Brainstorm – Midnight Ghost – Album Review

Germany’s Brainstorm have been power-metalling their way through the decades since the late 80’s and their trajectory has been steady and strong, with consistency being the key to their success. However, with recent releases received really rather well, its been relatively obvious that these talented Germans have been building up to something special and Midnight Ghost is the thrilling culmination of dedication, hard work and a knack for penning particularly potent METAL!

It should come as no surprise that Brainstorm specialise in classic power metal/heavy metal in all its chest-beating glory and this band believe in sounding perpetually massive at all times! They also appreciate crunchy as fuck riffs and Midnight Ghost is full of ’em! Opening with the should-have-been-included-on-Priest’s-Painkiller exuberance of “Devil’s Eye”, Brainstorm let fly with a monster of an opening gambit. This song smacks you round the head with its sheer might and is undoubtedly the highlight of the album. That’s not to say that Brainstorm shoot their load too early! Quite the contrary, things just get bigger, bolder and braver as the album unfolds and by the time you reach the dramatic midway section of “Jeanne Boulet (1764)” you’ll be applauding Brainstorm’s ambition.

The pace varies as the towering tunes keep on comin’ and while “Ravenous Minds” may be Midnight Ghost‘s most accessible, power metal ballad-esque moment, it packs a massive chorus and highlights the fact the Brainstorm clearly know how to deliver some of the most uplifting, soaring power metal around.

As per usual, Andy Franck’s vocals are sublime; catchy, expressive and powerful, he seems to get better as the years roll by. Incidentally, if his work on last year’s exemplary Almanac release made you go weak at the knees, his performance throughout Midnight Ghost will leave you swooning!

Midnight Ghost could very well be the pinnacle of Brainstorm’s career to date, with the lightning speed of their late 90’s/early 00’s releases and the heft and grit of their most recent releases (Firesoul in particular) combining effortlessly to create a significant whole! Highly melodic yet still satisfyingly heavy, this is what heavy metal/power metal should sound like.

So, there’s no need to sit their scratching your head, wondering whether to check these guys out…..Brainstorm have made the decision easy; Midnight Ghost is a top-notch release from a band who are currently at the peak of their power metal powers! 8/10

Midnight Ghost, Brainstorm’s 12^th album, is set for release on September 28th via AFM Records.