Between Heaven and Hell

In a time where metalcore was on the rise and Slipknot’s popularity was at its apex, it’s a pretty ballsy move to hedge your bets on a traditionally-inclined heavy metal album. That’s old people music – give me some harsh screams and angry music, dad! But Gus G, the Greek Yngwie Malmsteen, managed to defy expectations by putting together a real trailblazer effort that showed off the utility of 80s-inclined metal with a dash of that there late-90s/early-2000s power metal sound. Combining the crunchy riffage of Judas Priest and Rage with the hyper melodicism of Stratovarius brings us a killer debut in Between Heaven and Hell.

From the get-go, the album makes it clear what it’s all about. The titular song rides on in with a mean hooky intro riff that grabs you by your hair and doesn’t let go. Between the smooth verse riffs and Stephen Fredrick’s booming vocals – especially during the chorus – there’s like two or three different hooks working through the song at once, and it’s so fucking addicting even nearly 20 years later, it’s insane! Brian Harris’ kinetic percussion has a real thumping presence to it that gives the song that extra kick. The soloing is technically impressive, like a flurry of notes blazing through the senses – yet the arrangement works in conjunction with the melody, adding this extra hook to proceedings. You know what, fuck it – this entire song is one giant hook with bait no fish can refuse!

Stephen “I Am the Anger” Fredrick’s vocals are especially a standout here. His bellowing presence adds a lot of oomph to the easy listening riffs. This gives the vocal lines, especially the ones during the choruses, a whole hell of a lot of power – really emphasizing the whole “power” portion of the heavy/power metal genre tag. The other major standout are the solos, which just rip and tear like Doomguy. But what seals the deal really are the riffs. The way that Gus is able to construct these smooth, melodic tracks full of pep, with tons of catchy hooks throughout – it’s quite enamoring, even to this day. There’s plenty of crunch, yet the melodies are smooth, it’s practically laced with peanut butter.

This is present throughout just about every song on this album – be it the uptempo “Destination Forever”, the more triumphant “I will Fight Alone”, the more melancholic balladry of “Who Am I” or the more throttling “Fire”, there’s so much punch to these choruses that make them feel big and memorable, and so much crunch to the riffs that grab you. I’d even say the instrumental, “Northern Sky”, has quite a bit of that, coupled with some more heartfelt soloing throughout that absolutely shows Gus’ range. What really emphasizes the 80s portion of their sound is in their then-modern reimagining of the Scorpions song, “Pictured Life”. I know it’s from the 70s, but how many 80s acts take influence from Scorpions’ Virgin Killer? Anyway, the already hard-hitting rhythms are given a makeover and Stephen Fredrick lights up the room with a commanding performance that actually gives Klaus Meine’s a run for its money.

“Pictured Life” may paint a picture of their style, but the execution is vividly detailed by the rest of the songs. The riffs may say easy listening, given their penchant for smooth rhythms. However, the vocals and the solos shout power. When coupled with hard-hitting percussion, the songs are elevated to an exciting degree. Between Heaven and Hell pretty much knocks it right out of the park, right from the get go and doesn’t stop – and let me tell you, even as the righteous path is hidden from the wicked and the damned, the ride between heaven and hell stops for nobody!

I’ve been split over which of the first two Firewind albums was the better one, mostly because they are extremely similar. Ultimately I’ve elected to change my mind yet again and am now decided that this is the best of the Stephan Fredrick material, although the margin is pretty small. The main reason for this is a slightly stronger collection of speed tracks and a greater emphasis on lead playing, although pretty much every Firewind album has been a superior display of lead playing on Gus. G’s part than anything he’s done in any other project.

To those not familiar with this band, they play an extremely formalized and simplistic brand of power metal. Every song has the cliché “verse to chorus” structure with the occasional instrumental breaks, but in comparison to long established acts like Helloween, Blind Guardian and such these guys are much less intricate structurally speaking. Many comparisons are made between this band and Gus’ other project at the time Dream Evil, but in terms of riffs and overall heaviness, Firewind is much more interesting and worthy of the “power” half of the genre’s title.

Gus really covers all of his bases on this album, supplying a varied set of heavy metal tracks within the very small window afforded to the retrospective 80s approach that he has chosen. Speed tracks such as “Firewind Raging”, “Destination Forever” and the title track feature flashy leads and polished songwriting, the second of these tracks in particular really shines during the chorus and enjoys regular play when I commute. Ballsy mid-tempo crushers like “Warrior” and “I Will Fight Alone” also come up strong in the catchiness department and stay interesting despite the lack of structural variation from the standard formula. The weakest song on here is the closing ballad, which as is often alleged in the case of Hammerfall, drags down the album at the end.

Although I strongly believe that Fredrick’s voice is a credit to the band as it helps make them distinct from many other similar bands out there with banshee howling Rob Halford worshippers, the best part of this album is the genius injected instrumental “Northern Sky”. It starts off with a serene clean arpeggio line and two crying harmonized electric guitars and then launches into a series of thematic and solo interchanges. It’s almost structured like one of their songs with vocals, only utilizing two lead guitars in the vocalist’s stead. One of the main reasons why I prefer Firewind to Dream Evil is because of songs like this.

