February 24, 2012

Random Review: Firewind- "Allegiance"


*I recently dug this up from a forum I posted on about 3 years ago. I thought I'd share it with you now and let you know how far I've come with my reviews. This also serves as proof that I've been wanting to do something like this for a long time. Enjoy!*

**I didn't give this a score originally, so I'll just insert one now!**

A friend of mine played me Firewind and as soon as I heard them I knew that I had to check them out. These guys are one of several power metal bands from Europe (in this case, Greece ) that take elements from classic ‘80s metal and give them a modern feel. This album begins with the ball-punching title track and continues the adrenaline surge with “Insanity”. Things become simplified with the catchyness of “Falling to Piece” which is followed with my personal favorite on the album, “Ready to Strike”. “Breaking the Silence” is another catchy yet heavy song (despite its corniness) and features the pop singer Tara (don’t ask me who she is cause I have no clue). At this point, the album has reached its peek and continues to be great without the impact the first few songs had. “Till the End of Time” is the last song to really stand out in my opinion with fast driven verses and its heavy chorus. The rest of the tracks on the album are definitely listenable and don’t detract from the overall quality of the package as a whole.

Some of the factors that make this group stand out from other metal bands are the memorable choruses in both the guitar work and lyrics. Singer Apollo Papathanasio does an amazing job in selling the songs with the power of his voice as well of the vocal melody he provides. Guitarist Gus G. (previously of Dream Evil) brings his signature guitar work to his solos that make him instantly recognizable. Overall, Allegiance is a prime example of what the combination of classic and modern metal can produce when done right. Anyone who likes power metal or metal in general needs to check this one out.


Standout Tracks:

Allegiance
Insanity
Falling to Pieces
Ready to Strike
Breaking the Silence
Till the End of Time

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