• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Scary Creatures is the fourth Brainstorm album I've reviewed for the Metal Crypt since joining the staff in 2008. These Germans are nothing if not consistent, releasing a new album every couple of years. "Consistent" is also a good description of their output of crunchy, melodic Power Metal. I've given them scores ranging from 3.5/5 to 4.5/5 and Scary Creatures is going to come down right in the middle. Brainstorm has a stranglehold on thick, heavy riffs with a thumping rhythm section and vocalist Andy B. Franck possesses a prototypical Metal voice. His mid-range is powerful and expressive and he can hit the high notes with ease.

When I first spun Scary Creatures my initial thoughts were literally "yup, another Brainstorm album" as tracks like "How Much Can You Take" and "We Are..." sound fine, but like they could have been culled from a previous album. A little "paint-by-numbers" for Brainstorm. It isn't until mid-way through the album (after the title track) that things start to get more interesting. "Twisted Ways" and "Caressed by the Blackness" are in the same mold as the songs on the first half of the album but the performances have more urgency and Franck seems to take it up a notch with his vocal lines. "Scars in Your Eyes" may be the best Brainstorm song in a decade with its flanged riffing and memorable chorus. As I mentioned at the outset, these guys are not going to give you anything you aren't expecting from them, but the songwriting on Scary Creatures definitely improves as the album progresses. It isn't perfect but Scary Creatures is a solid release from Brainstorm.