Face To Face

Brainfever

Since the review for Capture The Night was written first, there's not enough of reason […]
By Grigoris Chronis
September 8, 2006
Brainfever - Face To Face album cover

Since the review for Capture The Night was written first, there's not enough of reason to chat on anything more apart from Brainfever's musical offer in the 1986 follow up, Face To Face.
1986 finds the German quartet 'blessed' with great reviews for their debut release, still 'help' from the Mausoleum label was less than nothing. Hence, the band started looking for a new 'home' to release the follow-up effort. Recorded and mixed at Horus Studio, Hannover in mid-1985 by German metalmaster Axel Thubeauville, Face to Face became a fave for German Metal fans of that time (even if released on via the totally 'obscure' Bacillus Records label). Remember that neither Helloween nor Running Wild were Metal heroes at the time, so there was enough space for everyone to try and captivate the hordes of hungry Metal fans. There were many followers, of course, that preserved their adornment for the Capture The Night debut album since...
...Face To Face possesses some differentiations in regards to the debut excellent effort. The songwriting is more 'Central European Metal' focused and the production is more 'German'. The speed is up while Neumann's voice preserves its high quality in each and every song: (to mention a couple) Devil's Eyes is a thunderous speed tune while Face To Face features a weird - for the likes of the band - harmony that gradually gets familiar in mind. Mentioning harmony: the guitar solo work is obviously improved and somehow 'mainstrim-ized', now looking one eye to what Helloween did on their first two efforts with the other one still memorizing Accept and Judas Priest. This is all the distinction between the two albums.
The rest is the same. The (overall) sound, the proper passion for Metal music, the pre-'teutonic' inheritance of Accept, Judas Priest and Sinner in a band that deserved more than eventually gained (as if e.g. Gravestone, Steeler, Tyrant or Veto did something more...). If you intend to buy Capture The Night, no fuckin' way should you live this one out. Let aside the fact the rest of the scarce You EP tracklist is featured in this re-release as a bonus 'gift'.

8 / 10

Excellent

"Face To Face" Track-listing:

Black Jack
Face To Face
Savoir
Look Out
Memories Of Tomorrow
Sweettalker
Devil's Eyes
Master Of Evil
Caught By The Fire
Shots Break The Silence (bonus)
Hoist Up The Sails (bonus)

Brainfever Lineup:

Horst Neumann - Vocals
Marco Bottcher - Guitars
Frank Marowsky - Drums
Heinz Schreiber - Bass

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