Those crafty Europeans, always staying tried and true to their vision and never straying from their chosen path, and God bless them for that. Firewind, one of the many projects to feature current guitar god Gus. G, is a strong, heavy, anthem filled disc that carries strong melodies, tight riffs, killer guitar solos and more double bass drumming than the last three SLAYER discs combined. But this isn't just fire and brimstone, mindless noodling, overly arranged techno-gibberish. These songs are STRONG and that is what kept me coming back to this disc over and over these past few weeks. "I am The Anger", "Steal Them Blind", "Burning Earth" and the instrumental "The Fire and the Fury" are standout tracks throughout this disc. There isn't much that's too original on this release, but then again it's straight up power-metal, so what more can you expect other than a nine song shred-fest with some of the best guitar solos this side of the Atlantic. Highly recommended to fans of SYMPHONY X, STRATOVARIUS, DREAM THEATER, RHAPSODY and ANGRA. You can't go wrong with this one, boys and girls.
