Brainstorm - Memorial Roots

The question is: can actually an album which contains very simple compositions –structure wise- be interesting? Oh, yes it can. Brainstorm absolutely prove that with their new album “Memorial Roots”. They once more use clear Power Metal forms, Andy B. Franck’s vocals color the songs in a very special way, and the “pompous” choruses increase the dynamics of the compositions. The production is on a very good level too, and it makes the songs even more appealing to the listener.
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\r\nI liked two songs the most, which I think that they slightly differ from the rest of the album; the first one is “The Conjunction of 7 Planets” which is surrounded by a dark heavy aura and also its intro sounds much influenced from the ones that Iron Maiden use after the Brave New World-era. The second one is “The Final Stages of Decay”. Andy’s performance and all this “epic” spots really mesmerize you.
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\r\nHowever, the guitars and rhythm section could have been heavier and stronger, even though they are based on nice ideas. After all, it’s a Power Metal album and when it comes to Power Metal, it has to have powerful mood! That would add extra “points” to the whole thing. Regardless of this, the more I listen to the album, the more I like it.
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\r\nNicoleta Sarantou
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