The Premonition

On paper, The Premonition sounded like a real shot in the arm for Gus G and his merry men, especially after the weight of making Firewind his sole project started being felt. Here, Gus G penned a bunch of power metal joints with these melodic verses, these big and catchy choruses, and duelling guitar/keyboard solos with Bob Katsionis. The Greek Alexi Laiho and Janne Warmen, if you will.

“Into the Fire” is an epic call to arms reminiscent of “Between Heaven and Hell” from the album of the same name. “Mercenary Man” is the kind of song you’ll want to have some chicken noodle soup around for, it’s that catchy. In-between is “Head Up High”, which takes its upbeat cues from “Tyranny” off Forged by Fire and while not being as effective as that song, it is a similarly catchy song. There’s just so much pep in their step and kick to the riffs, generating some real fucking energy out of what are ultimately fairly simple riffs. Apollo steps up his game, putting more power into his voice as to give it more lift. “Into the Fire” has him putting in a more commanding performance to emphasize its mood while the other two songs have him putting in a peppier performance to help make them catchy. Even his softer technique is better utilized to make them choruses catchy, although that’s more because of its additional lift. It really seems like a step up from Allegiance...

...it’s just that the other songs on this album don’t even come close to matching that quality! Whether it’s due to how relatively incomplete they come across as or how generic they become, nothing here really catches up to the quality of the earlier songs. “Remembered” should be great, given its urgent pacing and catchy chorus. Except it lacks the hook that “Till the End of Time” has and Apollo’s saccharine, non-energetic tone doesn’t suit the bouncy “Breaking the Silence”-esque chorus. It’s a tone that does work for “Angels Forgive Me”, except that song has the issue of the verses just flying on by. “My Loneliness” should be a nice, soulful ballad... and while Apollo does play a part in trying to make it work – layers and everything – the instrumentals float there into the ether. It just seems like they work them through some kind of My First Power Metal Song generation software and then there you go. By the way, if your cover of “Maniac” sounds like that – if it ends up being vaguely energetic at best and only really working because the original is fucking iconic, then that’s a problem.

The Premonition is a mediocre album. It kind of gets the job done, I guess? I don’t know man, take out the first three songs (which are actually quite good) and the album is literally background noise.

By 2008 it had already been pretty well established that Firewind is Gus G’s baby, his true labor of love, and nothing demonstrates it more completely than his album of said year “The Premonition”. It was pretty well established from the preceding album “Allegiance” that the goal here was to reestablish the unique blend of heaviness and flash that first reared its head back when Stephen Fredrick’s deep lion’s roar was leading the way, but with a bit more of a balance of airy aesthetics through occasional keyboard interchanges in line with the Stratovarius crowd. Some might call it fence straddling, but when those heavy guitar thuds and bombastic drums combine with the virtuoso keyboard elements of Bob Katsionis, it’s pure magic.

The same basic formulaic songwriting approach that has dominated Gus’ work under this name since 2002 is still present, though the sound is a bit more menacing. The acoustic intro to the album and opening song “Into The Fire” starts off as if remembering the dreary classical line of Metallica’s “Battery”, but with a present day heaviness that is less archaic while still crisp and clear, then kicks into full gear like a chaotic fit of pure rage with an utterly astounding chorus theme. Similar fits of speed riffing mayhem with the double bass going at full speed can be found in “Remembered” and the extremely intense bonus song “Ride To The Rainbow’s End”, which sounds like it’s riding a rainbow made of pure thunder. The lead work, while a bit on the restrained side compared to earlier works, shreds nicely and is measured enough to stick in the memory for more than a few seconds after the notes cease.

But being the good, multifaceted songwriter, Gus mixes things up a bit as usual, putting forth some solid slower material in both the ballad and mid-paced fanfare format. “Head Up High” sounds heavily like a harder sounding song off of mid 80s Dio, with Apollo punching out those Deep Purple inspired melodies like the second life of David Coverdale meets Sammy Hagar. The cover of the famed “Flashdance” movie soundtrack favorite “Maniac” interprets itself nicely into the metal format here, with something of a Gary Moore overtone to it going on in Gus’ guitar interpretation. The half-ballad “My Loneliness” is infectiously catchy, despite being the most basic song on here. It’s the sort of song that is simple enough to awaken the latent Styx fan in us all, yet still loud and heavy enough to mess up your neck vertebrae to.

