Symphorce – Unrestricted

I remember being somewhat ambivalent at Symphorces previous album, Become Death when it arrived through my letterbox sometime in 2007. I’m a Brainstorm fan, Anthony B. Franck bringing some much needed balls to power metal, so it always eluded me why another band that would, in essence, sound like Brainstorm was needed.

Well thankfully, Unrestricted isn’t a Brainstorm album under a different banner. While it is as unrelentingly heavy in places, it’s a much more varied affair, album opener The Eternal teasing us with a mournful piano intro before descending into some truly aggressive and catchy guitar work.Whatever Hurts follows similarly with jilted showground organs, but by this point it’s evident thatUnrestricted is nothing short of a fantastically written album with nigh on perfect execution.

Unlike previous releases, the keys do play a more prominent role, if only in intros and occasional background noise. The vast majority of the songs have slowed down to less than a breakneck pace  which have allowed for some far superior riffs, with Worlds Seem To Collide creating a groove that professional routers would be jealous of. The closer Do You Ever Wonder is by far the best thing on offer, a blend of serrated guitars and the menacing vocals of Mr Franck that nail the Symphorce sound of subtle melody with unrelenting aggression.

Unrestricted is a great album, full of catchy hooks driven by some titanic vocal pieces.  For once, I’m glad an album doesn’t try and blow my mind, but instead tries to beat it to death with a steel girder.

8/10

Twaddlefish

Brainstorm – Just Highs No Lows (12 Years Of Persistence)

I’m not a fan of power metal in anyway shape or form (except for maybe Sabaton). I do however realise that lots of people like it and fair does to them! This album is nothing new its essentially a ‘greatest hits so far remastered with some other songs we haven’t released before’. With a press release that describes the songs as ‘Heavy Metal Hymns’ you kinda get the point. This is just chugging, repetitive power metal which at best sounds like a poor mans Iced Earth.

The songs aren’t bad they’re just not very…well good. It’s nothing very original and listening to the whole album feels like a chore at times. The middle eastern/ asian intro to ‘Shiva’s Tears’ is one of the strangest things to ever be heard on an album calling itself ‘power metal’ then again..Brainstorm are German and therefore whilst be awesome..also aren’t that good at making music.

Good value but for fanboys only.

5/10

Mr Bogle