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I liked Helker's last album, Somewhere in the Circle, quite a bit so I was happy to see Firesoul pop into my review queue. Somewhere was a rough and tumble riff-fest and Firesoul finds Helker polishing their performance and songwriting a bit more. The vocals alternate between a Ronnie James Dio wail and an Andy B. Franck growl and the music follows suit. Songs like "For All the Eternity" and "Stay Away" feature pummeling riffs and double-kick drumming sure the quicken the pulse and the band shows their more thoughtful side on "Empty Room" and "Leaving Out the Ashes." I wouldn't exactly call them ballads but the pace and aggression are dialed back, allowing more emotion to the fore and they work well. The songwriting is consistently good though the album lacks a signature song.

Fans of melodic metal from early Dio to modern acts like Brainstorm should find value in Firesoul.