I still prefer the third installation of this band with Chitty at the helm the best, but “The Premonition” gives it a run for its money, and succeeds in being slightly more fun than the Stephen Fredrick albums. This is European power metal with a ton of gonads and enough flash and flair to please most rabid shred fans who go for the fret board mayhem that the likes of Roland Grapow and Dushan Petrossi are prone to deliver. But most of all, this is an album that has charm for the simple fact that its guitarist and principle composer knows the value of putting together something accessible, rather than relying too heavily on his own technical skills to please the crowd.

I have to say I was a bit disappointed with Allegiance. After 3 albums full of ballsy heavy/power metal, they turned to mainstream power metal. With their latest output though the whole band manages to unleash a great amount of energy through almost every track.
The best part of this album is, of course, the guitar work. Gus G. managed to write some of the best riffs and solos of his career. On one hand, every solo is amazingly fast and beautiful, blending metal with neoclassical and hard rock. The riffs on the other hand, are really fucking powerful. With an aggressive tone, thrashier and crunchier than most power metal, they make you feel like death metal isn't that brutal. Ok, I'm probably overreacting, and that's probably because of the production. It fits perfectly, making every riff sound bigger than it is.
Moving on to the vocals, I have to say Apollo really made it. I just don't understand how can people say he has a generic and dull voice. I mean, have you even listened to the chorus of Into The Fire. His voice is really strong making you wanna scream like a maniac. Besides, his range is quite impressive for a power metal vocalist. He is not using the same pattern in every song. For example, in My Loneliness he has a soft and hard rockish tone whereas in Remembered his voice is more aggressive and harsh.
Finally, Bob Katsionis really makes a difference with his virtuosic keaboard playing. Most of the time he just provides melody supporting the guitar, there are some parts though, where his playing is exceptional. One example would be Head Up High, in which he participates along with the guitar, providing an amazing solo.
To sum up, this album had great potential. Sadly, there is the awful ballad Mercenary Man, and mediocre tracks like the cover of Michael Sembello's Maniac and Life Forclosed which make the listening experience less entertaining. I sure hope their next album is better, the same as The Premontion was better than Allegiance.

PS: I highly suggest you to purchase the limited edition as both Spirits In A Digital World and Ride To The Rainbow's End are amazing.

I've long since succumbed to the fact that Firewind is Gus G's best band, superior to Nightrage or Mystic Prophecy and far more consistent than even Dream Evil. They are also basically the premiere power metal band coming from Greece these days, and their past two albums Forged by Fire and Allegiance have been quite good. Now they return for what is their best album yet, a rousing celebration of melodic power and speed laden in quality lead work, bold production and the memorable vocal hooks of their latest crooner Apollo Papathanasio.

This is a pretty furious power metal album, taking no prisoners as some ominous acoustics part way for the raging "Into the Fire". "Head Up High" rocks with abandon, centered on that kickass melodic hook. "Mercenary Man" is another smoker, with an instantly memorable hook and an 80s verse that even reminds me of something like Rick Springfield. I'm not kidding. "Angels Forgive Me" is driven by some slight synth orchestration. "Remembered" is just amazing, love the opening riff and the choppy speed riff under the verse. Some of the slower tracks "Circle of Life" and "My Loneliness" give you a little break before the action explodes back onto the stage with "The Silent Code". There is also a cover of Michael Sembello's "Maniac", the pop hit from the Flashdance soundtrack. And it doesn't suck! The album closes with the powerful "Life Foreclosed", a slower number.

