Allegiance

Exit Chity Samapola, enter Apollo Papathanasio – and with that, a more radio-friendly direction to Firewind’s music in the form of Allegiance. Any rough edges that were found in their earlier albums have been rounded off, and any that haven’t... well, that’s what the cleaner production’s for! Gus G relegating Firewind to being his one and only project at this point means that he’s going to double the fuck down on his more melodic riffing while accentuating them with his signature neoclassical soloing. What this results in, unfortunately, is yet another half and half kind of effort.

Basically, the main issue with Allegiance is the same one that plagued Burning Earth and Forged by Fire – about half the songs are killer and the other half are filler. But making it worse are that they’re the songs that bookend this album. They didn’t have to be, either. “Allegiance” comes in swinging as an anthemic mid-paced hit, but the chorus has not much really going on. Apollo’s vocals during that are like what everyone said about Ghost’s vocalist back in the day, which makes the chorus feel small rather than big. Doesn’t matter how many layers he applies to his vocals – the result remains the same. Maybe if Fredrick or even Somapala were on vocals, they’d be able to do it better. “Insanity” has a scorcher of a riff kicking things off (and oh boy does its solo similarly scorch), but oh man, the chorus has the same exact issue of not really doing a whole lot. “The Essence”? Neat, catchy lead and solo, but there’s that damn chorus again! “Where Do We Go from Here”? Say it with me, guys – the chorus just doesn’t have the anthemic punch it really needed!

It’s emblematic of a big issue throughout half this album – namely, that a lot of the songs don’t have any particularly strong elements outside of maybe a riff or a solo going for them. Everything rides a smooth melody that hardly pops outside of those aforementioned moments. It’s odd for me to say this since this was the album that got me into Firewind in the first place allllll the way back in 2006, but I guess I always had it down that Gus G was great at solos and competent at best on riffs. Like, he just happens upon great riffs every now and again, or at least the riff generates a strong (or even just strong-ish) melody that’s catchier than the common cold. Although it showed at times before that that wasn’t always the case, Allegiance really puts this on full display as, when he can’t get that melody going, when that melody’s just there in the background, the song is nothing short of literal background noise. A good riff, some top neoclassical soloing and the times where Apollo’s vocals become highly commanding (usually during the verses) only elevate dull songs up to being fairly decent.

THANKFULLY, that’s only half the album – we still got the middle of the album to cover here and there’s more of that Firewind quality to it. “Dreamchaser” takes the more 80s AOR inspired sound and actually works it into a song with some damn memorable lines. “Ready to Strike”... strikes you down with a hard-hitting riff like a sledgehammer to the sternum. Same with “Till the End of Time” – the riffs and leads kick it up like no one’s business. “Breaking the Silence” is peppier than a goddamn pep rally with its bouncy groove, urgent riffing, and the excellent sing-offs between Apollo and Tara Teresa. “Deliverance” takes great advantage of Apollo’s range, turning his more soulful technique from sleepy to, well, genuinely fucking soulful. Not to mention, the carefully rounded off riffs actually work in the song’s favor, largely since they complement the keyboard melodies and create this hummable tune that ends up providing this, well, soulful ballad-y type of deal that just feels so good.

That’s just it, too – at its worst, Allegiance is pretty unexciting, just kind of sitting there and taking it. Here I am, just looking forward to the cool solo. A couple of decent moments don’t really matter much in the grand scheme of these songs. At its best, Allegiance is ridiculously melodic and catchy, taking full advantage of their new sort of poppier direction. If this was like their first or second album, it would be more a case of them going from nice and smooth trad metal to semi-poppy power metal - but doing a discography run in chronological order makes it too easy to have less patience for them making the same mistakes with each successive album. What redeems Allegiance is it has the same successes. Heavily melodic tracks and an instrumental in “Before the Storm” that features the more emotional side of Gus G’s shredding – these are the things that keep Allegiance going after all these years.

It’s what it is, you know?

The old cliché “you can’t go forward by moving back” might be true in the sense that without new music we wither and die, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that we need every single album to be a stylistic revolution onto itself, lest we find ourselves with no genre or categories within it left to speak of. The truth is that when it comes to rehashing a format that works, the devil is always in the details, and an approach to crafting newer material that is attentive to nuance is an excellent way to bridge the gap between consistency and novelty. Insofar as Firewind goes, the name of the game is consistency, and the particulars go to the charismatic and virtuosic persona of Gus G and his uncanny ability to turn a few signature riffs into a celebration of neck wrecking goodness that can also be sung along to.

