WHIRLWIND is Spanish Power Metal from Barcelona. Formed in 2012, they got sidelined, delayed and stalled due to previous commitments and pandemics; however, they finally managed to pull it all together and released their debut album on November 22. 2022, via Fighter Records. Bringing 80s inspired Power Metal into the 21^st century, they use a dual guitar attack wrapped in a rapid-fire rhythm, creating an epic album in the process.

The opening track, "1714," is an instrumental with a lot of sound effects layered in, primarily sounds of battle, under some melancholy guitar work. This leads into "The Call," a six-minute track that has powerful vocals and lead guitar work that sound like a call to arms that precedes an army marching into battle. The drums are fast and rarely use standard patterns or phrases, opting for a bigger, faster beat. The bass often matches the bass drum pattern, but at times goes in support of the riff, acing more as a rhythm guitar to augment under the lead work.

Both "Under Siege" and "Rebels Arise!" are fast, true Power Metal anthems, racing at light speed. the vocals here are a combination of clean and moderate grittiness, not getting to harsh. There are some major HELLOWEEN influences here with the way the backing vocals are brought in. This is the nod to the old school all us older Power Metal fans love to hear! Moving down to "Cannons Of Infuriation," we get the track that has the more melodic pace and tone, reducing the speed of the song and going for the bigger, more bombastic feel. The song is still plenty heavy, staying true to the overall tone of the album. Here, there is a little speed added into the bridge and guitar solo to make sure we do not forget what this band really wants to sound like. Not that we could, anyway.

One of the catchiest hooks on the album is "Red September," a faster-paced song with a killer riff and some excellent bass work woven in. One of the things about Power Metal bands is they always let every instrument have their moment in the spotlight. The bass shines through well here. The album concludes with "Echoes Of Time," a track that brings the heavy back full force. The riff is massive and the vocals are rapid-fire and gritty for the most part. The drums keep a furious pace and the bass sticks the landing on this one. The belted vocals are really good here as well, showing a bit of range.

Overall, this is a really good Power Metal album. WHIRLWIND definitely honor the past while staying true to their current theory on how new Power Metal should sound. The music is epic, the story is a journey through war, and the whole thing is intense from the first sounds to the final fading notes. There is a lot like on this one.