They've managed to top themselves quite well and they've delivered one of the best power/speed metal records of the year, in fact it may be the best from Europe so far in 2008. Well worth your time if you're a fan of any melodic power metal or if you have an appreciation for Gus G's other projects.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Most times, listening to power metal is a guilty pleasure at best, but there are a few bands who kick it up a few notches and whose music you can blast anywhere without the need for being circumspect. The Greek outfit Firewind happens to be one of those few, owing the bulk of its ass-kicking rep to main man Gus G's guitar wizardry. As with most bands where the guitarist is fronting, vocalists tend to have a limited shelf life before they get axed (hur hur) and Gus went through three over the course of four albums, finally recruiting Apollo Papathanasio for the fourth effort, Allegiance. Sound thinking: if all else fails, hire a dude who's named after a greek god. Just his luck that the son of Zeus sang like a steel-lunged beast, and is probably the best singer the band has had so far.


Thus armed, Allegiance was a snarling bitch of an album, packed with hard-hitting anthemic rockers, and knowing full well how to vary their tempos and pace their punches. Sure, they had a couple of filler tracks, but those were easily overlooked in light of how much fun the damn thing was – overall, it probably tied with the Blind Guardian record for best power metal album of 2006.


Two years down, the band's released its second outing with Apollo, and while the general formula stays intact, there seems to be a bit of magic missing. None of the songs are outright bad, and to be fair, there's some totally solid tracks – Into the Fire opens the albums with ominous acoustic twanging that bring to mind The Thing That Should Not Be before slamming the distortion down and getting all badass, Head up High is a great let's-all-be-happy metal party song and My Loneliness is mid-tempo pop catchiness at its best. Apollo's voice does its job, soaring over and cutting through the noise, while managing to still sound like he's got a pair. Gus doesn't drop the ball either, churning out some sick fretwork, his chops as ballsy and feel-injected as ever. The rest of the band does a pretty competent job as well, setting an example for all 'rest of the band's the world over.


However, there's nothing here which can match, for example, the headrush of Ready to Strike or the grandiosity of Deliverance. In general, there's something about the album that feels noticeably inferior to the one preceding it, and that's not how things are supposed to work out! You're supposed to get more comfortable and confident with each album with an existing setup, and move from strength to strength. Disappointment occurs.


End of the day, they're still one of the best bands out there in the genre, and The Premonition is a solid album, well worthy of your attention. They just ought to be doing better by now. Damn. Oh, special mention to the cover of Maniac from the Flashdance soundtrack. The 'wtf?!' factor is a bit cushioned by the fact that Carnival in Coal already covered it (using blast beats and growling, no less), but it's still great for a laugh now and then. However, laughter turns to suspicion once you realise it sounds a bit like Breaking the Silence from Allegiance. Food for thought.


http://kvltsite.com

All the way from Athens, Greece, Firewind's has brought to you their new full- length studio album, The Premonition. Before you decide on adding this album, consider that Firewind has changed their approach from a more straight-forward power metal band with thrashy speedy style to a more melodic slower paced tone. So now comes the question comes, can we evaluate the album as a Firewind or a completely different band? The answer is simply different for each rocker. Some cannot simply accept the evolution while others feel it is progression. The album songs are very distinct and you will not find many fillers. Redundancy and lack of musical composition are not an issue here.

Now let’s start dissecting the album. First the good. My first impression was the heavy emphasis on the keyboards compared to their others albums. Filled with spacecy modern effect gives you a real feel of the album. The guitars are awesome. Most simply put Gus G is insanely good. Finally he is getting the respect he deserves and people are stating to establish him as a guitar hero. While he has slowed down his speed on this record, his leads have never been more fluid, crisp, melodic. You can really see how he shines in songs like “Into the Fire”, “Mercenary Man” and “The Silent Code”. The drums are pounding and will get your body doing different movements every time he switches a rhythm. Lyrics are not your typical battle and war, which may be a break considering this a recurring theme in power metal. Lyrics are about inner turmoil and revival. When you just sit back and enjoy the album you will find that you’ll be humming almost all the songs in your head and playing air guitar all day. A feeling of power is relevant whenever I listen to this album. It makes me want to workout or do something constructive. I am sure it will do the same.

