Brother Firetribe - Heart Full Of Fire (CD)

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If only NIGHTWISH fans would buy this one, then the whole Scandinavian AOR/Melodic Rock status would be uprising to an even higher level. This is the second full-length CD by BROTHER FIRETRIBE, featuring the multi-platinum Finnish female-fronted metallers NIGHTWISH's guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and - after half a dozen of spins in my CD player - it seems that Heart Full Of Fire may prove to be an even better release in regards to 2006's False Metal…
…which was the band/project's initial name back in 2002. Projects are - amongst other things - a good chance for musicians to put in line some extra ideas, apart from their normal bands. BROTHER FIRETRIBE would be no exception to the rule, even if I would not dare to label them as a 'project' that easily. And this, due to False Metal's set of consistent songs, well-worked/produced with lots of promises for a bright future. And who would let such an opportunity run away in Finland?
Apart from Vuorinen's presence, special credit should also be given to the persona of Pekka Ansio Heino, a noted vocalist already familiar to many 'melodic' rockers through his deeds with LEVERAGE. Heino's takes on the CD may probably be the first thing you'll point out when inserting the disc and push 'play'. He's rather persuasive, an amalgam of 'heavy' FM Rock and Pomp Rock singing, plus he has the cleverness to choose when he should sound 'sentimental' and when 'rocking'. Still, he has enough luck to be stepping on the foreground of some…
…dissent songwriting, done by (…who, really?), focusing on an equivalent formula. From one side you get all the MAGNUM/SAGA guidelines while - on the other hand - enough (and more) are the 80s paths once driven by bands like JOURNEY or BOSTON (the Press Release text was 100% accurate on this one). Torsti Spoof and Jari Mikkola mixed the album at Studio Audio, while mastering was handled by Svante Forsback at Chartmakers Studios. All these factors did contribute to a total of eleven songs featuring some surprisingly 'alive' songs, from fast-driven takes like Who Will You Run To Now and Heard It On My Radio to more mid-pace riff-full hits like Runaways and I Am Rock, then to more 'Scandinavian' cuts like Game They Call Love and Wildest Dreams. The keys create a 'neat' melodic atmosphere, while the rhythm section is simple yet fitting and 'fat'. In total, BROTHER FIRETRIBE does not feel safe arguing with one and only kind of melodic Hard Rock style. It does have America in, it surely holds German/Scandinavian elements and - even if destined to sound 80s - it definitely prides itself on fresh production and a general blend of 'melodic' songs someone would never criticize as 'typical'. Not to forget, the cover version of LOVERBOY mainman Mike Reno's Chasing The Angels (originally appeared in 1988's Iron Eagle II movie) is as expected; thumbs up for a track ought to be played in Hard Rock clubs.
Runaways and I Am Rock have already been released as single cuts, preceding the album's official release date (early April). I Am Rock has also been chosen to be the soundtrack of a nationwide Finnish TV series called Pelkkaa Lihaa. And - to sum it up - Heart Full Of Fire can as well entertain fans of 'alien' likes (from SURVIVOR and LOVERBOY to AVANTASIA and NIGHTWISH). That's fair enough, right? BROTHER FIRETRIBE's done it (again)!
P.S.: Anette Olzon (current NIGHTWISH singer) guests in the song Heart Full of Fire. For your info, Anette's previous band (ALYSON AVENUE) has released two Scandinavian AOR albums in 2000 and 2004.