Another Brainstorm album is upon us, and that means another opportunity for me to blather on about how they’re the most consistent heavy metal band out there. Since I found them back in 2000 by stalking frontman extraordinaire Andy B. Franck from his Ivanhoe and Symphorce projects, they’ve regularly impressed me with their hyper-hooky and punchy take on the classic heavy metal formula. Their sound is similar to Primal Fear and Mystic Prophecy with nods to Tad Morose and the catchier eras of Iced Earth, and albums like Ambiguity, Metus Mortis, Soul Temptation, Firesoul, Midnight Ghost and 2021s Wall of Skulls offer so much catchy, beefy metal with such high levels of replay addiction, it almost seems unfair. Even their “lesser” albums are stocked with huge high points. That brings us to the 14th album, Plague of Rats. Brainstorm are seasoned and savvy enough to know they shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken, so this is another platter full of Andy’s powerful vocals soaring forcefully over crunchy riffs. They always possessed a supernatural ability to craft huge choruses and that crucial skill continues to bear juicy fruit with a collection of large and in-charge tunes designed to jack you up like a honey badger on diesel meth. Ready to brave the Ratnado?
As per usual for Brainstorm, they come out swinging after an obligatory intro. “Beyond Enemy Lines” is a big song with an epic chorus that you’ll remember after just one exposure. It’s got everything Brainstorm is known for, namely Andy’s huge voice and Torsten Ihlenfeld’s and Milan Loncaric’s ace riffs that pave the road and flatten resistance. It also has that feeling of BIGness that Brainstorm always delivers, getting your blood up and angry. “Garuda (Eater of Snakes)” finds the band revisiting their love of Indian culture and mythology as they did so famously on Soul Temptation, and they’re once again blessed with massive success by Shiva and Company. This is such a simple song structure-wise but it’s just so damn badass and Andy sells it like he just heard the motivational speech from Glengarry Glen Ross. You simply cannot hear this and not love it. “The Shepard Girl (Gitavoginda)” is another massive tune with more hooks than a Bass Pro Super Shop and it’s everything I love about Brainstorm in one sharp 3-plus minute explosion with a chorus you can’t unhear or forget.
Song after song arrives, delivers, and departs, and though not every selection has the scope and power of the high points, nothing falls flat. “Masquerade Conspiracy” is all about the thick, beefy riffs and a Primal Fear-esque attack, and “The Dark of Night” inspires the spirit with an ever so slightly Gothic shade and a ginormously epic chorus that stabs your brain like an ice pick. What are the downsides? The back half is less titanic than the front, though no song feels unworthy of inclusion. At a crisp 45 minutes, Plague of Rats is a dynamic ride, and if forced to pick a song to drop, I’d go with “From Hell.” It’s a solid enough cut with decent death metal guest vocals by Alexander Krull, but it’s the weakest monkey in the barrel of greater apes. One could also argue there are traces of self-plagiarism creeping in at times, and several riffs do sound a lot like those from the Ambiguity and Mentus Mortis platters. These are small concerns though when an album is as entertaining as Plague of Rats.
Every few years I go on a rant about how underappreciated Andy B. Franck is among metal vocalists, so here’s the next installment. Andy is one of the very best vocalists in all of metal and he’s aging like the finest of expensive vintages. He’s not a high-pitched wailer and bases his delivery around a burly mid-range but the man can stretch to great heights when needed and knows exactly how to place his vocal lines for maximum effect. I’ve been a huge fan since I heard him on the old Ivanhoe albums and he’s still blowing my mind 27 years later. Give this man some love already! The rest of Brainstorm are masters of their craft too. Torsten Ihlenfeld and Milan Loncaric are one of the best guitar tandems in metal, consistently churning out fist-pumping, ass-kicking riffs to drive songs through the wall like an Adamantium Kool-Aid Man. They bring power and poise to the game and know how to keep interest levels high. Dieter Bernert’s been there since the beginning bringing down the thunder with furious anger, creating the stable foundation for the larger-than-life songcrafting. This is a veteran crew across the board.
Another Brainstorm release and another victory for this hard-working crew of Teutonic Titans. You need never worry about whether they’ll deliver the goods and you always end up loving what you get. Plague of Rats is another in a long line of Brainstorm albums I’ll be playing and replaying for years and maybe decades. If you haven’t gotten into this band yet, you’re a daft punk. Be like Brainstorm and do the right thing. Even the rats know the deal.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Reigning Phoenix
Websites: brainstorm-web.net | facebook.com/officialbrainstorm | instagram.com/official.brainstorm
Releases Worldwide: February 28th, 2025
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