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German dark power metal band BRAINSTORM have been around since the late nineties, releasing no less than nine full-length albums, and a bunch of other outings, including a DVD and a Best of. I may not have been euphoric about the previous effort, "Memorial Roots", but as their forthcoming "On the Spur of the Moment" arrived for review I positively shiverd.
The new album has that something that is so hard to describe but is crucial to succéed in th music business. What is the secret formula...the headline may be a spoiler... Who better to describe the band, and their rejuvenation than guitarist, founding member and interview caretaker Todde. Bitte sehr meine Herr!
FP: How would you describe the new album? Not least in comparison with its successful predecessors. Which of the songs would make it to a best of album?
Todde: The new album “On the Spur of the Moment” is kind of a rejuvenation in many directions. Starting writing the songs for the new album, it felt like – wow – this is just the beginning of the next 20 Brainstorm years. Not that the predecessors had been not fresh or whatever, but more sophisticated, while ”On the spur of the moment” is more unpremeditated, … this was nothing planned, it just happened during the songwriting.
We still love ”Memorial Roots” as we think there are great songs on it, like ”The Conjunction of 7 Planets”, ”Shiver”, … just to name a few, but ”on the spur of the moment” has kind of an overall freshness that we love very very much. Songs like ”Temple of Stone”, ”No Sinner no Saint” or ”in the blink of an eye” for example have that special Brainstorm vibe from the liquid monster period, while ”Where Your Actions ...” or ”A Life on Hold” even remind me of "Metus Mortis" times, and ”In These Walls” or ”Below the Line” could have been as well on soul temptation as on downburst, so you see, it is a 110% Brainstorm album, but as Brainstorm has to sound in 2011!
For what I can say now, ”In These Walls”, ”Temple of Stone”, ”Below the Line”, No Sinner no Saint” definitely could make in on a best of album
FP: How would you describe your development since 1989?
Todde: In short words – constantly growing and still here to stay ;-)))
Writing a book, this would look like, … the first 5 years have seen us finding each other as persons and becoming friends (for a lifetime as we can see now), the next 5 years we got to know the record industry with all it's good and bad, released the first album, started touring Germany, then Europe, first by van, then with a night liner, ...very interesting times, the next 5 years we changed the singer, the record label (signed with metal blade), made Brainstorm a name in the metal scene, had our first chart entries, European tours, the first video clip (highs without lows), the next 5 years we established among the top power metal bands in Europe, got our first top ten with “all those words”, then #1 in Hungary with “fire walk with me” , accompanied by several album chart entries all over Europe, toured Europe with own headlining tours, played North America, the latest 5 years we released the first DVD, more CDs, more tours, played Mexico the first time, released the first double best of CD, changed record label (signed to AFM records), and here and now Brainstorm are still here, hungry and better than ever !!! Just like good wine -the older the better! :-)
FP: How would you describe the individual members? Surely there must be some interesting tour memories that describes them individually well…?:-)
Todde: Andy B. Franck, the motormouth, the aspiring, the always thinking what to do next, the snake dance man, … the man with the vision(s), multimedia maniac, drinks “Four Roses” only the last day of the tour
Milan, the working class hero, the mechanic, the one that never gives up, always a helping hand, the one who I drink a lot of “Four Roses” with,
Dieter, the thoughtful, the careful, the oldest but fittest band member, Mr. double bass, knows every AC/DC song, album, … drinks everything the same speed, no matter if it's coke, coffee or beer and whiskey, … of course drinks “Four Roses” as well, together with Milan and me
Toni, newest and youngest band member (since 4 years now), a real bass player, very musical, Mr. Facebook, once a farmer, now a brainer, … :-) has to drink “Four Roses” (damn peer pressure!)
Todde, the one who is doing these kind of interviews, founded Brainstorm together with Milan and Dieter, drinks “Four Roses” with all of the above, shares Andy's visions, a taste of gentle but creative chaos accompanies him all the time somehow,
FP: The info talks of your exceptional status as a power metal band, how would you describe that status? Where have you had your best list entries?
Todde: Well, there's few bands that play on a constantly high level for such a long time and Brainstorm is definitely one of them.
The best list entries are definitely Germany (the last 4 albums Top 100 Lp charts) and Hungary (see above, singles “all those words” top 10 and “Fire Walk with Me” #1, albums top 30, DVD top 20), Switzerland, ...
FP: What happens next; how much touring, how much PR, and what´s your views to the future?
Todde: Well, we are doing lots of PR at the moment of course, we recently shot a video clip for “In These Walls”, which will premier beginning of September, we will do much touring, starting in winter 2011/2012 and we are looking forward to the band's future very much!
There's still so much good music inside us which we have to share with our fans, so as we speak, we have already started writing new stuff for sure!!! Besides that, watch out for the album, released end of September/ beginning of October, the tour in a few months and Brainstorm live shows all over the next year.
Rock On!
Todde & Brainstorm
FP: Nothing much to say about the contagious and high-spirited BRAINSTORM. There will be a review posted prior to the release, a review that will... Wait for it!
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