Brainstorm - Firesoul

Power Metal
AFM
2014










1. Erased By The Dark
2. Firesoul
3. Descendants Of The Fire
4. Entering Solitude
5. Recall The Real
6. Shadowseeker
7. Feed Me Lies
8. What Grows Inside
9. The Chosen
10. ...And I Wonder

I've always liked Brainstorm though I'm not sure I could say I've ever quite loved them. Never really a top tier power metal band, they have none the less made some material I've liked and I do quite enjoy Andy B. Franck's vocals.  Basically, they have qualified as a good power metal band if not a favorite or a leader of the pack in my eyes. With that in mind I went into this one with modest expectations, but some curiosity. It had been awhile since they Really peaked my interest, but I'd also love to hear something like Metus Mortis or Soul Temptation again. What I wanted was some good German power metal heaviness.

Well, what I wanted was pretty much what I got. This is some heavy German power metal. Firesoul is a straight forward sort of album as it just focuses on blazing ahead, keeping the head up, and keeping the listener's head banging. Mission accomplished I would say as the band sounds good with the pedal to the floor and just focusing on laying down some heavy riffs while Andy B Franck soars above them with his Bruce Dickinson reminiscent sound and projection. There's not a huge amount of variation here and this is pretty no frills, but that kind of works to the album's benefit. Basically, there is an obvious formula, but the formula is solid. Firesoul is the kind of album I could easily see myself throwing on when I just want high energy/something to pump me up. There are a few moments of the more melodic to vary things just a bit though and those are also appreciated in that sort of way. Entering The Solitude uses a short melodic passage to set up the song early on and a couple others do make wider use of a mid paced, melodic approach. These include Recall The Real with it's chanting and paced approach as well as the highlight ...And I Wonder. That one just nails the mid paced approach as it allows Franck's vocals to breathe nicely and comes off as very powerful. Also worth noting is a nice touch of piano included in it.

Overall, this album is about 75% the same sort of song, but it just does a good job of it. Sometimes you want an album that just charges ahead and this fits into that sort of a niche. Perhaps not complicating things too much is to this band's benefit as this is the best album I've heard from them in awhile. I guess you can overthink things sometimes and getting back to basics serves Brainstorm well. If you just want some good, heavy, straight up German power metal than this is pretty satisfying.

Highlights: Descendants Of The Fire, Entering Solitude, ...And I Wonder

Rating - 3.5/5

Brainstorm - On The Spur Of The Moment

Power Metal
AFM

2011

1. Below The Line
2. In The Blink Of An Eye
3. Temple Of Stone
4. In These Walls
5. Still Insane
6. Dark Life
7. No Saint - No Sinner
8. Where Your Actions Lead You To Live
9. A Life On Hold
10. My Own Hell

Brainstorm are what I'd call a middle tier power metal band and that's not meant as a slight. Not everyone can be the top of a genre, but they've put out some pretty good material with a good vocalist and driving sound. Unfortunately, their last album Memorial Roots was uninspired to the point of just tedium and had no staying power at all. I guess with an album like this one the question becomes was it a one off flop or a more enduring turn for the worse.

Thankfully, I'd have to say Memorial Roots was that one off flop and things seem back in order with On The Spur Of The Moment. At least mostly. This isn't an instant home run, but the energy and life does seem breathed back into the band. Not exactly sure what happened with that last one, but On The Spur Of The Moment has some good wails from Franck and the pace doesn't seem so sedated. This is pretty much straight up German style power metal and it works pretty well for the band. As an overall listen this is has a pretty good sound and the band seems more together and frankly... awake.

Where the album does fall a bit short is in terms of highlights. A lot of this does blend as none of the songs really do break the mold. This is straight ahead to a fault. That is one thing that is similar to the last, but this one just sounds overall better. I guess I'd just like a nice couple of singles to latch onto. Something like a good, different hook that jumps out and that's not really something I found here. Also the choruses do not really jump out at me even if the vocals are pretty well delivered throughout the album.

I guess you could call On The Spur Of The Moment a bounce back, but it would've been nice if the band bounced back a little higher. Some stronger choruses like on past singles All Those Words, Doorway To Survive, etc could have elevated this one more. The songwriting just doesn't quite hook me. If you're a Brainstorm fan you can breathe a sigh of relief that this isn't Memorial Roots pt 2 though.

