and lyrics that ooze emotion, despair, and failing hope. But not lost hope. It is definitely a song of light and dark and the choices we all make. The album is also two halves. Radio-friendly for the first half, with a nod to the ’80s, and a lot harsher for the second half.
There is still room for a power ballad, though. Loud And Clear has a slow, sedate start and builds into a song that suggests otherwise. It’s about making up after the argument, about the challenges of keeping a relationship strong after the bad things happen.
The ’80s return like a speeding DeLorean with Wait. It is another classic power ballad with slow, brooding verses and a powered-up chorus. For those of us who remember, it is refreshing to know that bands and singers today still hark back to those times, but I cannot help wondering if they are taking a big risk with their younger audiences.
The album closes with David Bowie & Clyde, a mellow, acoustic and introspective track, as unexpected as it is refreshing and purely enjoyable. This is strangely out of place but so much more musical than your average ballad single. It is not rock, not Metal. It is just a beautiful song.
Noora Louhimo and Netta Laurenne save their sucker punch for the last song, and I am floored. Take nothing away from the rest of the album, but this is a genius way to finish it.
“Falling Through Stars is the second collaborative album with Noora,” Netta Laurenne said, “and it gave us the opportunity to step in and out of our comfort zones to meet halfway. We had a great time writing and recording the album, which I co-produced with my husband, Nino Laurenne.
“This album takes us on a journey through both the past and future of Metal. We’ve aimed to incorporate styles, instruments, and emotions spanning from the ’70s to the present day. It’s a dynamic album that showcases both raw power and delicate moments, and we’re excited to share it with everyone.”
So there you have it. This album has both feet and half a leg inside the ’80s, and when you are as old and knackered as me, it is like a chorused guitar tardis trip back to my youth.
I am loving it. But will Metal’s younger listeners? Personally, I really hope so.
Laurenne/Louhimo – Falling Through Stars is released on 18 April 2025 via Frontiers Music s.r.l. Pre-orders are available via ffm.to/laurennelouhimofts.
