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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Firewind - Firewind + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
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│║ ║ │
│║ Rls Date..2020-06-12 Encoder......LAME 3.100 ║ │
│║ Genre.....Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year......2020 Khz/Bitrate..44.1 / VBR kbps ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper....Anthem Songs........11 ║ │
│║ Source....CD Covers.......Yes ║ │
│║ Url..http://www.firewind.gr ║ │
│║ ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Firewind ║ │
│║ Album : Firewind ║ │
│║ Label : AFM Records ║ │
│║ Cat.No : AFM-725 9 ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Gus GÆs journey from musical college drop-out to modern ║ │
│║ guitar god has been, if nothing else, and auspicious one. ║ │
│║ His contributions to the then cresting wave of power metal ║ │
│║ revival via Dream Evil and Mystic Prophecy, and even his ║ │
│║ input in melodic death metal upstarts Nightrage would set a ║ │
│║ standard that would take the melodic strain in metalÆs ║ │
│║ paradigm to a heavier place, all the while re-affirming the ║ │
│║ styleÆs penchant for virtuoso musicianship. But when all is ║ │
│║ said and done, Firewind has always been where he hangs his ║ │
│║ proverbial hat, both as a six-string slinging demigod and ║ │
│║ as a songwriter. Said bandÆs run has largely been an ║ │
│║ exercise in consistency, though a sizable consensus tends ║ │
│║ to place the bandÆs lowest point at the tail end of their ║ │
│║ run with third vocalist Apollo Papathanasio in the early ║ │
│║ 2010s, which led to an extended hiatus that almost signaled ║ │
│║ the bandÆs demise. But thanks to the encouragement and ║ │
│║ vocal input by former Metalium front man Henning Basse, a ║ │
│║ triumphant return came about in 2017Æs Immortals, though ║ │
│║ said brilliant collaboration proved to be short-lived. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ To state that Gus would have to pull a massive rabbit out ║ │
│║ of a hat in order to top the aforementioned conceptual ║ │
│║ masterpiece recounting the Battle of Thermopylae would be ║ │
│║ an understatement, one that would have to begin with the ║ │
│║ right man at the microphone. But the stars aligned with a ║ │
│║ vengeance as former Sinbreed vocalist Herbie Langhans ║ │
│║ stepped up to fill the void, leaving a slew of broken ║ │
│║ hearted fans of said band in his wake a few years prior. ║ │
│║ Said German power metal veteran proves to be the perfect ║ │
│║ man for the job, as the gravely vocal gusto fits in ║ │
│║ perfectly with FirewindÆs signature blend of melodic ║ │
│║ grandeur and gritty, working class heavy metal gusto. The ║ │
│║ resulting eponymous album Firewind proves to embody that ║ │
│║ throwback quality that one might expect from an album ║ │
│║ bearing the bandÆs name yet occurring more than 20 years ║ │
│║ after its foundation, coming dangerously close to mimicking ║ │
│║ the demeanor of this outfitÆs 2002 debut Between Heaven And ║ │
│║ Hell, yet painted over with all the experience Gus has ║ │
│║ accumulated ever since for a much more potent result. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ For what this album may lack in overt originality, it more ║ │
│║ than makes up for in a virtually flawless execution, ║ │
│║ merging GusÆ highly technical soloing style with a fairly ║ │
│║ straightforward songwriting approach that could all but ║ │
│║ have been conceived in the early 1990s. A smattering of ║ │
│║ Stratovarius and Hammerfall elements interplay in what is ║ │
│║ largely a highly retro heavy/speed metal sound, as ║ │
│║ generally melodic bangers such as ôWelcome To The Empireö, ║ │
│║ ôDevourö and ôKill The Painö shatter the ear drums in a ║ │
│║ Painkiller-like fashion normally heard out of the likes of ║ │
│║ Primal Fear. Even the smoother speeding ride ôBreak Awayö ║ │
│║ has enough punch to turn what is otherwise a retro-80s romp ║ │
│║ into an early 90s Judas Priest infused thrill ride. Even ║ │
│║ when things fall back into more of a down-tempo groove as ║ │
│║ on ôRising Fireö and ôPerfect Strangersö, the heaviness ║ │
│║ scale is still at 10+ and Gus makes numerous moments to ║ │
│║ mesh the Neo-classicism of Malmsteen with the more bluesy ║ │
│║ mayhem of Zakk Wylde. Just one listen to wild shredding ║ │
│║ solos like the ones heard on ôAll My Lifeö and ôOrbitual ║ │
│║ Sunriseö will conjure up comparisons to a youthful Rising ║ │
│║ Force with Yngwie in his prime. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ItÆs rare that a band hits their apex point after more than ║ │
│║ 20 years of helping to define a sub-movement within metalÆs ║ │
│║ highly expansive umbrella, but that is precise what has ║ │
│║ happened here. In a sense, Firewind has always functioned ║ │
│║ as a super band of sorts, drawing in a variety of veteran ║ │
│║ musicians to help fill out the arrangement upon which Gus G ║ │
│║ paints his masterpieces with broad strokes. However, this ║ │
│║ is the closest that this outfit has ever come to function ║ │
│║ as one of those equally yoked outfits after the mold of ║ │
│║ long-running metal institutions such as Iron Maiden and ║ │
│║ Helloween. Herbie Langhans is literally the voice that this ║ │
│║ project has been crying out for since its formation, and ║ │
│║ those who continue to lament his exodus from Sinbreed can ║ │
│║ take heart in knowing that he has come to an equally ║ │
│║ consequential project here. It may be that this incarnation ║ │
│║ of Firewind will be a short one and that the Malmsteen-like ║ │
│║ assembly line of vocalists will continue in the near ║ │
│║ future, but hopefully another album or two with these same ║ │
│║ musicians is on the horizon before all is said and done. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Originally written for The Metal Observer ║ │
│║ (www.metal-observer.com) ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
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│ 1. Welcome To The Empire 5:12 │
│ 2. Devour 3:45 │
│ 3. Rising Fire 3:26 │
│ 4. Break Away 5:13 │
│ 5. Orbitual Sunrise 4:44 │
│ 6. Longing To Know You 4:28 │
│ 7. Perfect Stranger 4:10 │
│ 8. Overdrive 4:25 │
│ 9. All My Life 4:01 │
│ 10. Space Cowboy 3:12 │
│ 11. Kill The Pain 4:51 │
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│ Total Length : 00:47:27 │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
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│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
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