Metal Thrashing Mad – Brainstorm vs. Elvenking vs. 21Octayne

Metal Thrashing Mad – Brainstorm vs. Elvenking vs. 21Octayne

BRAINSTORM
Firesoul
AFM

It gets me every time.  I hear the name Brainstorm, immediately think of Hawkwind, get all excited, then remember, that this Brainstorm is actually a German power metal band. Which is a shame for both of us.

Anyway, this Brainstorm have been on the go since the mid-nineties, and are up to what, ten albums now?  They err on the side of metal, and have always leaned towards the late Judas Priest / early Iced Earth style of power metal, which is fine by me.  Unlike some of their competitors, Brainstorm have a definite ace in the pack, in the shape of vocalist Andy B Franck. His is a voice that stands out from the pack, unlike the plethora of Halford impersonators out there.  And if you haven’t heard his other band, Symphorce, then do yourself a favour.

Back in Brainstorm world, it’s business as usual.  To be honest, they’ve been off my radar since “Liquid Monster”, nearlt ten years ago, but I’m more than happy to remake their acquaintance, as they blast through some mighty fine slabs of metal, like the title track, ‘Enter Solitude’ and the big ballad (yes, really), ‘…And I Wonder’.

The band are definitely at the top of their game with riffs galore and a driving rhythm section, so raise your fist in the air for Brainstorm.

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ELVENKING
The Pagan Manifesto
AFM

And now it’s off to Italy for some folk metal, something that even after eight Elvenking albums confuses me somewhat.  After all, they really should be Scandinavian.  When I first heard “Heathenking” all those years ago, I would have sworn they were from the Arctic circle.  But I was wrong, and Elvenking have forged themselves a nice wee career.

Of course, over the years, they’ve veered more towards power metal, that staple of Mittel Europe, and they’re now closer in spirit to the likes of Rhapsody Of Fire than they are Finntroll, and that’s a bit of a shame, as some of the eccentricity has gone from their music.  When they remember their roots as they do on the likes of ‘Towards The Shores’, it’s a delight.  When they stick to the middle of the road as on ‘Moonbeam Stone Circles’, it’s less so.

If they can come up with more songs of the quality of the title track and ‘The Druid Ritual of Oak’, then I’ll be in the queue for the next one.  If not, well…

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21OCTAYNE
Into The Open
AFM

This is an odd one.  21Octayne are a new band featuring LT Rhapsody drummer Alex Landenburg, Axxis guitarist Marco Wriedt, Joe Perry Project vocalist Hagen Grohe, and Paul Gilbert bassist Andrew Lauer.  So you would expect the rawk and the metal, yes?

Well, no.  Because what this is, is a grunge influenced modern rock album.  Surprise!  So, what they have on offer is the sort of thing that fans of Alter Bridge and Creed will take to their hearts.  It’s big and shiny, and firmly aimed at the American mainstream market.  A bit of a departure for them and for their label, but it worked with Roadrunner and Nickelback, so why not have a go.

These are songs built for the radio, and you can easily imagine ‘She’s Killing Me’ and ‘The Heart (Save Me)’ blasting out of a car stereo in the Midwest.  It’s certainly a turn up for the books, and if you’re looking for a new Nickelback, then this might be the one for you.

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