Now here is the bad. The bass is almost non-existent. Perhaps when you turn up your treble to high on the guitar and the snare on the drums you drown the bass. Shame. To be honest, I liked the older style better, not that this is bad. It felt almost somewhat of a mild disappointment when I got this album, because I feel it is a recurring theme whenever a band makes it big to “mainstreamalize” their songs.

Oh and did I mention a cover of “Maniac” from the movie Flashdance is done. It was amusing at first then it became annoying and corny. I’d rather listen to the original. Ok maybe not but, you get the point.

A 79% is a fair score. It is not ground breaking and it will not be an instant classic. It is not a very good album. However, it a solid album that will stay in your collection forever I you dig the new style. I believe by there next album the will changer their style even more and this album will be considered the bridge between the two styles.

Overall stellar performance.

Sickest songs : “Head Up High”, Mercenary Man” “Circle of Life” “The Silent Code”

This is the kind of thing that doesn't do much of anything for me. If the metal world were a college application test, then Firewind would be the guy who got in by the hairs of his chinny chin chin. They used to be really cool, with a heavier riff base and a vocalist who could howl and shriek like a fucking banshee, but all of that is out the window here. I didn't even know these guys had a new album out until I saw it floating around Thrashmageddon's rich halls, and sadly, it wouldnt've made a difference even if I had never heard it in the first place.

The Premonition has nothing grating or irritating on it at all, besides the fact that it's so goddamned mediocre. This album is carried forward by strong, well constructed melodies and catchy choruses, but there's nothing here that I haven't heard done better by tons of other bands. There are some good songs here, like shimmering opener "Into the Fire" or the catchy "Mercenary Man," but even then, those are no towering accomplishments for a band like this, whom I know can do much better. I think the biggest problem with this album is vocalist Apollo, who is competent, but most of the time lacks any sort of aggression or fire to his super-clean, radio friendly voice. He's much more of a generic Power Metal singer than previous bellower Stephen "I AM THE AAAAAANNNGGGGEEER" Frederick, and the tons and tons of layers piled on top of his voice don't hide that fact. Sorry, Firewind, you're the weakest link this time around. Goodbye.

Originally written for http://www.metalcrypt.com

How do you follow up an amazing album that not only serves as a definative landmark in your career, but as a perfect summation of what you genre should sound like today? Firewind's 2006 release "Allegiance" did this for myself and others, and when it came time to follow it up, I was both very anxious and afraid of what the band may produce. Mediocrity seemed almost eminant. However, I'm happy to say this was very much not the case.
The band has managed to follow Allegiance pretty much perfectly, though this album definitely breaks a bit less ground than its predecessor. There's more guitar and keyboard dueling overall, Apollo's vocals sound much clearer, and the general music approach is more straight forward. The riff style tends to have more in common with older Firewind albums, mainly Forged By Fire. Gus G brings some of his best solos ever to this album, bar none. My favorite tracks are Head Up High, Mercenary Man, Remembered, and The Silent Code, but honestly there's not a bad track to be found.
So, in retrospect, The Premonition serves as an excellent follow-up to Allegiance that is sure to please just about any Firewind fan. "Allegiance" will always hold a place in my heart, and this album may suffer just slightly for having followed such a landmark in this great band's career. However, this is not to say that this is a clone of Allegiance, nor is it an inferior style change. I myself continue to be very satisfied, and I'm sure many fans will feel the same way.

Straight off the road for the touring of 'Allegiance', Firewind got back into the studio for the recording of the follow-up. It took long enough, but Gus G. has managed to hold a Firewind line-up together long enough to record more than one CD, and with the band finally staying in one piece between tours they have obviously been keen to keep the momentum going.

Despite 'Allegiance' being something of a breakthrough for Firewind, it was my opinion at the time that it was easily their weakest CD to date, something I still hold to. The surprising thing about 'The premonition' is that while it is a continuation of the direction the band were heading in with it's predecessor, nearly everything seems to have taken a step up in terms of quality. The problem with 'Allegiance' wasn't really down to the change in course, but just an occasional lack of inspiration that left a mildly disappointing aftertaste.

