• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

December 2024

• After Lapse: Pathways
• Illusion Force: Halfana
• Powell-Payne: Voilá

November 2024

• Sunstorm: Restless Fight
• Storace: Crossfire
• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
• DGM: Endless
• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
• Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive: Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

• Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
• Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
• Eclipse: Megalomanium II
• SteelCity: Reverence
• Hydra: ReHydrated
• Heartwind: III
• Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
• Find Me: Nightbound
• The Nail: The Nail
• Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
• Stryper: When We Were Kings
• Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
• Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
• Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

• Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
• Paralydium: Universe Calls
• Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
• Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
• All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
• Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
• Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

[ More Music Reviews ]

Brainstorm: Midnight Ghost

Melodic/Heavy/Power Metal

4.0/5.0

Website Facebook
AFM Records
Released: 28.09.2018
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 26.09.2018

Germany's Brainstorm needs little introduction. Formed nearly 30 years ago, the band has been a heavy power metal stalwart in the German and international metal universe. While it took Brainstorm almost ten years to drop their first album, they've been putting out albums consistently since then, and even more so in recent years. This year's Midnight Ghost, is their third album in a span of five years, their twelfth overall.

Brainstorm

Midnight Ghost finds the Teutonic power metal heroes in fine form. The band, the album, the tunes are as expected: intense, heavy, and hard charging. Brainstorm has always been exceptional and efficient at mixing the best elements of power metal together: gallop and groove with guitar harmony and vocal melody and an audacious amount of blistering guitar solos. It's a tried and true formula for the pleasure of power metal fans and the chagrin of their abundant critics.

Brainstorm nails it from the start with Devil's Eye, but also later with The Pyre, Haunting Voices, the steady speed of Revealing The Darkness, and the ambitious groove of When Pain Becomes Real, perhaps the most catchy power metal number here. But you also have some nuances. There's the historical melodic metal anthem of Jeanne Boulet, the first victim of France's 18th century man-eating wolf, The Beast of Gevaudan. At the end, Brainstorm dials things back ever so slightly with acoustic guitar betwixt with heaviness within The Path. Suffice to say, with Midnight Ghost, Brainstorm continues to fly the flag of true heavy power metal and their fans should be pleased. Recommended.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

With Midnight Ghost, Brainstorm once more continues to fly the flag of true heavy power metal and fans should be pleased. Recommended.

Alphabetical Index

The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]