Long serving Teutonic power metallers Brainstorm arrive with their tenth album in their 25 year history, Firesoul. In many ways picks up where the left off with 2011's On The Spur of the Moment, offering heavier power metal.
While the melody is here, the emphasis more upon an abundance of riffage, that 'wall of sound' as it were, and a heavier, beastly, rhythm section that hammers away. This has a definite effect on the vocals and guitar solos, both of which are present but muted throughout, the latter even minimal at times. I don't think Shadowseeker has a guitar solo at all, but I could have easily missed it for assertive overpowering riffage.
But there are guitar solos, otherwise I might call Firesoul Brainstorm's St. Anger, and who wants to be compared to that heavy metal roadkill. Nevertheless, thanks to its two major elements, everything kind of runs together. I seemed to remember them sounding better than this, but you decide for yourself. Best track: Recall The Real, the most melodic with the best vocal arrangement.
Brainstorm's Firesoul is an overwhelming riffage monster with a pummeling rhythm section that beats down everything else, including the vocals and guitar solos.
This experience deserves mention for one very good reason: Finland's One Desire is one of the best classic AOR melodic hard rock bands in the genre and, perhaps, the world, right now So, I also apologize, in ... [ Read More ]