“Allegiance” is a new beginning for Gus, as he has parted company with his entire musical past with 3 other highly respected projects, and has completely revamped the lineup of this, his now solitary project (at least until he began hanging with the Ozzman). However, this new start is really a reassertion of what his music had been about since he began putting out label supported material under the Firewind name, a sleek yet simplistic approach to heavy, powerful metal that doesn’t skip up on the former while putting a lot of the latter into every single memorable melody. It is a format where guitars and drums rule the arrangement, where the vocals are raucous and husky (exuding a bit more depth and masculinity than a lot of other bands in this genre), and the keyboards are present yet mostly playing support. In other words, this is the same overall sound that typified the first 2 albums under this moniker.

In many respects, this album could be seen as a reminiscence of the catchy mid to late 80s heavy metal that grew out of the NWOBHM, combined with a slight helping of the German love of speed and mayhem here and there. A single listen to mid paced grooving monsters like “Deliverance” and “Where Do We Go From Here?” will reveal a band that definitely knows how to kick forth the spirit of Saxon and Judas Priest through the medium of a thunderous modern production. Simultaneously, the riff happy cruiser “Ready To Strike” takes a few tricks out of the Dio playbook (think the first two albums with Vivian Campbell with all the rapid power chords and guitar screams), while the flashing “Dream Chaser” seeks to escape the speed of sound while ushering a beautiful combination of George Lynch style guitar shredding and Grave Digger oriented riffing.

There are, naturally, a couple of areas where the band flirts a little too closely with genre straddling, likely for the purposes of scoring a few radio hits. The particular point where this really becomes blatant is the obvious single cut “Breaking The Silence”, which is an earlier attempt at what was successfully done by Primal Fear when they brought in Simone Simons for a guest slot alongside Ralf Scheepers. Unfortunately, the singer brought in here sounds too much like a goofy R&B singer, albeit with a different accent, and the whole thing gets stylistically muddled. It doesn’t quite hit the low of inviting Christina Aguilera to do a guest slot on a metal album, but it definitely goes in that direction. “The Essence” is also a weak link, though not nearly as much of one, and comes off as extremely forced during those obligatory acoustic sections typical of Gus’ various half ballads.

While this is just a little behind the impressive brilliance of Firewind’s previous work, this is definitely a fun and entertaining album that will have its audience singing along the second time through. It is easy music to like, and has very little that can be described as either adventurous or otherwise ambiguous. This is metal at its most predictable, but done in such a way that it isn’t grating nor stale. Vocalist Apollo Papathanasio isn’t quite the gravely bellower that Stephen Fredrick is, but he is probably the closest thing that Gus’ could find, and definitely gets close to recapturing that same massive vocal sound that is needed to match the massive production going on behind it. But as always, the real treats are found in the guitar playing, and everything else is along for the ride, and in this rudimentary approach to metal, that is way it should be.

I have no idea why the average rating for this album is 55% right now. Firewind is one of my absolute favorite bands, and this album and The Premonition are definitely their best albums. Apollo Papathanasio's voice is sort of a wail, like someone else mentioned, but I really like it. I haven't really heard any singers like him. I think his voice fits in with their style more, and I think that's the main reason why I like their last two albums so much more. Gus G. is an incredible guitarist. The riffs and solos that he writes are so awesome and probably very difficult to play. A few months ago, he became Ozzy Osbourne's new guitarist. Even though I think Ozzy Osbourne is really overrated, I'm glad that people will probably know of Gus’s greatness now.

Now, I don't want to keep going on about the skills of the band members, because that's honestly something I usually don't pay too much attention to when judging music. I love this album simply because the songs on it are all amazing songs, save for perhaps "Dreamchaser." The songs also sound really different from each other. Some punch you in the gut right away with their heaviness and catchiness, and others will have to grow on you. It's got an instrumental, a ballad, a song with a female guest singer, and a song that is so unique that it's just really hard to describe. As far as variety goes, what more could you want?

