Firewind is no newcomer when it comes to the heavy metal scene and
guitarist Gus G. is definitely no dummy when it comes to making memorable
guitar riffs. Nowhere is that more evident than on Firewind's latest
offering Allegiance. Allegiance is eleven tracks of pure heavy metal
with a nod to the old school, complete with solos of both the guitar and
keyboard variety and vocals reminiscent of the great vocalists of the
80's.
From the first track to the last, Firewind is relentless in its attack.
Unlike most of its power metal counterparts, the lyrics are not overly
cheesy and they manage to play the style of music without sounding like
a parody of themselves. On Allegiance, Firewind introduces a new
vocalist and drummer into the band, Apollo Papathanasio and Mark Cross. The
already star-studded lineup of Firewind gets an even bigger boost with
Fredrik Norstrom figuring into the mix as one of the producers along
with the band. The results are what one would expect from an all-star
cast such as the one assembled for Firewind. The vocals of Apollo
Papathanasio are reminiscent of Ronnie James Dio in that they are not too
high and not too low in delivery. This compliments the ever present
guitar shredding of Gus G., whose talents are the focal point of the band.
Not to be left out, the rhythym section does a good job of laying the
foundation for the band's sound and the keyboards even get some time in
the spotlight with a solo here and there. One of the highlights on the
album is the track Breaking the Silence, which features a great vocal
exchenge between Papathanasio and female vocalist Tara. The only real
breather from the speedy style of heavy metal Firewind plays is the
instrumental Before the Storm, which shows another facet of Gus G.'s
repertoire. If there is something that could improve the quality of the
album, it would be that a ballad should have been thrown in to balance it
out. Even so, the amount of heavy metal goodness is so abundant that
the flaws will not be very noticeable.
Even though Gus G. is only in his mid-20's, it seems like he has been
around the metal scene forever. Among the projects that he has
participated in, Firewind seems to be the one that best showcases his power
metal side. In listening to Allegiance, this assertion is only aided by
how well the band performs while avoiding sounding like a parody of
itself. Allegiance is not the best power metal album ever, but it
certainly ranks in the top ten, at least in the last five years.
