Few power metal bands of late can claim a good string of solid albums, time after time. Either they begin copying themselves over, or they wander off into different genres, or they drop off the map altogether. One exception is the Greek phenomenon Firewind, with young axe wizard Gus G at the helm. After two such particularly strong outings, Allegience and The Premonition, the group returns with an even stronger offering called Days Of Defiance. The sound is very reminiscent of the band’s first two albums, as indicated by the cover art. New drummer Michael Ehre is a fantastic addition, and the performance that ensues is excellent. Focus is more on the guitars, vocals are more aggressive, and the songwriting has even stepped up a notch. There is very little to dislike here.

The talent is certainly here, but even more important is the ability to function together as a seamless unit. This is something that escapes a great many bands, especially those with budding guitar prodigies like Gus G in the mix. Fortunately, the chemistry in Days Of Defiance is pure and strong, and Firewind races out of the box with two singles up front. The Ark Of Lies is a good, heavy intro to the album, and Apollo Papathanasio sounds as gritty and powerful as ever. Hard to go back to a Majestic album and believe that’s the same guy behind the mic, he has really developed with this band. Furious heavy metal riffs abound in the next track, World On Fire, as Gus G amps up the double-tracked wall of furious sound from beginning to end. Might I recommend the Limited Edition, which includes three extra songs.

In reality, every song is a quality piece, from the hook-filled Embrace The Sun, to the high-flying instrumental shredder SKG, right on through the last stratospheric guitar solo on When All Is Said And Done. The choruses are all monsters, and they come like the waves of a tide, one right after another. Riffs abound aplenty, but they serve the ultimate purpose and structure of each song, rather than dominating the experience to the point of annoyance. This was easily one of the best releases of 2010, and I might be filleted with a machete for saying so, but I’m thinking it may top Iron Maiden’s album from last summer, in terms of overall production. A risky thought, but if any power metal band has earned such praise, it is Firewind.