Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 08:24 AM by Nikos Nakos
Genre: AOR/Hard Rock
Country: Finland
Label: Spinefarm Records
Year: 2014
“Diamond in the Firepit” is the third studio album by Finnish AOR/hard rock band Brother Firetribe, a side project of Nightwish’s guitarist Emppu Vuorinen. Once more, they offer the same kind of well-played and powerful melodic rock, that made them a favorite of fans of the genre. There is some great songwriting here and the occasional heavier moments help a great deal in giving some extra weight to the songs in the overall lighter tone of the album.
The first track, “Love’s not enough”, opens the album with some great keyboard and guitar melodies leading to a long and very catchy chorus and proves that the band is once again ready to meet the high expectations of AOR fans. Keyboard player Tomppa Nikulainen really shines in “Far away from love”, while the first single “For better or for worse” is well-chosen, a groovy song with a strong chorus, perfect for representing the album. The record is full of infectious melodies and “Edge of Forever” is no exception, a killer track that may bring to mind bigger, older bands filling concert halls during the golden years of melodic rock. The mid-tempo songs “Desperately” and “Hanging by a Thread” are quite enjoyable and a welcome change of pace, while “Trail of Tears” is one of my favorites. A heavier song with some amazing guitar work, it brings up a slightly more epic side of the band.
Bringing to mind the 1987 Sly* movie “Over the Top”, their brilliant cover of Sammy Hagar’s classic “Winner takes it All” is another example of their excellent musicianship. Next up are two more keyboard-driven songs, “Tired of Dreaming” and the anthemic “Reality Bites”, before the album closes with “Close to the Bone” a very good mid-tempo rocker.
Brother Firetribe’s third effort is full of melodic anthems, an album proudly representing a genre deeply rooted in the belief that music should be about fun and pleasant feelings. While it is suitably cheesy, the only real weak point would have to be that it’s not actually offering anything new. Then again, AOR fans are obviously well aware of this. If arena rock is not your thing there is probably nothing for you here, but I highly recommend “Diamond in the Firepit” to fans of the lighter side of hard rock.
*the real name of actor Sylvester Stalone
4.5/6
