Released By: Reigning Phoenix Music
Release Date: February 28th, 2025
Genre: Heavy/Power Metal
Links: https://www.brainstorm-web.net/
Line Up:
Andy B. Franck – Vocals
Torsten Ihlenfeld – Guitar
Milan Loncaric – Guitar
Jim Ramses – Bass
Dieter Bernert – Drums
Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Behind Enemy Lines
3. Garuda (Eater of Snakes)
4. False Memories
5. The Shepherd Girl (Gitavoginda)
6. Your Soul That Lingers in Me
7. Masquerade Conspiracy
8. From Hell
9. The Dark of Night
10. Crawling
11. Curtains Fall
There’s a common belief among metal fans, that the longer a band is around and the more albums they release, the more the quality of their music will continue to decline. I’ve never subscribed to that line of thought, as many of my favorite bands have impressed me just as much if not more so with their later albums. One such band who seems to only be getting better with age is German heavy/power metal band Brainstorm. I’ve always enjoyed their music, and while my personal favorite of theirs, Soul Temptation, was released way back in 2003, I find their more recent output has been very consistent, with no less than great albums since the slightly disappointing On the Spur of the Moment in 2011. All four albums the band has released since then have been excellent, with Firesoul and Wall of Skulls in particular being among my favorites in their discography. Now, with their 14th full length release Plague of Rats about to be unleashed, the band has once again delivered another great album, which is sure to satisfy their fans.
As usual, not much has changed within the band since Wall of Skulls, as the lineup remains largely the same, and the core sound is also largely unchanged. While the band’s earlier material was very heavy, and leaned largely towards heavy metal, more recent albums have been more balanced, with tons of power metal, and the band’s overall sound has become more melodic and vocal driven, while still maintaining a heavy edge. This is all very much true of Plague of Rats, and if anything I’d say it at times feels a bit more laidback and melodic compared to most of their albums, while still having a few more intense, speedy power metal tracks. The slow/mid-paced tracks are generally more on the light and melodic side, with a big focus on strong, catchy choruses, This was also somewhat true on Wall of Skulls, though I think this album feels a bit more subdued at times, especially towards the end.
Obviously, performances are strong across the board, as always. Dual guitarists Torsten Ihlenfeld and Milan Loncaric are in top form, delivering some intense riffs, nice melodic guitar leads and plenty of excellent solos. There’s some keyboards added in here and there for extra flavor, and a couple tracks do lean on the keys a bit more, but for the most part, the guitar work is front and center, as usual. The rhythm section is also in great shape, with veteran Dieter Bernet being reliable as always, while new bassist Jim Ramses fits in perfectly. Of course, vocalist Andy B. Franck is also in fine form, sometimes sounding fiery and intense, while other times singing more lightly and smoothly. His deep, powerful voice has long been one of the defining elements of Brainstorm’s sound, and that’s very much the case on Plague of Rats. Production is also excellent, with Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann once again in charge, and doing a fantastic job as expected.
Throughout their early years and the middle of their career, I found Brainstorm’s songwriting to be a bit inconsistent, with some great songs surrounded by some less than impressive tracks, aside from exceptional albums such as Soul Temptation and Liquid Monster. However, their past four albums were all consistently excellent, and that is once again the case with Plague of Rats. I’d say it’s closer to Midnight Ghosts than Wall of Skulls, in that it starts off strong, peaks in the middle and then fades a bit towards the end, but it remains highly enjoyable the whole way through, with even the comparatively less memorable closing stretch still being consistently entertaining. Power metal fans are sure to be pleased with the first half of the album, while the final stretch leans more towards melodic metal and even a bit of arena rock on one track.
The band has always been great at opening tracks, so it’s no surprise that following a brief intro, “Behind Enemy Lines” instantly gets things off to a strong start. There’s some nice melodic guitar work and symphonic arrangements right at the start, carrying over from the intro, and then the track quickly speeds up, with the opening verse featuring explosive drums, heavy guitar work and intense vocals. The chorus slows things down a bit, and is much more melodic, with a very singalong feel to it, and Franck sounds fantastic, as always. There’s a speedy, classic power metal infused guitar solo in the second half, and it’s one of the highlights of the track. Next is lead single “Garuda (Eater of Snakes)”, one of a few tracks to be heavily Indian inspired, both in the lyrics and music. There’s a slight folk influence to the music at points, with some very distinctive melodies and there’s also a heavy use of symphonic elements throughout, especially noticeable during the chorus. Otherwise, it’s a fairly prototypical Brainstorm track, with dark, heavy riffs, a fairly moderate tempo, and an overall intense atmosphere. The chorus is on the heavy side, while still having some great vocal melodies, while the guitar solo has a slight folk feel.