The four best songs on here are "Allegiance," "Insanity," "Falling to Pieces," and "Breaking the Silence." I think that "Allegiance" and "Insanity" are heavier songs, with really fast guitars and epic choruses. "Falling to Pieces" is probably the most popular song on the album, probably because of its stunningly awesome chorus and its awesome instrumentation, especially at the beginning. "Breaking the Silence" features a singer named Tara, not to be confused with Tarja from Nightwish. Her voice is pretty good, and I think this song sounds kind of gothic. It's different, but it's really catchy. The music video for this song is awesome.

"Deliverance" is another incredible song, partially because it is so unique. The guitar riffs at the beginning are so sick. They sound familiar, and yet they are unlike anything I’ve heard. The same goes for the rest of the song. Admittedly, the last minute and a half is kind of a drag, but who cares? I’m not the kind of person who is going to dock off points for that. This sounds like something that could appear in a weird video game, I suppose. This song is hard to describe, and hard to really get into. You will hopefully realize how great it is, eventually.

“Ready to Strike,” “The Essence,” “Till the End of Time,” the instrumental “Before the Storm,” and the closer “Where Do We Go from Here?” are all amazing songs, too. A few of these songs might take more getting used to for some people. It took me a long time before I really appreciated "Ready to Strike" and "Till the End of Time," because they don't have those punch-you-in-the-gut choruses. "Where Do We Go from Here?" is a nice ballad, and a good way to close off the album.

“Dreamchaser” is sometimes okay, but Apollo’s wail gets to be a little too much at times. The chorus is pretty dull. It’s got some good guitar work, though, and starts out with a nice drum solo.

Now, as far as the two Japanese bonus tracks go, they aren't necessary to have. "Healing Tool" is pretty good and "Demon Nights" is okay, but don't throw away a ton of money to get them. These songs are both b-sides on singles, and both singles are miraculously available on the US iTunes. That's where I bought those two songs, along with a live version of "Till the End of Time" and a cover song "Teenage Idol." None of these songs are anything too special, so I can definitely see why they were left off of most versions of the album.

Overall, I think anyone who is a fan of power metal should definitely buy this. Heck, all metal fans should buy this! It’s an awesome album, and you’ll never get tired of listening to it. I'm really excited to hear their new album, Days of Defiance, due some time this Autumn!

How you feel about this album completely depends on how openminded you are. That's not to say that this is in any way difficult to comprehend or thought-provoking, quite the opposite actually. If you're tired of power metal clichés, you'd best plug your ears...

It seems that the shift in their line-up, switching Chity for Apollo, completely changed the sound of the band, not just considering the vocals. 2005's 'Forged by Fire' was an adrenaline-driven power metal ride, and the potential of that album was only held back by Chity Somapala's rather weak voice. I was delighted to see him switched out. Nothing personal, he just didn't fit the grandiose sound Firewind were obviously aiming for. Gus G seemed unstoppable, and his unique talent could only take the band higher and higher, and the excitement of a new vocalist raised the expectations through the roof. We prepared for the revolution!

And then...?

Maybe they drained themselves dry after putting out three way-above-avarage albums, or the brilliant Gus G couldn't decide what project to focus on. Either way, this album epitomizes generic power metal. I don't like it, I don't dislike it, I'm just very indifferent to it, and in my opinion, that's an even worse fate then being hated. At least your complete lack of talent would get you some level of attention. I'm not knocking the craftmanship, they obviously know their instruments to their fingertips, but their is no drive or soul. It's like a compilation of every other power metal riff ever written accompanied by a constant mid-paced rhythm section. Boring as holy hell, in other words. The only surge of power on here are the speedy, classically inspired 'Till the End of Time', and the insanely catchy 'Breaking the Silence', where Apollo duels Tara Teresa on guest vocals. They're both pretty good pieces, but they're easily forgotten as they drown in the mediocraty of the rest of the album.

Gus G used to be an axeman for hire, and knows his way around the fretboard. His songwriting doesn't match up with his guitarskills though, both lyrics and riffs are weak and doesn't even come close to reflecting his true potential. He shreds through the album with a steady hand, but does nothing to challenge himself or the listener. His mildly amusing and clichéd lyrics are well performed by the new guy, Apollo Papathanasio, but when competing with the likes of Roy Khantatat (of Kamelot), Tony Kakko (of Sonata Arctica) and the mighty mr. LaBrie, his voice is miles behind both in both technique and strength. And the rhythm section? Well, they're... there. That's about it.

