RockRoast

Firewind used to have a lot of problems. Their first two albums were plagued by bland, unmelodic guitar work, weak songwriting, and subpar vocalists. But with 2005’s Forged By Fire, the songwriting noticeably improved. And 2006’s Allegiance marked the band’s inclusion of Apollo Papathanosio, finally giving them a satisfactory singer. And their most recent release, The Premonition, features some of the band’s best guitar work to date as well as offering slight improvements in vocals and songwriting.

The opener, “Into the Fire,” throws the listener into heavy metal fury following a brief if adventurous acoustic introduction. Unfortunately, that introduction is the just about the last breath until the disc is finished. While the music contained in The Premonition’s forty-five-minute playing time is generally pretty good, it lacks depth and diversity. Between the ten songs there are few variations in tempo or dynamics. It is this lack of balance that makes a continuous listen somewhat difficult. Perhaps the record is best appreciated by its individual tracks.

“Mercenary Man” was wisely selected as the single in the band’s native Greece. It’s easily one of the strongest songs on the record and arguably the best of Firewind’s career. The song features a calmer verse that slowly builds to a heavier chorus. Coupled with some of Gus G.’s finest guitar work and an emotional performance from vocalist Papathanosio, “Mercenary Man” comes across as a prime example of what good power metal is supposed to sound like.

“My Loneliness,” is The Premonition’s nearest approximation of a ballad. Gus G. shines again on the atmospheric verses, but the spotlight is again on Papathanosio during the uplifting choruses. More importantly, however, the song is indicative of an entire band coming together to deliver an admirable performance as a cooperative unit.

“Maniac,” a Michael Sembello cover, has a great tune. It’s not exactly beautiful, but it’s fun and it’s irresistibly catchy. Babis Katsionis’ keyboard shines throughout as one of the driving forces behind the song. “Maniac” is unforgettable and it’s bound to get hopelessly stuck in many fans’ heads.

The closer, “Life Foreclosed,” ends the album well. The verses supply some atmospheric relief from the metal onslaught of the last forty minutes, but Firewind preferred to go out with a bang and a heavy, repetitive riff behind Papathanosio’s gruff chanting of the title lyric. Something about Papathanosio’s phrasing on those last few words seem to lend a kind of credibility to the ending, as if the way he says them forces the listener to understand that the album is over and it ended exactly where it was supposed to. I get that impression every time I listen to “Life Foreclosed,” and it’s very difficult to describe. But it’s a wonderful effect, although I can’t say I understand it.

The other five songs fall somewhere between mediocrity and noteworthiness. The tracklisting is a bit weak, causing The Premonition to peak too early (“Mercenary Man,” track 3) and letting it drag a bit in the second half. But more importantly, most of the songs are very strong. On average, the melodies are better, the guitar work is better, and the arrangements are better in comparison to the vast majority of Firewind’s catalog. It is a marked improvement from their previous efforts, and though the band occasionally slips into the same old mistakes they used to make, The Premonition is a solid album.

Best Performance: Gus G., guitar. It’s his guitar and his songs that define Firewind’s sound.

Worst Performance: Petros Christodoylidis, bass guitar. He never seemed to do anything particularly cool and he never got a solo. Plus he got pushed back in the mix a bit too often. Poor guy got stuffed.

Buy it if: You’re a power metal fan, you’re a sucker for a good tune, or if Gus G. corners you in a dark alley and puts a gun to your head.

Score: 7/10

Available at Firewind’s official website.

Top Albums of 2008 To Date

Tools of Destruction (2005)
Thunderstone

Tools of Destruction is a masterpiece of power metal. It’s what all the lesser power metal albums want to be when they grow up. Aggressive, emotional, and held together by soaring melodies and tasty guitar riffs, this has everything metal fans celebrate.

First and foremost, the songwriting didn’t take a backseat to guitar histrionics, a crime power metal is often guilty of. “Welcome to the Real” may be my favorite song of all time, sporting a great atmosphere, a fantastic melody, and a laudable vocal by Pasi Rantanen. “Another Time” is the token ballad, mixing acoustic and electric guitar to great effect. And the keyboard-driven closer, “Land of Innocence,” is one of the most epic pieces of music I’ve ever had the privilege of hearing. These three tracks may be the high points on the record, but each of the other songs is in close contention for this honor.

Though it’s not strictly a concept album, Tools of Destruction’s lyrics have a certain cohesiveness. Each song describes some part of sin, addiction, remorse, despair and hope. Ultimately, the album comes off as being lyrically unified, though the order of the songs doesn’t seem to tell a clear story.

Everything about Tools of Destruction is well-done. Each of the five musicians gives a great performance, the songwriting is strong, the melodies are memorable, the production is excellent, and the lyrics are inspiring. “Land of Innocence,” the final track, sees each band member at his best, delivering a brilliantly bittersweet ending to the album. It’s the kind of thing that, after you’re done listening to it, you just kind of sit there silently for a few seconds and take a deep breath. It’s unbelievably refreshing.