City Canyons Records announces the release of Finnish group Valerian's hot new monster of an album, GUERILLA FIGHTING METHOD, a revolutionary album in more ways than one. "Hot" is not just slang for a winning rocker, although the album is certainly that. "Hot" also means angry. Valerian has issues with "The Man" and the band doesn't hold anything back, attacking everyone from "Mr. Despot," (who bears a striking resemblance to certain current politicians) to those who attempt to destroy the will and identity of the younger generation in "Children of the Menticide". In short, the band grabs the world of corrupt power by the throat and just won't let go.
None of the album becomes a preachy diatribe however. Huge twin guitars from Toni Ritonen and Matti Toivonen, the remarkable rhythm section of bassist Janne Jääskeläinen and drummer Tipi Andersson together with the protean voice of lead singer Olli Koskela grabs your body and soul and won't let go. The powerful political and social statements of the Finnish group dominate the album but there are some other winning components of the CD as well including, by way of example, a haunting and somewhat disturbing lament for lost love in "Reservoir" and a tender ballad, "My Only Love".
GUERILLA FIGHTING METHOD is the second album from Valerian. While the band's first album under the City Canyons Record label, INTIMATIONS OF SORROW, was hailed as a glam metal influenced classic, the Finnish five go in a somewhat different direction this time, blending such influences as Guns n' Roses with post-Nirvana alternative rock and the social and political awareness of a Bruce Springsteen
Formed 1997 in Helsinki, Finland by singer Olli Koskela and drummer Tipi Andersson. Guitarist Toni Ritonen and bassist Jake Hayry joined the band in the summer same year. Koskela had a poem called "Valerian Moon" and according to Koskela, it wasn't much of a poem but the name stuck: Valerian was born.
The band's first performance was in a club called "Fat Mama" in Helsinki in December 1997. The cd-single "Don't Let Your Vision Blind You" was released in the summer of 1998 with a keyboard-player as a fifth. Later on they decided to keep on rocking in the original form, as a quartet. At the end of 1998 Valerian's first video "Happy Is A Sad Word" was shot.
The second single "Why" was released in March 2000 and in May Valerian signed a recording contract with an independent record label Uplift Records. The second video, singletrack "Why" was shot in the summer of 2000.
The debut album "Narcosis" was released in August 2000. Single "Why" gained airtime on Radio City in Helsinki. Also the video "Why" had on a good rotation on a local tv-station, MoonTV. Year 2001/2002 passed by as the band concentrated on creating new material, searching for a new record contract and playing live shows as well as making general adjustments.
There has been a few changes in the line-up: In November 2001 bassist Jake Hayry was replaced by Janne Jskelinen, who had played a couple of shows with Valerian previously so he was familiar with the band and their style and vice versa. In April 2002, guitarist Matti Toivonen was welcomed to join the band.
In March 2004 City Canyons Records signs a three album deal with Valerian. The three-album deal between the downtown Manhattan label and the Finnish group kicks off with the late fall 2004 release of Valerian's North American debut album INTIMATIONS OF SORROW.