Next is “False Memories”, where the main riff has a bit of a stop/start rhythm going on. The track moves at a fast pace, with the verses striking a nice balance between heavy and melodic, while the chorus features some explosive drumming, and it makes nice use of repetitive vocals and lyrics, constantly throwing out the name of the track, but with other lines used in between, and the vocal melodies are strong enough to make the repetition quite effective. The guitar solo has a very classic Helloween feel to it, and is one of my favorites on the album. Another track with a strong Indian influence is “The Shepherd Girl (Gitavoginda)”, which opens up with some rather unique percussion. The heavy guitars soon kick in, and from there the track moves at a fairly slow pace, with the verses being calm and reliant on more subtle guitar riffs, while the chorus is very melodic, and has some of the best vocal melodies on the album. There’s a strong use of symphonic elements throughout the track, and it’s one of the more epic sounding tracks on the album, with the section leading into the guitar solo being particularly impressive. The tempo only increases very slightly with “Your Soul That Lingers in Me”, a very moody, mid-paced track, where the main riff actually sounds fairly similar to the previous track. The chorus is nice, but not as strong as the previous track, while everything else is very solid, with the guitar towards the end being very melodic, and quite good. The most memorable aspect of the track, however, is the guest appearance by Leaves’ Eyes vocalist Elina Sirala, who first makes her presence felt during the second verse, and then sings backup in the chorus. Unlike her usual operatic vocal approach, she has a more straight delivery here, using a much lower, darker sounding voice than usual, which fits in nicely with the vibe of the track
My favorite track on the album is “Masquerade Conspiracy”, which has a main riff that reminds me a lot of “Firesoul”, except thrashier and sped up. It’s definitely the heaviest, most guitar driven track on the album, as well as one of the speediest, moving at a frantic pace during the intro and verses, maintaining a strong power/thrash edge throughout, while the chorus slows things down slightly, and is very melodic, with some excellent vocal melodies and a fantastic performance by Franck. The power/thrash vibe continues during the guitar solo, which is quite frantic and intense. The last speedy track on the album is “From Hell”, which is a bit more melodic, and has a fairly traditional power metal sound. It opens up with a fast paced instrumental section, before slowing down for an opening verse where Franck trades lines with the other Leaves’ Eyes vocalist, Alexander Krull, who proceeds to lead the way through the second verse. His growls are fine, but don’t really add much to the track. Honestly, I find Franck’s vocals more than strong enough to carry the track without any growls needed, but Krull does a decent enough job to not become a distraction in a bad way. Musically, the track is nice, with the chorus being rather upbeat and fun, while the guitar solo once again has a classic power metal feel to it.
Starting off the final stretch, “The Dark of Night” is a slow, atmospheric track, with a very moody feel to it. The guitar work is melodic and restrained, with the verses in particular being fairly laid back and more driven by vocals and keys, while the chorus is a bit heavier, but still very slow and calm. It’s a nice track overall, with the chorus being more about setting the mood than being overly showy or catchy, and the mellow, atmospheric closing section is really cool. The most upbeat track of the final stretch is “Crawling”, a more keyboard driven track, with a strong arena rock feel to it. Guitars are very melodic and upbeat, and while the track moves at a moderate pace, it has a very upbeat and fun vibe, with the chorus in particular being extremely catchy and having some of the best vocal melodies on the album. There’s also a ton of excellent backing vocals throughout the track, which is true of other tracks, but I especially notice it here, as the backing vocals are pretty much a constant presence throughout the track. There’s a brief softer section before the guitar solo, which itself is fairly upbeat and melodic, like the rest of the track. Closing out the album is “Curtains Call”, another slow paced, melodic metal track, with a nice balance between heavy and melodic guitar work. It’s a bit more atmospheric than the previous track, and it does get heavy at times, especially during the verses and guitar solo, but overall it’s still fairly calm, with the chorus being fairly low key. It’s not a spectacular way to end the album, but it closes things out nicely enough.
Brainstorm have proven themselves to be a consistently excellent band over the past few decades, with their most recent output in particular being quite impressive. Plague of Rats is yet another great album by the band, delivering more of the same melodic yet hard edged heavy/power metal longtime fans have come to expect from the band, along with some Indian themes on a few tracks, and some nice symphonic elements. I wouldn’t say it’s as impressive overall as Wall of Skulls or Firesoul, but it’s still a consistently great album from start to finish, and one that’s very easy to recommend both for longtime fans, and newcomers looking for a fun heavy/power metal album with some excellent vocals. As usual, there’s still no sign of the band’s overall quality dropping off anytime soon.
Ratings: 8/10
Written by: Travis Green
My Global Mind – Staff Writer
Travis Green is a Canadian based writer for My Global Mind, with a particular passion for power metal, as well as an interest metal in all its forms.
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