Firewind's 'Firewind' - Album Review

Firewind are one of those bands who, despite undergoing multiple line-up changes throughout their career, have managed to remain pretty consistent in the face of adversity. The Greek power metal act are formed around guitarist Gus G., the band's founder and only consistent member, and have long been the main vehicle for his songwriting. Despite stints over the years with Dream Evil, Nightrage, and even Ozzy Osbourne, it is with Firewind where G. really hangs his hat. Even his sporadic solo career, which in truth has never really taken off in a big way, takes a backseat to Firewind now - with G. clearly happy to operate in a band context as opposed to always being on his own. As with many bands that are built around one main creative force, Firewind has seen a large turnover of talent over the years. While this affects the quality of some bands' outputs, Firewind have largely been consistent and enjoyable no matter who G. decides to surround himself with at the time. Only really 2012's Few Against Many can be considered a 'weak' release in my opinion, and this is more down the overall blandness of the album rather than a case of bad songwriting or poor recruitment. It was perhaps telling that after the touring cycle of Few Against Many the band took some time off, and G. attempted to branch out on his own. Whether or not G. intended to phase Firewind out and go out under his own banner from that point onward is hard to know, but I imagine that his solo career never really took off in the way that he hoped it would. A return to Firewind was inevitable, and 2017 saw the release of the truly excellent Immortals (which I reviewed here). Not only did Immortals right the relative wrongs of Few Against Many, but it launched the band into the next league up for me - and it could well be my favourite thing that the band have done to date. Everything fell into place on Immortals, from the concept that revolved around Spartan King Leonidas I and the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC to the heavy, grand sound that sounded like Firewind really dialled up to eleven. I was really looking forward to how G. and co. would follow Immortals, but my expectations were dented in March when it was announced that frontman Henning Basse and keyboardist Bob Katsionis were leaving the band; with new frontman Herbie Langhans (Seventh Avenue; Beyond the Bridge; Sinbreed; Voodoo Circle) coming in. While I have nothing against Langhans who is a very strong singer, despite the fact he is a bit of a journeyman that never really stays in any one band for very long, I felt that a big part of Firewind's rebirth on Immortals was down to Basse's epic vocal performance. With him gone, as well as long-time keyboardist Katsionis who has not been replaced and was always a handy secondary songwriter in the band, Firewind were looking a little toothless. Luckily however the result of this new line-up, the band's new self-title album which was released last month, is actually pretty strong. While I do not think that Firewind reaches the quality of Immortals, it is still a very enjoyable album that really harks back to the band's early days - particularly 2002's Between Heaven and Hell and 2003's Burning Earth. Without a full-time keyboard player, Firewind sound a bit tougher again (although Katsionis did contribute to and co-write one of the songs here as the album was partially recorded before he left the band) and this new album is a bit of a back-to-basics effort after the grandeur that preceded it.

Anyone who did not realise that G. was the main driving force behind Firewind should have that fact well and truly confirmed for them from the off. The album's kick-off track Welcome to the Empire opens with a fluid, melodic guitar solo set against a cinematic keyboard backdrop (G. also handles the vast majority of the album's keyboard parts); setting the tone that this is going to be a guitar-centric album. In fairness to G. however, he very rarely lets his playing get in the way of the song. He steps forward to show off when the song requires it, but he also values great vocal hooks and allows Langhans plenty of time in the spotlight as a result. Langhans acquits himself really well throughout the album; at times recalling the style of the band's original vocalist Stephen Fredrick; and Welcome to the Empire proves to be a great way to introduce him to the Firewind fans. The song is a heavy, pacy number that really gets going with a chunky main riff that kicks in after the opening guitar pyrotechnics. After the more progressive feeling that Immortals pushed, the fact that Firewind opts for a heavier, stripped back approach is somewhat refreshing. While I do miss the grandness of Immortals, I still think that the overall aesthetic of Firewind works well. Welcome to the Empire in many ways is a perfect example of that vision, with meaty riffs being packed throughout the whole song and a hooky chorus brings the best out of Langhans and his gritty voice. There is still plenty of melody here despite the tougher approach taken, which is great to see. Devour is heavier and sees the band up the pace quite considerably - with drummer Johan Nunez really laying into his kit throughout. Firewind perhaps operate best in a more mid-paced setting, but the band's faster songs are often strong too. The band are certainly heavier than your average power metal act, with some of the band's faster moments having more in common with the more melodic end of thrash than with many other power metal bands. G. has always gone for tougher sounding singers for Firewind, and Langhans is no exception. Firewind are not a band for high-pitched singers or soaring harmony vocals; but instead focus on grit and old-school metal weight. Devour is a perfect example of this, with thrash pacing and retro metal riffing melding together perfectly, while Langhan's holds everything together with his grounded vocal display. The song really recalls the early days of the band, so anyone missing the Fredrick era will really love it. Rising Fire was the first single released from the album so it introduced us to the latest Firewind line-up. It is an enjoyable song, but it is certainly one of the simpler tracks on the album. The song has something of a classic rock strut throughout, without many of the metal trappings that make Firewind unique, but this vibe is cranked up to fit in with the album's overall crunch. The riffing here is certainly more old-school than usual, but there are still plenty of guitar moments for G. to show off with - with a lengthy solo and plenty of bluesy flashes found throughout. The chorus is a catchy moment too, and really shows Langhans at his best.

