BRAINSTORM – On The Spur Of The Moment

Germany’s Power Metal major player Brainstorm has returned with their ninth full-length album, On The Spur Of The Moment. Brainstorm started turning heads back in 2003 and 2005 with arguably their strongest releases, Soul Temptation and Liquid Monster. Since then, however, they have struggled somewhat to achieve that level of Power Metal sophistication. On The Spur Of The Moment definitely takes the band back to their roots and they have put together a very concentrated piece of work, which holds up very well to their earlier and more formidable albums.

Lead vocalist Andy B. Franck always sings with extreme force and veracity, and is the backbone behind Brainstorm’s signature sound. He has such a powerful vocal style — easily comparable to heavyweights like Bruce Dickinson or Ralf Scheepers. Not to mention, the founders and original members of Brainstorm, guitarists Torsten Ihlenfeld and Milan Loncaric, once again provide very heavy riffs and melodies that make Brainstorm such an enjoyable band to hear.

Musically, the album begins with a very strong track, “Below The Line” which exemplifies the Brainstorm style of Heavy Metal. A dark and melancholy introduction that turns into thundering theatrical melody reminiscent of a classic Judas Priest or Iced Earth song. Although “Below The Line” is one of the most convincing tracks on the album, many of the others are also inspiring in their own right.

Another track suggestive of their success from Liquid Monster is “In These Walls”. Again, they begin with a dark and melancholy introduction, which they soon shred to pieces. However this track has an extraordinarily powerful chorus that Franck emphatically proclaims, and it drives the track from verse to bridge to chorus with exact control. This kind of songwriting and musicianship make the tracks so strong on Liquid Monster, and Brainstorm does an outstanding job of recreating that intensity throughout this album.

The only real downside to this album is the short length. There are only ten tracks total (although they did release a digipak with two bonus tracks) and most of the songs are around three to four minutes in length. Therefore, just when Brainstorm are really getting their groove going, especially during the invigorating final track “My Own Hell”, the album is sadly over. It feels like there is something missing, like a climaxing point or a really poignant track that you want to listen to repeatedly.

Although On The Spur Of The Moment does lack strength in some areas, it’s arguably their best work in quite some time. Franck’s vocals are as emotional as ever, and he is careful not to overdo anything, or to misuse his growling style of singing, which is prominent in his side band Symphorce. Brainstorm fans should be quite pleased with this one as they continue to increase their fan base, and solidify themselves as Power Metal icons.