Brainstorm
Downburst
Band: Brainstorm
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Brainstorm has been flying the flag of German power metal for Metal Blade for over a decade. Brainstorm proudly wears the power metal tag, but their brand is not as common as many groups within the scene. Instead of copying Helloween note-for-note and pitch-for-pitch, Brainstorm's music is implanted with groove. Lead vocalist, Andy B. Franck, also known for fronting another Metal Blade power metal group "Symphorce" possesses a more aggressive, mid-level voice, unlike the testis-squeezing yelps emanating from many of the scene's leaders.
Franck's vocals fall somewhere between fellow citizens, Angel Dust and Nevermore's Warrel Dane. Other band members back up Franck during choruses. These moments are bereft of over-the-top cheesiness. These hooks also work to add character to the already catchy verse lines. Some of the more memorable hooks come in "Falling Spiral Down," "Fire Walk with Me" and "Surrounding Walls". Perpetuating the memorable aspect of Franck's powerful choral chants are the guitar and bass rhythms. The guitars are mainly of the chugga-chugga variety, with a large amount of attention paid to the low end. The guitar and bass merge in the creation of a deep low end that reminds of Metallica during the "Justice" and Black album era. The bass is isolated and drawn out in the mix on "Fire Walk with Me". A rising guitar riff begins the track and comes in again after the singing of the song title. As if attempting to put Old Man's Child to power metal, Brainstorm breaks out majestic keyboard parts and clean guitar passages. Along with moving choruses, Franck's voice also assumes a Rob Halford-like quality on this track. As stated before, Brainstorm has been Metal Blade's German power metal representative for some time. Brainstorm has the chops, the hooks, and the heavy grooves to be one of the foremost bands of this scene, although they do not get the recognition of many other bands. Possibly, it is their lack of cliché' lyrics about brother hood, dragons, and other passé topics that keep them from the recognition they deserve or the fact they don't use ear-drum-blasting shrieks. Whatever it is, they group is shamefully underrated. Darren Cowan
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