Review: The Rasmus — Black Roses (2008)
Spikes growing inward—a living classic of the Finnish rock scene
Black Roses is the seventh studio album by the Finnish rock band The Rasmus, released in the fall of 2008. Recorded under the guidance of legendary producer Desmond Child, the album is a concept piece built around the story of a man coping with a painful breakup and embarking on a journey toward self-discovery through inner turmoil.
This choice of narrative structure was not accidental: Desmond Child gifted the band a 100-page screenwriting textbook intended for film students. Inspired by the book, frontman Lauri Ylönen structured the album into four distinct narrative acts: orphanhood, adventure, militancy, and torment.
Black Roses became the band's fourth consecutive full-length album to peak at number one on the Finnish charts.
Compared to the band's two previous records, it features a lighter, more electronic sound. While the official tracklist consists of 11 songs and one bonus track, “Yesterday You Threw Away Tomorrow,” the band initially planned to include a 20-minute epic titled “Iisakin kirkoksi” (“St. Isaac's Cathedral”).
This choice of narrative structure was not accidental: Desmond Child gifted the band a 100-page screenwriting textbook intended for film students. Inspired by the book, frontman Lauri Ylönen structured the album into four distinct narrative acts: orphanhood, adventure, militancy, and torment.
Black Roses became the band's fourth consecutive full-length album to peak at number one on the Finnish charts.
Compared to the band's two previous records, it features a lighter, more electronic sound. While the official tracklist consists of 11 songs and one bonus track, “Yesterday You Threw Away Tomorrow,” the band initially planned to include a 20-minute epic titled “Iisakin kirkoksi” (“St. Isaac's Cathedral”).
However, The Rasmus ultimately dropped the idea, jokingly stating that the song was “too good” to fit. Many of the album's tracks were originally composed on a laptop using digital software while the band was traveling without their instruments, which significantly contributed to the album's electronic direction.
The release of Black Roses was originally scheduled for the spring of 2008, but the band pushed it back to September to spend more time perfecting the lead single, “Livin' in a World Without You.” Additionally, the duet “October & April” was originally intended for this tracklist, but the ballad clashed too strongly with the overall concept of the album. As a result, it was excluded from the final record but was released a year later on the band's greatest hits compilation.
According to Lauri Ylönen, “Livin' in a World Without You” was the very last track recorded for the album, and its production led to a rather humorous incident: after the mastering process was already complete, Ylönen had to fly back to Stockholm to re-record a single phrase that was interfering with the final mix.
Ultimately, the entire sound design of Black Roses was tailored to match this specific track. Lauri also admitted that he prefers not to over-explain the song's lyrics, allowing every listener to find their own meaning within them.
The album cover was designed and crafted from paper by frontman Lauri Ylönen, before being transformed into a 3D model. The final design resembles a compass pointing in five directions: the four cardinal points and the unique direction chosen by the band.
The following track, “Ten Black Roses,” ties directly into the album's title. The core message of the song is established in its opening lines—a ship in a bottle will remain stationary until the wind catches its sails. On a deeper level, the story takes a romantic turn. In the official “Track by Track” commentary, Lauri explains that it is about a guy who is in love with a girl and sends her black roses because he is the only one who knows she loves them.
“Ghost of Love” came together during the recording sessions, sparked by a riff that Pauli Rantasalmi came up with during a break. The entire track was built around this riff and was originally intended to be the album's lead single, though it was ultimately released as the third. According to Lauri, the song was heavily inspired by the musical aesthetic of the 1980s.
“Justify” was the very first song recorded for the album. Work on its demo began on the Greek island of Folegandros, while the final track was recorded in Los Angeles. Guitarist Pauli Rantasalmi noted that the band went through around thirty demo versions before settling on the final arrangement. “Justify” carries a mood that is both uplifting and melancholic, with lyrics deeply rooted in Lauri Ylönen's personal life experiences.
With “Your Forgiveness,” Lauri wanted to explore the idea that certain secrets should never be revealed, and that one doesn't always need to be an open book to everyone. Musically, the track blends electronic elements with a heavier, guitar-driven sound.
“Run to You” was inspired by watching a sunset and continues the “adventure” phase of the album's concept. The protagonist must head into battle but asks his lover to keep her feelings for him alive. Lauri mentioned that the song evokes the atmosphere of a 1940s or 1950s film noir.
“You Got It Wrong” became the only track to face censorship in an effort to avoid an “explicit” or 18+ rating. The issue was with the line “but I don't give a fuck,” from which the final word was removed; however, it remains easy to guess due to the rhyming line that ends with the word “luck.” Sonic-wise, this is one of the heaviest songs on Black Roses, and it represents the “orphanhood” stage of the concept, which signifies betrayal.
According to Lauri, “Lost and Lonely” is a great live track thanks to its rhythm and musicality. Like many of the songs on the album, it was written during the band's writing sessions in Greece. In it, the protagonist is drowning in doubt due to the fate dealt to him. The track concludes with a brief instrumental tribute to Metallica.
