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Brother Firetribe

2014-05-04
Titel / Title Diamond in the Firepit 
Label Spinefarm Records 
Web facebook.com/brotherfiretribeofficial
 
Gesamtspielzeit
Total run time
46:49 
Vö/Release2.5.2014 (Finland) 

This album has been eagerly waited for by many fans of this feel good band which got its name from a Finnish tennis player. It’s been a solid six years since their previous album, Heart Full of Fire, was released back in 2008. This May sees their new album, Diamond in the Firepit being released alongside new versions of their two earlier albums.

Brother Firetribe is known for its upbeat and catchy 80’s AOR / melodic hard rock tunes and Diamond in the Firepit definitely delivers on that front again. It’s a time travel journey back to the 80’s and the year 2014 seems like a dream of a distant future!

The years haven’t changed Brother Firetribe’s signature style. BFT have stayed true to their form, sticking with the melodic hard rock that has gotten them a solid, even if not a huge, fan base. ”If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” applies here. This is an album that is easy to listen, makes you feel good and there’s just nothing wrong with that.

I thought it was really interesting to hear BFT’s version of the song Tired of Dreaming, which has previously been released on The Magnificent’s self-titled album and is written by BFT’s leading vocalist Pekka Heino. BFT’s version is a bit more laid-back, but that was only to be expected. There’s also a cover version of Sammy Hagar’s Winner Takes It All. It fits the album’s mood perfectly. My own favourite song on the album is probably the closing track Close To The Bone. It sounds bit less cheerful than many of the other songs on the album, but that gives it just that little bit of extra appeal. It’s the stylish slow heater of the pack! (Oh, and it should probably be mentioned that the lyrics of many of the songs aren’t very cheerful at all, plenty of drama going on, but it’s all so sugarcoated you barely notice it!)

Overall the band sounds great. From the AOR keyboards to the cool bass & guitar solos - it’s a tight package. Pekka Heino’s vocals are strong and his characteristic raspiness doesn’t sound strained at all. He really covers quite a wide vocal range, as is appropriate for this kind of melodic hard rock. You can’t sing this stuff if you can’t reach the high notes and hit them with some serious strength.

For me this album is a return to a very familiar BFT world. It may not be the most innovative of albums, but it’s pretty much exactly what I expected of it and I’m very much looking forward to seeing the band play this stuff live. It will be a sweet blast!

Track listing
1. Intro
2. Love Is Not Enough
3. Far Away From Love
4. For Better Or For Worse
5. Desperately
6. Edge Of Forever
7. Hanging By A Thread
8. Trail Of Tears
9. Winner Takes It All
10. Tired Of Dreaming
11. Reality Bites
12. Close To The Bone

Brother Firetribe are:
Pekka Ansio Heino - Lead vocals
Jason Flinck - Bass & backing vocals
Tomppa Nikulainen - Keyboards
Kalle Torniainen - Drums & percussions
Emppu Vuorinen - Guitars




Johanna Ahonen transl. K.Weber


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8/10