Break Away has a bit of a grander sound overall, and is the most dynamic of the four tracks to feature so far. The opening guitar riff and melodies are the sort of thing that G. has built his career on, and they are instantly memorable and exciting, while AOR-esque keyboard stabs add a counterpoint and depth to the song. The lack of a full-time keyboardist has certainly taken something away from the overall sound of the album in my view, despite Firewind still sounding very strong overall, so it is great to hear the keyboards used in a big way throughout this song. The general arrangement is much more varied too, with the verses slowing things down to a serene pace with atmospheric clean guitars and keyboards before the choruses ramp up the pace to something of a gallop to allow Langhans a chance to really let rip as the keyboards pulse away behind him. Orbitual Sunrise continue the denser sound established on Break Away, with the keyboards once again prominent in the mix - with a grander arrangement that recalls Immortals somewhat. This is the song that Katsionis co-wrote and contributed to, so it is unsurprising that the keyboards are much more prominent here than on many of the album's other songs. As a result, the song has a cinematic, mid-paced feel to it with G.'s guitars largely there to provide crunching rhythms as he locks in perfectly with bassist Petros Christo to provide a satisfying chug. Katsionis' soundscapes really dominate the song however, setting an atmospheric, sci-fi tone throughout that is perfect for Langhans to lay down a more expressive vocal display over the top of. Longing to Know You is the album's ballad, so unsurprisingly it is different from what has come before. Firewind are not exactly known for writing great ballads, but this one is a strong effort - partially thanks to a dramatic string arrangement courtesy of Adam Wakeman (Ozzy Osbourne; Headspace; Snakecharmer). The strings dominate the whole song, and the ballad setting allows the band to showcase some different vibes. G. uses an acoustic guitar for some parts of the song, and Langhans gets a chance to lay down a more emotionally-charged vocal performance. His vocal approach fits in perfectly with the overall feel of the song, and when G. launches into his guitar solo following one of the choruses the emotional impact is heightened further - his solo again perfectly fitting the mood. After a few songs that experimented a little with 'bigger' sounds, Perfect Stranger returns to the back-to-basics sound that characterises the album as a whole with a venomous riff and a chunky, headbanging rhythm. The keyboards are almost entirely absent this time around, with the whole song based around G.'s driving riff and Langhans' tough vocals. The best thing about this song however is just how memorable it is. It is one of the songs that stood out to me the most on my first listen to the album and it is still a favourite. It has such an infectious groove throughout, thanks largely to G.'s riff and Christo's reliable bass playing, and the snappy chorus is one that easily gets lodged in the brain. As much as I love the more expansive Firewind, there is no denying that they do these simpler songs really well too - and I can see this one becoming a live favourite in the years to come.

Overdrive is somewhat similar to Rising Fire in so far as it features more of a classic rock vibe that has been dialled up to fit in with the album's overall sound. Those who love Dio and anything that Jørn Lande has done over the years are sure to love this track, as it really features that kind of feeling throughout - with Langhans' vocal performance certainly channelling those two great singers throughout. Even the vocal melodies are very Dio-esque, and the subtle use of keyboards takes me back to albums such as Holy Diver and The Last in Line. I am not sure if these Dio parallels were intentional, but to me the song certainly sounds like something Dio would have written back in the 1980s - with all the bells and whistles of a modern metal production to beef it up. All My Life is a bit like Break Away in the sense that it goes for a bit more of a dynamic approach overall. The keyboards are a bit more present in the mix this time around, and the arrangement is a bit more varied than is the norm for this album. The main riff has a great power metal groove, with a strong keyboard backing and a punchy drum beat behind it, while the chorus sees Langhans really letting rip with some majestic vocals that perfectly fit with the dense sound underneath. The song's guitar solo is probably one of my favourite guitar moments on the album too, as G. goes into full-on neo-classical mode, channelling Yngwie Malmsteen throughout with some excellent old-school sounding shredding runs. Another song that stood out for me the first time I listened to the album was Space Cowboy; a track that is perhaps less heavy than most of the rest of the album but it more than makes up for this by having plenty of soaring vocal melodies and a slight AOR vibe. AOR is not a sound that I generally associate with Firewind but, while this song certainly does not sound like Survivor, it is something that works well in the context of the album. Given Firewind's general simpler sound compared to the band's previous album, it makes sense that the band would want to include some songs that really focused on strong vocal melodies and to showcase Langhans as the band's latest recruit. Songs like Perfect Stranger and Space Cowboy do that, and the latter's AOR vibes help to showcase the band in a slightly different light too. On the whole this is a very tough-sounding album, so a few lighter moments are welcome to provide a bit of a change of pace. The album's closing number however, Kill the Pain, returns to the core sound established elsewhere. The song really ups the pace, and is possibly the most furious sounding piece on the album - and it sounds somewhat like a more intense version of Devour. Nunez opens the song with a great drum pattern, and the song never really lets the energy dip at all throughout with G.'s riffs and solos constantly driving things forward. Langhans sounds at his most gritty here too, with a snarling vocal display throughout that really fits in nicely with the song's speed and heaviness. It is possibly one of the band's heaviest songs to date, and it is a perfect closing statement on album that really pushes that side of Firewind's core aesthetic. Overall, Firewind is a very enjoyable ninth album from the Greek band; and it is one that presents a much more simplified version of the band than many of their other more recent albums. While I do not think the album reaches the heights of Immortals, it is nevertheless a very enjoyable listen that sees G. and co. doing what they do best, and also recapturing their love for all things heavy.

The album was released on 15th May 2020 via AFM Records. Below so the band's promotional video for Welcome to the Empire.