Firewind – Immortals

Its been a five year wait for Immortals, the latest studio album released via Century Media Records from Greek power metallers Firewind but the wait is well worth it as founding member Gus G leads from the front with guitar heroics throughout its nine tracks. Founded in Thessaloniki in 1998, Gus has delivered eight high quality studio albums with lead vocalist Henning Basse making his debut on Immortals.

The album is a concept based on the battles of Thermopylae that saw the fall of the Sparta 300 and Salamis, the sea based battle that lead to the Grecian’s victory over a Persian invasion. ‘Hands Of Time’ is a strong opener as it bursts to life on a flurry of guitar and pounding drums. It hurtles along backed by the melodic throaty growl of Henning as the first of many breathtaking solos on the album fly by. There is no let up as the buzzing riffs and a speaker shattering drum assault from Jo Nunez propel  ‘We Defy’ to a guitar masterclass finish.

A stirring call to arms spoken word intro sets the scene for some traditional heavy metal in ‘Ode To Leonidas’ with its main riff bringing to mind ‘Electric Eye’ by Judas Priest. The epic grooves in ‘Back On The Throne’ give space for a soaring lead vocal. My personal highlight is the glorious ‘Live And Die By The Sword’ that oozed through my headphones as I got totally lost as it rose and fell on a sea of fist clenching time changes and strafing guitar solos. ‘Wars Of Ages’ is a heads down headbanger with yet more total guitar overload. ‘Lady Of 1000 Sorrows’ is the closet that they get to a ballad but its beefed up by a huge chorus and vibrant lead guitar.

   ‘Immortals’ is a short, sharp muscle flexing instrumental and the album ends on a high with the double bass drum propelled ‘Warriors And Saints’.

Album track listing :-

Hands Of Time.

We Defy.

Ode To Leonidas.

Back On The Throne.

Live And Die By The Sword.

Wars Of Ages.

Lady Of 1000 Sorrows.

Immortals.

Warriors And Saints.

 Firewind band line up :-

Gus G – Guitar.

Henning Basse – Vocals.

Petros Christo – Bass guitar.

Bob Katsionis – Keyboards.

Jo Nunez – Drums.