Review BRAINSTORM “Plague of Rats”

Brainstorm are among the veterans of German power metal. Back in 1997, the band released their highly acclaimed debut album “Hungry”, which served as a springboard for the band, and the Swabian powerhouse continued to build on that positive impression with their next releases.

With “Plague of Rats”, the band has now completed work on their latest album. It’s their 14th studio album and the first to be released via Reigning Phoenix Music. It follows the band’s early releases in general and the Indian theme of “Soul Temptation” in particular. It starts with the artwork of the album, created by Gyula Havanczák, which represents the Indian motif, and it’s songs like “Garuda (Eater of Snakes)” and “The Shepherd Girl (Gitavinda)” which echo the Indian inspirations. Together with the dynamic and vigorous metal we know from Brainstorm, the result sounds pretty good. It’s not that this theme changes the mighty approach of Brainstorm. Rather, it is a well-chosen addition that perfectly blends in with the metal roots of the Swabian powerhouse.

By placing these songs quite early on the album, the band also shows that they want to make a statement and not fall into the trap of permanent repetition. It’s like adding an extra spice to a good metal feast.

But Brainstorm is still Brainstorm and the signature sound is what defines the album. There is Andy B. Franck with his great vocal performance as well as the powerful twin guitar power provided by Torsten Ihlenfeld and Milan Loncaric. What stands out these days is the rather consistent line-up, which still includes three founding members, while frontman Franck has also been part of Brainstorm for more than 25 years. This is a factor for the continuity of the band, which is the base for shining metal anthems like “Masquerade Conspiracy”.

In addition to the familiar members of the band, Jim Ramses took over the role of bassist, bringing some fresh ideas to the plate, and to add diversity the guys invited Eline Siirala (Leaves’ Eyes) as a guest. She contributed some vocals on the pounding “Your Soul That Lingers in Me”. Franck’s and her voice harmonize in a great way and it is a next little extra the fans get besides the usual headbangers.

Speaking of guests, there is more Leaves’ Eyes support as Alex Krull delivers some growls on “From Hell”. The latter has the typical Brainstorm trademarks but is still the heaviest song on the album. Both tracks, “Your Soul That Lingers In Me” and “From Hell”, show a band that wants to evolve their sound without denying their roots.

As “From Hell” is the heaviest track, “Crawling” is the most melodic song on the album, with keyboards playing a more important aspect, before the blistering “Curtains Fall” marks the end of “Plague Of Rats”. It’s a thunderous finale and another neck muscle challenger.

“Plague Of Rats” is a great album. Brainstorm have built on their formula of success and at the same time don’t shy away from some twists and developments. The record comes with a well-forged level of versatility and is a captivating metal album with eleven power metal anthems. These guys are still hungry and you can hear it in every song.