It is not justified the new album of FIREWIND to be considered only for the fact that the band is a project of Gus G. – the new guitar player of OZZY. Although the guys from FIREWIND take advantage of this advertisement the style of the band is rather undeviating from years.
In the beginning of the album classic German hard ‘n’ heavy is set on. It reminds of SINNER and SCANNER where the melody and the downbeat rhythm are predominating. Although at some places the drums gasp for breath the music continues to become softer so that the third and the fourth songs could be taken from an album of CORNERSTONE. “Embrace the Sun” is even boring with the reiteration “couplet-chorus”. I was just going to be surprised where the hidden Yngwie Malmsteen is, but after the instrumental intro where Johann Sebastian Bach is skillfully disguised in electronics, I was covered with solos in a gunfight between the guitar and the keyboards. Immediately after this the things are getting calm with a pop melody.
The song “Broken” seems to be a track already heard somewhere, and while you are wondering from where exactly... it comes a riff but with the music of ABBA. The instrumental “SKG” undertakes a more dynamic line which is a tendency till the end of the album, and which melts inventions from Yngwie Malmsteen, RAINBOW and EUROPE.
There is no surprise in the new FIREWIND album: melody, masterful performance (not only of the guitar), good contemporary hard ‘n’ heavy metal. The discipline of the compositions speaks about classic music school, and also about some lack of ideas for more varied songs. As in the previous releases of the band the above mentioned comparisons frequently step over the borders of the inspiration! “Days of Defiance” is a good album, but in non case something exceptional.
