Even though you are used to seeing me (or maybe reading me) reviewing Metal albums that come mostly from the extreme side of music, I have some weaknesses that come from the more melodic side. One of them is BRAINSTORM, the well known German Power Metal band. When their new album reached Metal Temple I was really glad to receive it for a review. Let's see what these guys are up to this time...

Even though I totally love this band, for reasons I still haven't understood I completely missed their previous album Downburst, so I know little about the specific time period. The fact is that the band started taking a slightly different path in Liquid Monster (2005), leaving its more aggressive self a bit behind, and concentrating more on melodies, epic (not exactly the right word) choruses and stuff like that.

With their new release Memorial Roots I was hoping for something aggressive as fuck, but as it seems BRAINSTORM surprise us once again! The first time I listened to the album I was kind of confused. No, they didn't get all complex and progressive, but their sound is now mostly based on catchy riffs and melodies, but in a not so Power Metal sense. The speed is reduced, though there are still parts that remind the good old BRAINSTORM, but the guitars have kind of escaped the Power Metal standards. The band's sound reminds of the US Hard Rock scene and Heavy Metal scene, with songs like Shiver and Nailed Down Dreams having this totally American guitar sound. There are also the classic mid paced epic songs like the opening track Forsake What I Believe or the great The Conjunction Of 7 Planets. The speed remains somewhere hidden in songs like Cross The Line.

The album's structure is kind of simple, something BRAINSTORM seem will never change, but the fact is that they are still one of the few bands that can kick ass with so simple music. Memorial Roots is definitely not their best album, not even one of their best, but surely an album you will enjoy until its last second.