If you like your power metal straight out of the bag without all the fancy change-ups and structural twists and turns; this is the band for you. Picture Hammerfall but heavier and with a deeper and more gravely voiced singer and you’ll have the right idea. Although I personally prefer “Forged by Fire” as their best release, “Between Heaven and Hell” showcases the heaviness of this band the best, and people who want power metal without all the crazy falsettos are encouraged to seek out this release and the follow-up “Burning Earth”.

This is the kind of thing anybody can like. It's the most vanilla, bland kind of metal you can imagine, with powerful riffs, catchy choruses, and double bass drum lines all the way through. There isn't really much in the way of originality, as if you've heard Dream Evil, you've heard everything this band has to offer. Not to say this is bad, for it's certainly not boring. Just deriative and rather inoffensive. This isn't the kind of metal that will scare your parents or offend Christian religious groups, because this is, in all reality, quite positive at some points. So, fans of dark satanic music won't find much to glower over here.

Musically, though, this is pretty damn good actually. Gus G. is in the band, so you can safely assume that Firewind is more of the tried-and-true 80s hard rock combined with power metal formula that's being thrown around so much these days. Stephen Frederick provides an energetic vocal preformance, and his voice is just extremely catchy. The drums are powerful, but don't really seem to do anything very interesting, compared to other bands in this genre. Overall, this album is similar to Dream Evil with a punchier production and harsher vocals, or perhaps Painkiller-era Judas Priest without a bit of the aggression. All of the songs are extremely catchy and fun to listen to when you just need something to kick back and relax to. However, if you want something innovative or something that really goes for the throat, Firewind is not the logical pick.

The first track here is the title track, and it's one of the best on the album, with a piledriving riff and a very cool chorus. The soloing is of course top-notch, as expected from the prodigy that calls himself Gus G. And I still think that main riff is my favorite on the entire album. "Warrior", "World of Conflict", and especially the blazing "Destination Forever" are similar exercises in high-octane power metal, all with the same redeeming factors as the first track. Good stuff. We also have two instrumentals in the nostalgic, searing "Oceans" and the more riff-driven "Northern Skies." I must mention "Tomorrow Can Wait" as a cheesy kind of half-ballad that really works, and "I Will Fight Alone" really fucking rules too.

Not many of the other tracks really stand out that much...but I just listed most of the track list as 'standouts' anyway. Heh. Either way, Firewind will never be a top notch band, but we can count on them for consistantly catchy and easy-to-listen-to power/heavy metal, and that's not such a bad thing at all. This won't stir up much controversy anywhere, and it's certainly not going to rip your head off, but I can recommend this album to fans of modern power/80s hard rock type bands without caveats. You won't regret checking it out.

Once in a while, the gods of metal decide to quench our thirst for guitarists that are blessed with both huge talent and creativity. This time the blessed is Gus G, a greek guy that was only 22 years old at the time of this recording but you wouldn't notice this by listening to the album.

Firewind is a power metal band, but as you should know, power metal can be divided into two major groups: the more melodic and keyboard-oriented bands such as Stratovarius, Kamelot or Rhapsody, and the "heavier" and more thrash-oriented bands in the vein of Gamma Ray, Iron Savior or Iced Earth. Firewind falls in the latter category.

Their debut album has a very heavy emphasis on the guitars, something most metal should be about. The guitar work of Gus is nothing short of amazing, delivering awesome riffs, solos and fills. It should also be noted that he has composed every single song here, unlike Dream Evil, Mystic Prophecy or Nightrage where he was not the main songwriter.

Right from the start you get a good taste of what this album will deliver for its entire length, and I mean this: no-bullshit-heavy-fucking-metal. The title track starts with a riff that is just awesome, with a crunchy guitar tone and ass-kicking speed, but without being over-fast. This is just a teaser though, as Fredrick's vocal performance is just about to start and own everything in its path. This guy has a sliiiightly raspy voice and sounds so damn powerful, he puts a lot of emotion and feeling into his singing.

"Warrior" comes next, and starts with another awesome riff. Well... most songs here start with an awesome riff: tracks no. 1, 2, 8, 9 and 11 start this way, and feel safe to assume that the opening riff will re-appear later on every song. Warrior also has a chorus that has got to be the catchiest chorus ever, with a heavy 80's feel (but in a good way). Really, I never listened to a chorus THIS catchy. "Who am I?" comes close, but it's not this great.

There are two insturmentals: the first being "Oceans", a very cool down-tempo tune that serves as a nice melodic rest to the ongoing riff-fest. "Northern Sky" is the other one, perfectly showcasing Gus' abilities not only as a speedy virtuoso but also as a melodic, emotive player that can actually slow down his fingers, proving that he's not just a guy that wankers over and over his speed for 30 minutes, like many others that seem to be able of doing only that. Gus' soloing is one of the things most people highlight from his playing, and with good reason. The cool thing about the lead work is that you have blazing fast, but also slow, and even twin solos. The only thing that detracts a bit is the fact that since Gus is the only guitarist here only one style of soloing will be heard, unlike other bands where the two guitarists have different lead styles and therefore add a little more of variation.

