Metal Reviews

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Oh good, a new Brainstorm album. I didn't like Downburst, let's what this one has to offer.

I tried it. I wasn't that good.
I don't see myself given it more than a 55/60.

55/60? That's pretty good.

I still spin Ambiguity and Metus Mortis from time to time. Good band. I'll give this a try.

This is one of my favorite bands. Their last one was a little out there though. Glad to see they came back to the straight forward style that makes me love them. This is fist in the air metal. My favorite album by these guys is Liquid Monster but Metus Mortis, Soul Temptation, and Downburst are great too. I liked Memorial Roots, but it is not a good representation of their overall catalog. This one is awesome though! The first song is Epic! I am so happy they came back to form. It's cool that they experimented a little on Memorial Roots, but I am happy to have the groove pocket back.The songs move along nicely with the trademark Brainstorm upbeat rhythms and beats. It's catchy stuff. You'll be singing the choruses in your head after a few listens. If you like Iron Maiden, Helloween, Stratovarius, Nevermore, Jag Panzer, etc..., this album, this band, is for you. Thanx Brainstorm! This is just what the doctor ordered.

I will admit I have not given this a proper listen yet, but my 1st impression from what I've heard is this band---which has been one of my favorites---is starting to run out of ideas.

As advertised, this album returns to a heavier sound, but even with a catchy chorus that has me nodding and stomping my foot I am still getting a very strong feeling of having heard these melodies and arrangements (with minor variation) not even once but several times before from Brainstorm. And I think when it gets to the point where you can't separate that feeling when you hear something, then it's an issue.

For me it's hard to pick their strongest album between Soul Temptation and Liquid Monster, and then Downburst falls just slightly below those two.

To me there was still progress on Downburst, where they expanded on the more dramatic atmosphere and symphonic elements in songs like "End In Sorrow." Since then I've started to get the impression of song ideas being recycled. On Roots, for instance, it's hard to ignore the similarity between opener "Forsake What I Believed" and "Shiva's Tears" from Soul Temptation . . . though, on the other hand, "Would You" has probably one of their most unique choruses and is my favorite track on Roots.

I know they changed labels and there is pressure to keep releasing material to keep up the interest level, but to me Brainstorm may need at least a recording break to recharge the creative batteries. It feels like Memorial Roots and this one have come in fairly quick succession after Downburst, with the final Symphorce album---which was dismal---stuck in there too for Franck. That's a lot of songs in a relatively brief period, and I think it's starting to show up in a certain "sameness" in all the material. Case in point, Symphorce was always the place where Franck did music that was out of character for Brainstorm, but that last album sounded like watered down, Brainstorm leftovers.

Let's face it, Brainstorm has always had a very signature sound, but through Downburst I always felt like they refreshed it and kicked it up a notch with a few new elements on each album. On this one and Roots it has started to sound like the formula is wearing a bit thin.

That said, I do love these guys, and I owe this album a more thorough listen.

Interesting points. Because I never heard Memorial Roots, I couldnt base anything off of it but , as stated in my review, I felt like this was a departure from past albums. Nothing recycled beyond what I expect from any Power Metal band that has been around for awhile (Power Metal as a whole offers less and less fresh material) and quite a bit of innovative chances taken within the Brainstorm mold. Certainly different than Downburst and back in places, though whether this is good or bad is of course up to the listener. In hind sight, 88/100 might have been a bit high for this album, though high 70's to low 80's range is still accurate IMO.

60/100 for me haven't listened to it much since it was released, nothing really grabs my attention all sounds too familiar. I do perfer the last album and as for their best albums they were years ago.

I loved Memorial Roots. And I think the new one is really good. Definitely not boring, in my opinion.

I wonder, though, if people are just expecting too much after Liquid Monster. That album was so damn catchy! Their previous albums weren't that catchy, aside from a handful of songs on each. And the albums since are basically the same: each one having a couple really catchy tunes.

So I wonder if we'd feel the same way about the last few albums if they never released Liquid Monster? My guess is no.

Did you decide to reinvent yourself yet again for the 8 people that post here?

I don't reinvent myself. Nothing has changed. If people start picking fights with me—which was always the issue—then you'll see. But I'll probably eventually do what I've been doing here, get bored and block my account and disappear for a year or so.

I like the "8 people who post here" jibe, too. Like he's done an in-depth survey...

Listening to this right now, so far it's nice. I'm foreseeing a poor replay value though.

I think he meant 7, with Steve being gone. BTW, I feel like I owe you money for that, it made my day. Do take credit or cash only?

The chorus on My Own Hell gives me goosebumps. Choruses have always been Brainstorm main strong point. Good stuff.

+1, Andy has a great voice.

I did finally give this album a proper series of spins and I have to amend my initial impressions. This is a lot stronger than I first thought. And, again, while Brainstorm does have a very signature sound, most of these songs do have more of their own voice and aren't quite as closely patterned after previous material as I first thought (and which was true of a couple tracks on Memorial Roots and even Downburst).

Still not up there with Soul Temptation and Liquid Monster IMO, but this is definitely a step up in both intensity and end-to-end song quality over Memorial Roots. I'm liking this a lot and spinning it quite a bit in the past few weeks.