Originally starting as Neoshine through the 2000’s, this German power metal unit needed to change names due to a legal conflict with an American enterprise. So now we have a five-piece known as Sinbreed, signed to a new record label AFM for their second full length Shadows. Guitarist/ keyboardist Flo Laurin originally handled the majority of the songwriting for the band previously, but now joined by two Blind Guardian members in drummer Frederik Ehmke and guitarist Marcus Siepen along with vocalist Herbie Langhans (formerly of Seventh Avenue), there are 4 songwriters in the band (bassist Alex Schulz completes the lineup) and as such these 10 songs possess better musical chemistry and proper stylistic cohesion.
Sinbreed attack from more of an aggressive American perspective rather than fill their songs with layer upon layer of melody and happy harmonic tricks. Don’t get me wrong, songs such as “Reborn” and “London Moon” will bring up Teutonic aspects of veterans such as Helloween and Gamma Ray, but for the most part their riffing and tempos seem in line more from a Vicious Rumors/ Brainstorm perspective, along with a touch of Nevermore. Herbie as a vocalist has a little bit of that sinister grit that comes from older Grave Digger or even early Blind Guardian – commanding and forceful during triplet driven material like the title cut, or right in line for musically up tempo fare such as the Iron Maiden-esque “Leaving the Road”.
My current favorites include “Far Too Long” that features a series of stair step twin harmony guitar breaks from Laurin/Siepen that scream classic power metal as well as the moody 7 minute closer “Broken Wings”- tastefully given acoustic treatments to begin and end plus featuring some solid mid-tempo main riffs that should promote adequate devils horns and hair windmills.
For my money Stormwarrior and Sinbreed are inching their way closer to the upper German power brigade, especially if the quality and consistency from album to album continue in this manner.
Matt Coe, HMS
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