Even in a nation like Finland, home of numerous musical Wunderkinder, Pete Ahonen is exceptional. Not just because he is a fantastic guitarist, but even his unique voice with its constant transitions between darker and lighter tones, awakens memories of great vocalists such as Jeff Scott Soto. So when the constellation of two talents unite in a single person, then it is no wonder that the 4 track demo, that he recorded with his friend Jukka Kyrö (Guitar) and guest musicians, under the project name of PLANET CARAVAN reap loud echos in the press.
Motivated by this initial success, Pete and Jukka soon found other musicians in their home town, Oulu. With Jari Kaiponen (drums) and Toni "Jöpe" Kansanoja (bass) on board, they didn't just change the name to BURNING POINT, but their musical style also quickly evolved from their Black Sabbath oriented material to a blend of classic metal (Accept, Priest, Black Sabbath, Yngwie Malmsteen) and the unfettered energy and musicality of Children Of Bodom. And it took only their first three songs, recorded on a simple 3-track CD, to get a record deal with a Finnish Indie label.
A short time later BURNING POINT settled in to the Neo Studios in Oulu with producer Kari Vähäkuopus to record their debut album, "Salvation by Fire". The result was impressive that Limb Music Products offered the band a contract and secured the rights to the debut. The album was released in October 2001. A subsequent Finland tour was to be a total triumph for BURNING POINT. The concerts, all held in 400-600 capacity venues and co-headlining with bands such as Thunderstone - were almost all sold out, and numerous fans had to be turned away.
Spurred on by this success, BURNING POINT again went into the Neo Studio in Oulu in May 2002, this time for six weeks, to record their second album, "Feeding the Flames". Kari Vähäkuopus, whose enthusiasm and hardwork was a huge factor in the success which BURNING POINT had enjoyed so far, was again chosen to produce the album. Power Metal with a high level of song writing and a huge portion of talent that's what was waiting for the fans on "Feeding the Flames". "We aren't pyromaniacs," says guitarist Jukka Kyrö, "but fire is a wonderful metaphor for our music because fire also means change and a new beginning."
Source: http://www.limb-music.de
