Old school heavy metal blended with modern textures is what makes Brainstorm stand above your average speed/power metal band. The band creates a melting pot of elements to come up with an old sound that feels fresh and rejuvenated. The German’s seventh album “Downburst” is a fiery explosion of riffs, pounding drums, insane guitar solos and anthemic choruses that will stick with you for a good deal of time. Their influences are beyond obvious, as the band doesn’t hide their old school sound and try to pass it off as something else.

“Falling Spiral Down” and “Fire Walk With Me” pair up as a perfect one-two punch to start things off. The fast riffing of the former draws the listener in and doesn’t let go until the end; only to be followed by the mid-paced heavy chugging of track two. “Stained With Sin” brings some slower paced material to the table, and it posses’ a great mixture of heavy riffs and soaring vocal melodies. “Redemption In Your Eyes” kicks things back into gear with some riffs that are very reminiscent of the Gothenburg sound of the late nineties. The breakdowns in this song are a clear example of how breakdowns and speed come into unison to create a more than memorable moment.
The album continues down this path with some noteworthy moments like “Protect Me From Myself” with it’s fantastic guitar work and “Frozen” with some riffs straight out of Painkiller era Judas Priest, laden on top of a huge chorus and some simple but effective keyboard parts.

All in all, Brainstorm has released a solid album with great riffs that don’t sound recycled or dated. The band is one the few carriers for the banner of speed/power metal bringing new elements and excellent musicianship to make each album improve with each listen.