by Franco Cerchiari
– Columnist —
Brutal, aggressive, antagonistic and skull crushing – all ways to describe what really is a pretty solid outing of Power Metal from Germany’s Fireleaf and their debut, Behind The Mask released on the always great Massacre Records. Naming everyone from The Beatles to Peter Gabriel to Iron Maiden to Testament to Pink Floyd as major influences, the boys of Fireleaf have done themselves proud here. Fans of Rage, Firewind, Grave Digger, Metalium, and Jag Panzer will want to latch on to this one. The vocal work of front man Bastian Rose (ex- Vanish) is a hybrid of the melodic Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear) and the loud, lower ranged Bjorn Jansson (Ride The Sky, Tears of Anger.) A great balance of styles indeed, but for the sort of Power Metal that Fireleaf is, Bastian’s voice works, and works well. Machine gun, double bass drums, done by Micha Kasper accentuate what is true, no holds barred power metal. Giving these songs guitar work that lovers of the loud will flock to are Ralf Stoney and Aki Reissmann, (both ex-Stormwitch).
The sound of Behind The Mask is pretty good, a little cluttered in a few spots, but nothing that takes away from the music at hand. Each band member commands their respective instruments well, and together they sound great as a whole. Fronting the band is a singer who takes charge, knows what his voice can do, and it is through his voice that gives these songs a life of their own. The songs are laid out keeping the interest high with strong openers, a mid CD ballad of sorts, then as the CD comes to a strong finish, the energy builds again, ending in a climatic fusion of force and power.
Some songs made for an instant reach of the volume knob (the killer CD highlights “Tales of Terror,” and “Isolation,) but really, not a bad track to be heard. Listen to the Metal infused “Bloody Tears,” the fantastic bass guitar work of Micha Vetter heard on “Faceless,” the riffing guitars of “King of Madness,” the growling vocals of “Monsterman,” and the gentle piano of the heartfelt, mid tempo “Forgiven.” Also great was the melodic “Death Throes,” the battle cry rallying “The Quest,” and the epic title track.
There are some fantastic power metal bands out there. And Europe seems to be a stomping ground for the best of them. Of course lame ass American Hard Rock/Metal radio will ignore bands like Fireleaf, and not even make an attempt to seek them out. But here’s the thing – when bands like Fireleaf, put the energy into writing, rehearsing, then entering the studio to create a vibrant, pulsating, energetic collection of songs like that what was heard on Behind The Mask, Power Metal lovers are the ones who are left out. It’s not fair, but what the answer is to change the minds and play lists of radio, who knows. But, do yourself a favor. Pick up a copy of Behind The Mask. Lose yourself in the guitars, the vocals, and the rhythms of the music heard here. Turn it up loud, and damn those who will give you a despairing look, for thank God bands like Fireleaf do exist, and keep power metal alive.
Genre: Power Metal, Hard Rock, Melodic Metal
Band:
Bastian Rose – vocals
Ralf Stoney – guitar
Aki Reissmann – guitar
Micha Vetter – bass
Micha Kasper – drums
Track Listing:
Bloody Tears
Faceless
Death Throes
Isolation
King of Madness
Monsterman
Forgiven
The Quest
Tales of Terror
Behind the Mask
Label: Massacre Records
Website: www.fireleaf.de
Hardrock Haven Rating: 8.5/10
