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Ginger Evil: The Way It Burns
Ginger Evil - The Way It Burns Album Art

Ginger Evil: The Way It Burns

Melodic Hard Rock
4.5/5.0

Ginger bread. Ginger beer. Ginger Evil. The origin story of the Finish band goes back 20 years when guitarist Tomi Julkunen and bassist Veli Palevaara were writing songs for their band Moonshine Inc. Unable to find a suitable vocalist, the project was shelved. The duo went on to their main gig, The Milestones, a popular Finnish rock band.

After dropping their fifth studio album, Beautiful Light in 2019, Julkunen and Palevaara resurrected those old Moonshine Inc. tunes, found notable Finnish vocalist Ella Tepponen and drummer Toni Mustonen, and Ginger Evil was born again (pun). In the last nine months, the band has released seven videos in advance of their debut album,The Way It Burns, which drops on Valentine's day for the Frontiers Music label.

Ginger Evil - Click For Larger Image

Ginger Evil

Tomi Julkunen summarized the band: "The main reason for forming Ginger Evil was to have a safe place as a band, where the song is the boss. Not the production, not the so-called perfect sound, not the number one single. Keith Richards said once "Smile is the boss". For me, that is the ground rule; to make yourself feel good. If someone else likes the song, it's an added bonus ..."


Ginger Evil also describes their music as everything "from Foo Fighters to Fleetwood Mac." I found them to be a solid mixture of classic melodic hard rock, guitar garage rock, and alt rock. Or, perhaps to some, a female-fronted version of The Milestones. With that said, the songwriting is strong with an emphasis on sharp riffs, song melody, rock groove, and raw energy. This is self-evident with Dead On Arrival, Black Waves, Last Frontier, and riff-roaring Rainmaker. Alternatively, tunes like Not Your Fool and the bluesy Better Get In Line move on a more steady groove. Softer, more ballad-like anthems, if you will, come with Arrowhead and Wake Me. Julkunen's comments ring true: the song is the boss.

All said, Ginger Evil's debut album The Way It Burns delivers a solid platter of contemporary classic melodic hard rock informed by parts guitar-driven garage and alt rock. It's a fine mix and a fine listen. Recommended.



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The Take Away

Ginger Evil's debut album The Way It Burns delivers a solid platter of contemporary classic melodic hard rock informed by parts guitar-driven garage and alt rock. It's a fine mix and a fine listen. Recommended.

Support the artist, click the link below to buy the album at Amazon (US site) in your favorite format.

Purchase Ginger Evil - The Way It Burns at Amazon
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