From the very depths of Hell called London, in England, arises the band STORMBORN. They play Melodic Heavy/Power/Speed Metal and have been doing that since 2007. So it is very remarkable that this “Zenith” album is only their sophomore album. Their debut was released way back when in 2012, simply titled “Stormborn”. When you see their timeline, you start wondering why it is that they have such massive gaps between albums. Plus you start to question why they disbanded from 2019 till 2021. Is it because the music just isn’t/wasn’t good enough? Is STORMBORN just a side project that only gets attention from time to time? Or is the fact that the musical landscape shifts so fast and furious within the London area that there simply isn’t enough interest to guarantee STORMBORN a record deal? If I had to hazard a guess, I would definitely go for the latter one.

Thankfully ROCKSHOTS RECORDS decided to take pity of these Londoners and on the 26th of April 2024 “Zenith” was let loose on an unsuspecting world. And the moniker of their music fits like the proverbial glove. Melodic Heavy/Power and yes, even Speed Metal is passing you by left, right and centre. It all sounds very good, has the perfect and positive vibe that you expect from this kind of music. The musicians are also all very capable, and the singer has a voice that is complementing everything the instrumentalists are able to throw at him. So far, so good.

What bugs me the most about “Zenith” is that there is not one ounce of originality to be found on the whole album. STORMBORN are not exactly trying new fields, but in a market that has been inundated with releases during the nineties, noughties and early tens it is understandable that you will have trouble finding unexplored paths. So, what do you do then? You make sure that the songs you write and record are of such a quality that no one can pass you by without acknowledging you. and that, my friends, is what is lacking on “Zenith”; beautiful and outstanding songs. Some are quite good, though, especially the Power ballad “Echo”, but they never hit the really good or exceptional mark anywhere. And that is why I can only conclude that STORMBORN just doesn’t light my fire with “Zenith”, or should I say, excites me at all. I like it, I just don’t love it.