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Brainstorm have had a long career as also-rans in the German metal scene, with a history stretching back to the late '80s and this being their 14th full-length album. Most of their albums don't make much of an impression, with some, like Liquid Monster or Wall of Skulls, peeking up above the standard, but mostly this band toils in mid-level obscurity. Lots of people have heard of Brainstorm, but I don't know anyone who is really excited about them.

The problem with Brainstorm is the one they always have. While their production is first-rate, the playing is good, and there is plenty of heavy riffing to go around; they just are not great songwriters. These songs are not bad, but they only rarely do anything surprising or memorable. The riffs are heavy but standard, the vocals are unremarkable, the melodies are pretty mediocre, and they get repeated a LOT. They sound a lot like Paragon or Wizard if you just...took out all the good stuff, leaving a disc that doesn't do anything awful, but just isn't exciting or engaging.