One of the biggest problems I had personally with 'Allegiance' was the performance of the new vocalist Apollo Papathanasio, and thankfully the overall improvement in musical quality is partially down to him ironing out the negative aspects of his singing. It seems he has grown into his role in Firewind, and has shed the irritating ultra-soft technique he used far too often on 'Allegiance', and has also taken minor steps to upping the aggression in his voice from time to time.

In terms of style, 'The premonition' is probably an equal split of the heavier sound fans will be accustomed to and hook-laden, 80s-style melodic metal. Perhaps unexpectedly, keyboard player Bob Katsionis' contribution to proceedings this time around has been greatly reduced – while still bursting forth for a solo every now and again, he is otherwise almost strictly back on 'atmospherics duty' and the thick layers of keyboard that coated parts of the previous CD are nowhere in sight. It is an odd paradox that as Firewind mellow out to some extent that the guitar dominance has been upped again, but it suits the sound they are pursuing here perfectly and the keyboards feel more appropriate when they do make their brief steps into the spotlight.

"Into the fire", after a brief acoustic intro reminiscent of middle-80s Metallica, gets things off to a flier. A raging metal song bursting with heavy riffs, the expected ripping solos and a great vocal display, it starts 'The premonition' with an almighty bang and shows Firewind at their very best. However, it also manages to create a bit of a false impression of what is to come, being followed by 3 uplifting, hard rocking songs that are all soaring vocals, addictive guitar melodies and gigantic choruses.

This may sound like a turn-off to fans that like to keep their rock and metal separate, but the quality of the first half of "The premonition" is so high that any fan of melodic heavy metal should be at the very least satisfied. The real strength of these songs is how all of them seem to crescendo brilliantly on their respective choruses. No matter how well each song is going, they just seem to explode into life when the chorus kicks in. Gus G. really comes into his own on these tracks, and the melodies he has crafted are among his best to date, particularly on the superb "Mercenary man".

"Remembered" deserves special mention, as it manages to form a bridge between the 2 prevalent styles. Opening on thundering guitar and double-bass offensive, it suddenly bursts into a by-now-expected huge, memorable chorus that demands to be sung along to.

In amongst all this wild praise though, it has to be noted that the 2nd half of the CD does not quite match the quality of the first. None of the songs are in any way bad – though, despite a great lead guitar break, "Circle of life" is the very definition of generic – they generally don't manage to scale the same heights as the opening clutch. The cover of the Michael Sembello's "Maniac" (from the film 'Flashdance') is diverting enough, but comes across as a perhaps slightly by-the-numbers. The original keyboard line is kept in the same sort of cheesy 80s tone by Katsionis (Casio-nis?) and Firewind's rendition is a perhaps surprisingly faithful one, with the slightly tame vocals lessening the impact of the heavy guitar and drum playing.

"Life foreclosed" is a bit of a departure for Firewind, a crunching midtempo head-shaker that concludes the CD on a menacing note. A bit of a departure from their usual style of closing track, and it reminds the listener that while Firewind may have cooled off a little, they still know how to cause a ruckus when the mood takes them. The single ballad, "My loneliness", (usually the one to be found in the closing spot) is also something a little different for Firewind, with the contemplative verses accompanied by a wandering, brass-sounding keyboard line before the expected flurry in the chorus. It is another small step into new territory, and thankfully another success.

Scoring this CD proved to be a tough call – while it certainly outstrips 'Allegiance' with ease, it remains a rung or 2 below the first 3 Firewind CDs, and the slight dip in quality as the CD progresses tempers the enthusiasm built by the top-notch first half. My greatest fear for 'The premonition' was that Firewind would end up a boring hard rock band, and that much has most definitely not come to pass. This new direction for Firewind is a promising one, and while they may have left power metal behind, they are welcome to continue this path as long as they can continue to build on the excellent progress they have made here.

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