On the new Black Roses, the band doesn't quite fall off the tightrope: Fans of the older material will find a lot to like here, and the band has greatly expanded and improved its use of synthesizers. Regardless, Roses leans precariously to the pop side.

This is likely thanks to the involvement of Desmond Child, the notorious songwriter and producer who radio-friendlified everything from Aerosmith's late '80s/early '90s output to Alice Cooper's Trash to Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca." He tends to improve song quality -- in particular, his work on Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet and New Jersey was terrific -- but even the most fearsome acts he works with come out sounding ultra-polished. So he's kind of a weird match for the Rasmus: Up to this point they've had songwriting, but not edge, to spare. He does his job on Black Roses, but it's not clear his input was needed.

So the immaculate, impeccably produced Black Roses could be the stateside breakthrough the band has been waiting for, or it could irritate dedicated listeners without expanding the band's base. Given they don't seem to have U.S. distribution beyond imports and iTunes, the latter looks more probable.

The first single (and track one on the album), "Livin' in a World Without You," perfectly exemplifies this. It might as well be on a Backstreet Boys record, with its dance vibe, electronica instrumentation, lovestruck lyrics, seductive vocals, and glistening production. The Rasmus were never Pig Destroyer, but at some point it's just too bubblegum. This song is past that point. Also, the pre-chorus re-uses one of the vocal melodies from Hide from the Sun's "Don't Let Go," so add self-plagiarism to this track's list of sins.

However, there are 11 songs total, meaning the band has 10 chances to redeem itself. It wrings everything it can out of a lot of those chances.

The title track, for example, is classic Rasmus -- a dark pop song with blaring guitars and overdramatic goth lyrics. "Lost and Lonely" begins with a symphonic metal intro and evolves into an intense, brooding mid-tempo track worthy of the band's previous masterpieces "Keep Your Heart Broken" and "Immortal." "Justify" evokes The Cure and Depeche Mode. The upbeat "The Fight" stands out for its fuzzy, distorted guitars. "Live Forever" is a somber ballad in the tradition of "Not Like the Other Girls."

Others aren't so lucky. "Ghost of Love" features a guitar riff that sounds more clompy than heavy. "You Got It Wrong" starts out with speedy metal riff, but the cheesy chorus and awful guitar solo ruin it. "Dangerous Kind" runs down the same pop road that "Livin' in a World Without You" does.

Black Roses is a gamble for the Rasmus, an attempt to hold onto a pop-goth-metal fan base and appeal to the straight-up pop world as well. It may well work, but they've given up a lot of their sound in trying it.