Highlights: Below The Line, No Sinner - No Saint

Rating - 3.0/5

Brainstorm - Memorial Roots

Power Metal
AFM Records

2009

1. Forsake What I Believed
2. Shiver
3. The Conjunction of 7 Planets
4. Cross the Line
5. Nailed Down Dreams
6. Blood Still Stains
7. Ahimsa
8. The Final Stages of Decay
9. Victim
10. When No One Cares
11. Would You
12. Seems To Be Perfect
13. Too Late To Deny

Though not necessarily what I would classify as a favorite, I've always enjoyed Brainstorm to some extent. Pretty much meat and potatoes sorta metal with a straight up heavy German power approach and and a familiar general style, but Andy Franck has a good voice and the band has some good songs to their credit.

I've gotta say however that on Memorial Roots Brainstorm have managed to put together one boring album. This is such a lifeless album that it took a number of times listening to it and considerable effort to concentrate on listening to it. My mind and attention just kept wanting to wander and this, of course, is not the best initial sign. Really after repeated listens I haven't warmed to it either. These songs are so interchangeable and lifeless that I'm hit by the impression of wall to wall filler. The guitar lacks edge, the songs meander nowhere fast and to no particularly strong choruses or solos. Basically, this album presents me with the impression of being a familiar formula done half heartedly and with little heaviness to boot.

The ultimate irony is that an album like this has a name like 'Memorial Roots' as this is about as far from memorable as an album can get. There's nothing on here that is just horrible to listen to, but I can't see myself ever feeling the urge to listen to it. This album has no highlights and really no soul. This seems like something that was released just with the objective of having an album sold to me. Maybe the band just wasn't feeling it this time out, but man is this a big time miss. Needless to say I would not recommend this one and only completists/major fans of the band may want to consider this release. Maybe someone else will find something here, but I cannot rate an album well that I find so dreadfully boring.

Highlights: None

Rating - 2.0/5

Brainstorm - Downburst

Power Metal
Metal Blade

2008

1. Falling Spiral Down
2. Fire Walk With Me
3. Stained With Sin
4. Redemption In Your Eyes
5. End In Sorrow
6. How Do You Feel
7. Protect Me From Myself
8. Surrounding Walls
9. Frozen
10. All Alone

Now 7 albums deep into their career (5 with Andy Franck), Brainstorm continue along and have to be considered one of the mainstays of the German power sound at this point. I've always enjoyed em for what they are, which is basically a formulatic but enjoyable catchy heavy power band. Granted, on the last album there was a bit more of an attempt at expanding their sound with a single like All Those Words.

On this album the single is likewise kinda off the wall with a strange, shout it out rock anthem chorus. Not my favorite on the album honestly, but around track 3 things really get rolling with some nice polished, catchy, and well sung power metal. I guess if it's not broken don't fix it because it's tracks like this and Redemption In Your Eyes with their patented Brainstorm sound that keep me coming back to this album for more. Also notable is the heavy, take no prisoners sound of Frozen which features some well placed synth and leaves a lasting impression.

Not much else to say here besides 'typical Brainstorm'. Besides the single I don't think anything here will be surprising, but for fans of the band I'm sure this album should be satisfying enough. Andy B Franck's vocals are a treat as always, the choruses stick with you, and the riffs have a nice heavy German power sound. Not a striking release, but par for the course. I give this one a 3.5 for being good at what it does.

Highlights: Stained With Sin, Redemption In Your Eyes, Frozen

Rating - 3.5/5

Brainstorm - Liquid Monster

Power Metal
Metal Blade

2005

1. Worlds Are Comin Through
2. Inside The Monster
3. All Those Words
4. Lifeline
5. Invisible Enemy
6. Heavenly
7. Painside
8. Despair To Drown
9. Mask of Life
10. Even Higher
11. Burns My Soul

Ever since the release of Metus Mortis Brainstorm has been gathering momentum it would seem. While the style hasn't really altered since that time, the band has trademarked their own sound and their fanbase by all accounts has been gathering like a snowball down hill. Illustrated in the high sales debuts of this album, this is just a band on the rise.

Does this album live up to the previous two you ask? I would say so. No big changes from the past couple albums present themselves, but I do believe this is a case of 'don't fit it if it ain't broken'. The songs here have their own identities but keep things in the same sort of heavy yet catchy power metal mold we've become accustomed to. Andy Franck vocals sore and the riffs are cutting. I predict nothing but more people finding their way to the Brainstorm fanbase from this one. A solid release.

Highlights: Worlds Are Comin Through, All Those Words, Invisible Enemy

Rating - 3.0/5