Brainstorm are an old acquaintance from booze nights with AM scribe Mikki. He played me this German band's older stuff back in the early 21st century. Brainstorm sounded okay this to liquid-drenched brain and have been on my "try 'em out" list since then. Come 2005. Mikki phoned me a couple of times and did courage me to get 'Liquid Monster', the band's sixth album. So I did.
There were some keywords in Mikki's praises that made me get the album: Biting guitars, manly vocals and well-crafted music. They are all here, I can assure that. Brainstorm are basically heavy metal, but with power metal and slight thrashy twists ('Despair to Drown' could partly be on Kreator's newer studio works). The band sound as German as possible, but in a good sense of the meaning. Brainstorm dwell in the darker shades of heavy metal. While the band haven't invented anything new, they have made an album that can easily bear a Brainstorm logo. Some of compositions are familiar and safe, but the band have individuality and courage to try something a bit unique at times and they have balls to play something fantastic for only once and for a short time. Mainly the band offer heavy mid-paced headbang anthems, with a couple of fast double kick drum driven pieces and a tasty slow song to liven up this over 50-minute platter. Even though the darker nature of emotions, Brainstorm kick ass like a hellblazer! This can be very uplifting. The album has a few killer songs, a lot of songs that didn't really open during first five spins of the album and a couple of songs that are a bit too long considering their little content. The band are masters in crafting memorable songs, with extremely catchy choruses, but not in a dull Eurovision song contest style, and the guitarists really crown THE riffs with their fantastically skilful yet quite straight lead guitar work. Definitely soulful metal.
The vocals of Andy B. Franck (also in Symphorce) are manly, yes. His range is quite wide, but even when he hits the higher notes, it remains powerful. His dramatic interpretations of different moods and emotions are good and never cross the line over to exaggerated. At times he reminds me of Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear, ex-Gamma Ray, ex-Tyran' Pace), but does possess unique voice. The guitars truly bite, but there's softer parts as well when required. This album has some of the best-sounding guitars I think; biting, warm, yet ripping, in one word: Perfect. The backbone is heavily constructed by the rhythm section, with quite a lot of variety. The beats are finely modified, for example on the opener 'Worlds are Comin' Through', to bring in more to listen to. The synths, done by additional personnel, provide some modern edge to the band's sound. The Achim Köhler production is heavy yet crystal clear, covering all the ground it needs to. Brainstorm have two feet in past and only one (!!!) in the modern times. Well, maybe the kick drum has a tad too much of click, but I have no other complaints. the cover art is quite unique for metal music, if quite ugly, but digibook version still looks pretty good. About bonus DVD; typical documentary stuff, that only matters to the band's fans.
Brainstorm have created a rock-solid album, which has quite a lot to offer for many listening sessions. Fans of Brainstorm's countrymates Masterplan, darker Helloween (especially 'The Dark Ride' [2000]) and Rage, Swedish conjurers of darkness Evergrey and USA's Jag Panzer should pick 'Liquid Monster' up right away. Hell, everyone fascinated by darked heavy and power metal should pick this monster up!
Rating: 8- (out of 10) ratings explained
Reviewed by Lane
04/30/2005 13:36