The feeling I'm left with after listening to the album is not joy or disappointment, just emptiness and indifference. It's somewhat enjoyable while listening to it, but that feeling fades so fast that it can never leave an imprint on your mind. 'Breaking the Silence' might earn them the future status of one hit wonders, but that's like a dishonorable discharge. They'll be remembered for their failure. Let's just hope there's still some life left in them, I'd hate for them to leave this as their epitome, they deserve better.

“THEY FEED YOU LIES, THEY BRING YOU PAAYAAIIIN!!”

This guy’s got such a dominating wail that it makes me wonder if he eats kids in one bite.

“CLEVER DISGUISE, FALLING FROM GRAAAAYAAACE!”

Last I remember, the previous Firewind vocalist had a thin voice which aggravated me in all it’s annoying, high pitched tones. Apollo is the complete opposite with his grainy, hoarse exhales that come straight from the throat. They aren’t throaty screams, but bellowing yells that utilize a ton of stomach power; if that’s the case, then he must have obtained a six-pack by the end of the recording process for this album.

Most people can’t stand him, but I’m too weak minded and can’t help but be sucked in by such artificial sounding vocals. They combine well with the fast-paced, cool, and more poppy music centered solely on the choruses. You see the titles of the tracks? You’ll likely hear that word / those words uttered during the chorus; just like your typical slab of mainstream, processed bullshit. The biggest traitors are “Falling To Pieces” and “Breaking The Silence” – the former featuring an incredibly pop-oriented keyboard hook and the latter featuring female vocals for modern metal to masturbate all over.

Ugh…

No doubt the formula has been dumbed down, but once again I can’t help but be suckered in. The riffs from Gus are generally fun loving and melodic, but the solos are really the shining moments since he goes back into that technical jazzy vibe. Gus really gets carried away with his playing on his solo albums, but here he remains focused and sharp. Bass support doesn’t go beyond rhythm backing, so I wouldn’t go in expecting anything fantastic out of that. Drumming also is aggressive and gnarly, sounding hefty and loud as all hell. It’s probably the only untainted part of this whole album, since the rest of the instruments are forced to dumb themselves down – it’s amazing how much power comes from the drums rather than the guitars.

Now I love Bob Katsionis for his groovy, progressive style of keyboard playing, but here it’s just too shallow. His notes don’t go beyond some sappy melody, so what I would do instead is get one of his solo albums. Once you hear how he really plays the keys, then you’ll understand why I hate his playing here.

So yeah, this album is as processed as power metal gets. It’s made specifically for the modern metalheads who gobble up popular metal bands and want to check this album out just so they can tell their other metal buddies that they listen to power metal. As for me, I do kind of like this album for it’s silliness and general innocence. Some songs are great to sing a long to and since I at least enjoy Apollo’s vocals, it’s not hard for me to get into the songs. However, it doesn’t excuse the fact that it’s some of the most synthetic, unnatural sounding power metal of the decade.

What is there to say about this album? I feel a small summary would not do this album justice, so let me go more in depth.


Again, Gus, Bob, and Petros return with an awesome, hard hitting, yet wonderfully melodic album. However, the addition of Mark Cross on drums and Apollo Papathanasio on vocals really gave the album what it needed to surpass the band's previous efforts. It opens with the fast, aggressive, anthem that goes by the name of the album, Allegiance. The guitar part is very aggressive, utilizing a thick distortion and heavy use of palm mutes to create a chugging sound that we all know and love. The keyboard supports the guitar through out most of the song, but takes a turn at soling during the mid-section. A similar feel is present in the second song, Insanity.


The third track, Falling to Pieces, is a power ballad, and is much more melodic than it is aggressive. Unlike most Firewind songs, this contains a lot of simple chord strumming, mainly due to the fact that the keyboard carries much of the melody. The next song, Ready to Strike, is also very fast, up until the pre-chorus, which is fairly strange sounding and mid-paced. Next up, we have Breaking the Silence, featuring Tara Teresa on guest vocals. This song has a more goth sound to it, due to Tara's assistance, but overall, is moderately aggressive. The keyboard melody is very catchy and is easy to get stuck in your head. Personally, I don't like the solo in this song, it's too aggressive for such a melodic track. However, it is still well played. Preceding Breaking the Silence, is Deliverance, which has an acoustic guitar playing through out much of it. This song, too, is carried by the keyboard melody. At first, it sounds somewhat strange, and dark, but it eventually lightens up and finishes on a catchy, emotional note.


