Album review: MIRKA RANTANEN’s CIRCUS OF ROCK – Come One Come All

 MIRKA RANTANEN's CIRCUS OF ROCK - Come One Come All

Frontiers [release date 06.08.21]

Circus Of Rock is a multiple guests band … singers, musicians … put together by King Company drummer boy, Mirka Rantanen. The album, Come One Come All is the realisation of a life long ambition, a “dream come true” according to the man himself.

The cheesy “Welcome To The Circus” spoken intro, followed by maniacal, clownish laughter tells you all you need to know. Circus Of Rock provides old fashioned, in your face rock’n'roll entertainment, spiked with loud guitars and metallised riffs.

And with bravura vocal performances from, among others, Danny (Tyketto) Vaughn, Pasi (Thunderstone) Rantanen and Rick (Masterplan) Altzi, there’s ample here to satisfy the appetites of even the most ravenous of hard rock and melodic metal fans.

Big hitters Johny (Hardline) Gioeli and Marco (Nightwish/Tarot) Hietela create a big, bold benchmark with ‘Desperate Cry’ and ‘Ghost Town’. Gioeli’s track evolves rapidly into a powerful, stomping, riff heavy sensory assault, topped off with a towering edifice of a chorus. His gravelly vocals just about anchor it to solid ground.

And as with everything Hietela touches, there’s a constant pulse to the material … a musical heartbeat that speeds and slows as the surging, symphonic metal arrangement rises and falls. His voice acts as conductor, allowing for a much more graphic musical style.

Having set the standard, everything thereafter provides full on sonic engagement. Yes, it falters a little on the album’s second half, some uneveness is inevitable with 14 different vocalists, but the first half is almost incomparable.

Picks are ‘Never’, an out and out heart on its sleeve rock song, tuned into the melodies, harmonies and simple sentiments of 80′s AOR, sung by the master, Kimmo (Leverage) Blom. Producer Rantanen then creates a suitably dramatic musical backdrop for Elize (Amaranthe) Ryde to create her own brand of vocal sympatico. She promptly obliges with an epic “sounds-like-a-Bond-theme” ‘Times Of Despair’.

As dreams go, this one turned out pretty good. ****

Review by Brian McGowan


Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Josh Taerk Sunday Sessions 2024

Latest session: Sunday 25 February
Next session: Sunday 14 April

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio



David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 March 2024.


UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 5 March 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com


Power Plays w/c 18 March 2024

GYPSY’S KISS We’ve Come To Play
FM Out Of The Blue (Frontiers)
SHOTGUN MISTRESS Shot Down (indie)
ATTIC THEORY Violent Delight (indie)
FLOYA Yume (FiXT)
SAHAJI Tell Me All Your Feelings (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 18 March 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 LEAVES’ EYES Myths Of Fate (AFM Records)
14:00-16:00 HOLLY LERSKI Sweet Decline (indie)


To see our Tweets you need to be logged in to a Twitter account



Popular (last 10 days)


This entry was posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply