In 1990 Brainstorm released their first demo. They have not stopped since then. From raw and unrefined to raw and powerful, these songs surround you and pull you into the world of their 10th full length record "Firesoul".
It begins with “Erased by the Dark" and "Firesoul". These have the classic metal sound that has been missing for decades. Leave it to Germany to give America what it's hungry for. But it doesn't stop there, my friends - "Descendants of the Fire" is a flashback to thrash while "Entering Solitude" reminds me of Bruce Dickenson's solo record "Chemical Wedding; heavy - without being over-zealous.
"Recall the Real" slows the flow down for only a moment. The vocals are warm and it's definitely not a boring song. Slow does not necessarily mean "Zzzzzzzzzz". Now the moment is gone to let "Shadowseeker" and "Feed me Lies" in to speed things up again. These are rich with melodic rhythms and soulful vocals. "What grows Inside" and "The Chosen" thrash it up again with ripping guitar solos that are surgical and not all about speed. Our closer "And I Wonder" is easy on the ears. Do not file this under "easy listening" though; a true heart-of-metal song here.
Each song tells a story that is easily grasped by the listener if you are truly listening. I would break it all down for you, but to do that, I would need my own blog. I'm just here to give you an idea that Brainstorm’s Firesoul is a work of art. They give you power metal, prog, thrash and classic heavy metal. The vocals take on the emotion of the song, the rhythm section is tight and powerful and the guitar duo would make Adrian Smith and Dave Murray proud! They are all that and a bag of snacks too.
I give these guys a big 8. I like 'em a lot. No real downside here, other than the voice could be a little less gritty. Other than that, the upside is everything else. Every minute of the record is well worth the time you put in to listening. So while you're investing in time well spent, spend some time on their website and read up on them and get some stuff while you’re at it.
Tim Duran, HMS
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