Till the End of Time the seventh song on the record, and opens up with Apollo shouting the songs name. Those two seconds reminded me of an eighties glam song. However, when he repeats it in the chorus, it has a more familiar Firewind sound to it. I love this song mainly because I find it to be one of the stronger vocal tracks on the album, especially during the chorus. Dream Chaser comes up after that, it is a very good and solid song, though, not my favorite. It opens with a cool little drum solo and then goes into a very heavy riff, however, that doesn't last long, and Apollo comes in during a very bouncy verse line. The chorus is nice and catchy, but is very cheesy, even for Firewind.


Before the Strom is an instrumental, it's soft, and very emotional. I enjoy it, but as far as their instrumentals go, they still have yet to surpass The Fire and the Fury from the Burning Earth album. Second to last is The Essence, which is one of the better songs on the album. This song doesn't use as many distorted guitars as the others, and has a very cool middle eastern chorus part in it. They even go so far as to use very ethnic sounding instruments. The melodies in this song are very interesting and are very different from Firewind's other songs. Finally, we have Where do We Go from Here? A very emotional song, but also very aggressive, basically the quintessential Firewind, ending the album on a good note.

This album is really quite great, don't pass this up if you enjoy power/speed metal. I don't know why this is referred as generic, though it's not the most unique power metal out there, I still can't name a band that sounds similar to them. This is quality music, great guitar playing, and solid rhythm work, and not to mention great vocal and keyboard lines. I would definitely recommend you get this, it's by far Firewind's best album.

This is, hands down, one of the most boring albums I have ever listened to. On hearing that Gus G was an amazing virtuoso guitarist and Firewind was not to be missed, I gave this album a go. Now, I've never listened to any of his other bands (Dream Evil, his solo, etc.) but that didn't stop me. Unfortunately...It was a huge mistake. There is very little that redeems this album from being a generic, cheesy, and downright boring power metal album.

Every song sounds roughly the same and follows the exact same song structure blueprint. Verse, a chorus, a solo here and there, it's all identical. And not just to the other albums tracks, to a huge amount of other power metal out there. There is nothing standout about any of it. The solos, while fast and technical, are contrived and forgettable. The riffs are gone 3 seconds after you've heard them. The drumming is there, and nothing more. Don't even ask about bass.

The hilarious and awful lyrics don't help either. Take a random sample:

"No one can stop this time machine
It keeps on rollin' till the dawn
If you want to join this dark engine "

Huh? Gus G. is Greek and English probably isn't his first language so assuming he wrote the lyrics some slack has to be given...but still. What?

You could say Firewind is somewhat of a power metal supergroup, containing members who are well experienced in the genre. The common fear of a supergroup is that the music will sound too standard and generic for the genre, and this is exactly what happens.

Standout tracks? None. They're all basically the same. This album is completely forgettable. Other websites have shown me that Gus G.'s a bit of a dick too (he put this album on HIS OWN best of 2006 list...), but what could be expected from a guy who put out an album called "Guitar Master?"

Post-script: I do realize that the Guitar Master album was for Digitech's series, but it helps make a point. Avoid this album like the plague.

The latest rotation of the Firewind line-up saw the addition of veteran drummer Mark Cross and vocalist Apollo Papathanasio. Apparently with Gus G. now treating Firewind as his sole priority and with the recruitment of all-Greek (or Greek-based) line-up, this will be the end of Firewind's semi-project status and the beginning of their movement forward as a solid unit. Unfortunately, I'm here to report that the first step into the new era is a minor stumble.

I try not to be the sort of music listener that refuses to accept changes to a band's line-up (Firewind have gone through a lot of changes usually out of their control or down to lack of foresight), but after previously having 2 top-class vocalists in the raspy bellower Stephen Fredrick and the Tony Martin-like Chity Somapala, I'm afraid that the newcomer Papathanasio is sometimes found wanting. He has a likeable and versatile voice, but has a recurring tendency to fall back into a soft, high wail that becomes a niggling annoyance, and unfortunately is not a match for either one of his predecessors, particularly in the aggressions takes.