"Who Am I?" is the last track and starts with a clean intro and keyboards in the background. The clean guitar continues throughout the verse until the distortion comes kicking in the chorus, and boy is this catchy. The guitar just follows the vocals perfectly, and this line is so good that will stick into anyone's mind for days. Next comes the only neo-classical inspired solo that you will find here, and is quite a straight Malmsteen rip-off. The next solo sections are similar to those found in previous songs, while the keyboards come back and forth. The song with the clean guitar again, ending the album very calmly. Good idea.

The bonus track "End of an Era" is yet another instrumental similar to "Oceans", but it isn't anywhere near the quality of the aforementioned track so don't mind about getting the japanese version since it's not worth it. There are some electronic sounds here, and if that doesn't scare you away then nothing won't.

Every instrument is cleverly used, even if the guitars are upfront (as they should be). The drumming is very tasteful if somewhat generic, for a good example check track number 11, Fire. Keyboards are rarely used, and only appear in "Oceans" and "Who am I?", incidentally the only two down-tempo songs. The bass is just there following the guitars, without being outstanding in any form. But hey, Judas Priest is known for its minimalistic bass lines and they get a lot of praise, so I don't see the problem with this.

Another thing that you will notice is that there are absolutely no fillers on this album, just all killer. It is a very consistent CD with all songs heading the same way.

Some complain about the fact this is generic, and it is obvious that this is not the most original band out there, but I don't think these guys try to reinvent the wheel. They just play true heavy metal to have fun and headbang to.

Recommended to fans of power, speed and traditional metal.

[Update 9.23.07: Rating lowered from 94 to 75. Reasons? Well, with time this CD shows its main flaw: lack of originality.]

Gus G has had his finger in many pies. Dream Evil, Mystic Prophecy, Nightrage, and various guest appearances have made him one of the more prolific guitarists in the metal scene. But what happens when he writes the music exclusively? You end up with FIREWIND, a power metal band whose music is as generic as its name. They have the soaring choruses, the third-harmonized guitar solos, the D&D lyrics and everything you'd expect from your usual power metal band. But while genre leaders such as Kamelot and Blind Guardian take the formula to new heights full of passion and originality, Firewind simply fester in their own tedium.

I was pretty disappointed with this CD because I really enjoyed the other efforts Gus was a part of. Alas, it seems their successes were due more to their other members' songwriting abilities than the Greek guitar slinger. Well at least Dream Evil's "Book of Heavy Metal" wasn't his fault. But on their previous albums, they had a great chemistry between Fredrik Nordstrom's epic songs and Gus's lead work (and he is a fucking master soloist.) "Between Heaven and Hell," then, is only made worse in that it actually highlights how boring of a writer the guy is. Placed alongside albums such as "Dragonslayer" and "Sweet Vengeance," it all sounds incredibly lifeless and dull.

Judged on its own merits, much of the album really isn't all that bad. It never aspires to anything above generic power metal, but many bands are good just because they play extremely good generic power metal. Unfortunately, around half of Firewind's debut is totally worthless. Upon first listen you may be fooled, considering the first four tracks are probably the best on the album. However, after that it all goes to crap, salvaged only a little bit by the strong closer "Who Am I." Everything between tracks 4 and 12 is completely useless! "Oceans" is 2 minutes of clean guitars and random soloing that goes nowhere. The next three songs, including a Scorpions cover, are incredibly cheesy and 80s sounding with no redeeming qualities. "I Will Fight Alone" begins with a ripoff of Dio's "Rainbow in the Dark" and degenerates into midtempo boredom. The lyrics also remind of army recruitment ads to boot. Next we get a drawn out and repetitive instrumental, followed by... wait a sec... haven't I heard this before? "Fire" begins in exactly the same way "Firewind Raging" did. And Edenbridge's "Suspiria." And Human Fortress's "The Dragon's Lair." Give me a damn break. Finally there's the ballad "Who Am I," which is actually pretty good. Did the guys figure out how to play with emotion at the very end of the recording process? Who knows. Anyway it's a great song.

So, 7/12 tracks garbage... That leaves five songs. 5 divided by 12 = 41.6% of the album not being total crap. So the next question is probably, "how good are these five songs?" Well, if you're into this sort of thing you will probably enjoy them very much indeed. The title track is a real headbanger, and Destination Forever is like an even more energetic version of that. You also get "the heavy midtempo song with the uplifting chorus," "the majestic song that is entirely in 6/8," and of course the ballad I already went over. It's good stuff, but totally uninspired. Honestly I'd just download the good half, er, four tenths.

What? Other band members? Who cares. It could be anyone playing those parts and I wouldn't know the difference. Only thing worth a mention is Stephen Fredrick's vocals, which sound a bit like Graham Bonnet of Alcatrazz fame. He has his moments, but then again he sounds like crap at times too. Like this CD.