Meanwhile, “The Fight” is the fastest song on the entire tracklist. It is a militant, war-like anthem backed by a powerful orchestral arrangement. The core message of the song is to never give up, even if the outcome of the battle seems predetermined.
One of the album's final tracks, “Dangerous Kind,” maintains a strong connection to the band's earlier work and genuinely stands out from the rest of the material on Black Roses.
The album also leaves room for a ballad, which comes in the form of “Live Forever.” The lyrics are filled with melancholic reflections on bygone years. “People change, people disappear from your life, but memories connect them,” is how Lauri Ylönen described it.
The re-release of the album was expanded with the track “Yesterday You Threw Away Tomorrow,” which originally had not been included on any of the released singles. The version of the album reissued with this song also features a slightly different color grading on the cover art.
The release of Black Roses was originally scheduled for the spring of 2008, but the band pushed it back to September to spend more time perfecting the lead single, “Livin' in a World Without You.” Additionally, the duet “October & April” was originally intended for this tracklist, but the ballad clashed too strongly with the overall concept of the album. As a result, it was excluded from the final record but was released a year later on the band's greatest hits compilation.
According to Lauri Ylönen, “Livin' in a World Without You” was the very last track recorded for the album, and its production led to a rather humorous incident: after the mastering process was already complete, Ylönen had to fly back to Stockholm to re-record a single phrase that was interfering with the final mix.
Ultimately, the entire sound design of Black Roses was tailored to match this specific track. Lauri also admitted that he prefers not to over-explain the song's lyrics, allowing every listener to find their own meaning within them.
The album cover was designed and crafted from paper by frontman Lauri Ylönen, before being transformed into a 3D model. The final design resembles a compass pointing in five directions: the four cardinal points and the unique direction chosen by the band.
The following track, “Ten Black Roses,” ties directly into the album's title. The core message of the song is established in its opening lines—a ship in a bottle will remain stationary until the wind catches its sails. On a deeper level, the story takes a romantic turn. In the official “Track by Track” commentary, Lauri explains that it is about a guy who is in love with a girl and sends her black roses because he is the only one who knows she loves them.
“Ghost of Love” came together during the recording sessions, sparked by a riff that Pauli Rantasalmi came up with during a break. The entire track was built around this riff and was originally intended to be the album's lead single, though it was ultimately released as the third. According to Lauri, the song was heavily inspired by the musical aesthetic of the 1980s.
“Justify” was the very first song recorded for the album. Work on its demo began on the Greek island of Folegandros, while the final track was recorded in Los Angeles. Guitarist Pauli Rantasalmi noted that the band went through around thirty demo versions before settling on the final arrangement. “Justify” carries a mood that is both uplifting and melancholic, with lyrics deeply rooted in Lauri Ylönen's personal life experiences.
With “Your Forgiveness,” Lauri wanted to explore the idea that certain secrets should never be revealed, and that one doesn't always need to be an open book to everyone. Musically, the track blends electronic elements with a heavier, guitar-driven sound.
“Run to You” was inspired by watching a sunset and continues the “adventure” phase of the album's concept. The protagonist must head into battle but asks his lover to keep her feelings for him alive. Lauri mentioned that the song evokes the atmosphere of a 1940s or 1950s film noir.
“You Got It Wrong” became the only track to face censorship in an effort to avoid an “explicit” or 18+ rating. The issue was with the line “but I don't give a fuck,” from which the final word was removed; however, it remains easy to guess due to the rhyming line that ends with the word “luck.” Sonic-wise, this is one of the heaviest songs on Black Roses, and it represents the “orphanhood” stage of the concept, which signifies betrayal.
According to Lauri, “Lost and Lonely” is a great live track thanks to its rhythm and musicality. Like many of the songs on the album, it was written during the band's writing sessions in Greece. In it, the protagonist is drowning in doubt due to the fate dealt to him. The track concludes with a brief instrumental tribute to Metallica.
Meanwhile, “The Fight” is the fastest song on the entire tracklist. It is a militant, war-like anthem backed by a powerful orchestral arrangement. The core message of the song is to never give up, even if the outcome of the battle seems predetermined.
One of the album's final tracks, “Dangerous Kind,” maintains a strong connection to the band's earlier work and genuinely stands out from the rest of the material on Black Roses.
The album also leaves room for a ballad, which comes in the form of “Live Forever.” The lyrics are filled with melancholic reflections on bygone years. “People change, people disappear from your life, but memories connect them,” is how Lauri Ylönen described it.
The re-release of the album was expanded with the track “Yesterday You Threw Away Tomorrow,” which originally had not been included on any of the released singles. The version of the album reissued with this song also features a slightly different color grading on the cover art.
Rating: 9/10
- Tuuli TalvinenFounder & Editor-in-ChiefInterviewer