But what presents a more serious problem than a few instances of a vocalist misfiring is that this is the first Firewind CD to feature some sub-par songs. Even more worryingly for the first-time listener, 2 of the weakest spots on the CD come in the opening 3 songs. The title track opens proceedings at midtempo and despite initially having the hallmarks of a typically excellent Firewind song, falls down when it reaches its uninspired chorus. This is also the first instance of Papathanasio's 'annoying' voice. Clearly they are reaching for anthemic standards with this song, but with such a weak centrepiece to the song the CD opens with a definite damp squib.

The lead single, "Falling to pieces", sitting at 3rd place on the CD is also a rather underwhelming effort. After an interesting, broken guitar intro with a rich keyboard layer joining in, we are left with a fairly tame and boring track that once again loses points for an annoying pre-chorus. Things only really get going when the 4th track, "Ready to strike" kicks in – the CD finally reaches top speed, and the song is a breathtaking metal anthem in the style of the 80s glory days, with an excellent solo section following on from an unexpected but very welcome melodic piano break.

For the most part, though, 'Allegiance' is more of what Firewind do best – traditional full-throttle metal based on a succession of heavy riffs with blazing solos at every opportunity. There are, however, a few variations to the formula – possibly the biggest being that keyboard maestro Bob Katsionis has been let off the leash after being kept somewhat in the background on his debut with the band, 'Forged by fire'. It may seem a worrying premise for fans of such a riff-based band, but the keys definitely do not get in the way - usually they are hiding just behind the guitars and occasionally taking the lead, and Bob's shredding solos add another new dimension to the music.

There are a few breaks in Firewind tradition on 'Allegiance' – the most notable being that Gus G. is not responsible for the writing of every song. Papathanasio, Cross and Katsionis are all credited with music writing on a song each, with results varying in both sound and quality. Katsionis' effort, "Till the end of time" is easily the best of the 3, a ripping speedy power metal track - probably the most overtly power metal piece on the CD. The lead part that drives the song along is wonderful, and quite reminiscent of the keyboardist's solo career. The track is a genuine highlight on 'Allegiance' and ought to make the listener glad that Gus G. has decided to relinquish total creative control this time around.

The other 2 tracks written by other band members don't scale the same heights – in "Dreamchaser", Cross has written a very solid traditional metal song with a sing-a-long chorus that shows up his influences in anthemic 80s metal. An enjoyable effort, but slightly too generic to be counted among the top songs on the CD. "Where do we go from here?", written almost entirely by Papathanasio, is the final track on the CD and another of its weak points. It also sounds like something out of the 80s, but more of a melodic rock song than heavy metal. I can see the band's logic in closing the CD with a reflective song, but compared to the ballads that have rounded off their last 2 efforts, it feels like proceedings are closed with a bit of a whimper instead of an emotional outpouring.

The only true ballad on the CD is not found where you would perhaps expect it – with guest female vocals by pop singer Tara on "Breaking the silence", one could perhaps expect a slushy love song, but instead you get one of the best tracks on the whole CD. It is an urgent-sounding effort based around a duet with some thought actually put into it – after sharing the verses, the chorus features an excellent back-and-forth between Papathanasio and Tara instead of the 2 simply singing the same lines at the same time. The song benefits immensely from this and 'Allegiance' as a whole is given a lift at the crucial midpoint.

Back to that ballad, the following track and true midpoint of the CD, "Deliverance" is an introspective, semi-acoustic song that actually suits Apollo's softer vocals a lot better than the other points where it is used across the piece. More typical chunky riffs in the verses augment the song by contrasting to the soft vocals and acoustics on the bridge and chorus – nothing groundbreaking, of course, but very enjoyable nonetheless.

'Allegiance' is definitely a CD containing a lot more good than bad, and despite the weak points that puncture it at crucial moments (like a weak opener and closer, sandwiching the rest of the music), there really isn't too much to complain about. 5 of the 11 songs recorded here truly are absolutely excellent and can hold their own against virtually anything else under the Firewind name, and 3 of the remaining 6 sit comfortably between 'good' and 'very good'.

The thing that leaves me feeling disappointed every time the CD finishes playing is its frustrating inconsistency, something Firewind have never been guilty of in the past. In the end what we have is a good album by a great band – and that's not really enough, is it? With any luck this CD will be something of a blip as the new version of Firewind finds its way in the world. Hopefully by their next release they will be back firing on all cylinders.

(Originally written for http://www.metalcdratings.com)