Unexpectedly the quartet known under the OVERWIND moniker is coming from Russia, the group was build over the ashes of mostly obscure outfits like FREAKOZAKS or ASPECT...But this time the constellation of HM planets seems to be in the right conjunction for a possible fair amount of recognition, at least in our little restrained community of experts!

The East Slavics OVERWIND turbines, are firing on all cylinders, that means that the pace is mostly uplifted by a energetic temperament inherited by the San Francisco Bay-Area model but also a few modern elements from continental Euro Metal...Finally the unification has occured and the cold War is over... Even if the sentiments anti Soviet Union feelings are remaining in some countries, we are far from the perestroika era and GORKY PARK!

The marketing trick that consist to include a prestigious list of guest players is a well-known practice indeed, but this time the musical overvalue is tangible and it seems to be fairly successful, really uplifted in the overall quality and perhaps even better than anticipated!

The fiery solos spots by famous axe-gunslingers in the upper level like exRAGE/MIND ODYSSEY Victor Smolski ("Stop The Time"...Catchy) or in "Aqualand" by Marco Sfogli (James LaBrie/exCREATION'S END) and the amazing yet familiar voices of RAGE's mastermind Peter "Peavy" Wagner ("Million Miles Away") & Tim "ripper" Owens (exJUDAS PRIEST/exRISING FORCE/exICED EARTH & his signature soaring vocals) are purveyors of the best rank, obviously the cherry on the cake, they are all at their absolute top, giving their best in their own musical cameo which are set in the most interesting way, another dimension is reached because of those performances...The cynical minds and the naysayers will be in for a damn disturbing state of questioning themselves upon their own pessimistic certitude!

To conclude in a firework of riffage this prolific year, indeed another vertiginous period of amazing Metal music overflow, "Level Complete" is set to release on December 11th in the very abundant 2015, via the high profile (and clearly one of my favorite by far) German label Power Prog Records ...Ultimately, my conclusion is that OVERWIND, is can be rated as brilliant and talented as these musicians are, no more no less!

Crafted upon many styles from Melodic Hard Rock ("Victoria") up to slightly down-tuned Thrash with generous amount of melodies & hooks, it's quite interesting how lately Power Metal has lost all its cheese potential and turned instead that, into that vicious Metal edge, all that without losing its cleverness, a intelligent step to reach a new side of this fundamental sub-genre that's become within twenty years after an undeniable & essential pillar of the Modern Metal sonic identity..."The War Between Us" reveals an improved & damn groovy attitude symptomatic of a solid determination created by the sum of many contemporary scruples!

The songs like "Insider", the title track-with an interesting switching in the singing style- or "Comfort Me" a particularly impressive in this stylistic discretion and ultra specific aspect, they create this excessively attractive music...Sometimes technical, busy and quite elaborated but always rewarding for the audience!

The closing number "Never Say Goodbye" sounds like a mix of hillbilly Rock with Folkloric Metal, maybe it could be rated as the only fault of taste, but globally the whole entity is set in a very qualitative strain like the regularly pretty good and exciting stuff provided by the Power Prog Records staff.