THORNBRIDGE – What Will Prevail review

 THORNBRIDGE – What Will Prevail

Massacre Records

http://www.thornbridge.de/

Sometimes I think that this can’t be a coincidence. Let me explain what I mean. A couple of days ago I was thinking why there are no bands playing European power metal music in the way that bands did in the late 90’s. It was the era that power metal gave us some really good albums and some of them are already considered classics. Most of the new power metal bands blend this sound with other elements which most of the times are good, but there is still a gap for traditional European power metal.

So, when I received the promo of THORNBRIDGE and read their info sheet claiming to be a traditional European power metal band in the good old way, I was a bit skeptic. My skepticism though literally left me when I started to listen to their debut album which I present to you here.

Oh, there is nostalgia here and it took me back, when I was at university in the late 90’s and I was discovering such great releases like the albums of GAMMA RAY, BLIND GUARDIAN and HAMMERFALL (and many more). I won’t exaggerate if I say that this album could have been released back in that era.

It is not, however, only nostalgia that made me enjoy this album, because THORNBRIDGE know how to compose power metal songs that respect the tradition of this sound and yet are fresh and beautifully arranged. Their sound is melodically driven, full of catchy melodies with a rhythm section steady and dynamic. Also THORNBRIDGE have choruses that give to their song an epic feeling and there are also some traditional heavy metal tunes in some of their compositions. It is an album that offers a variety of emotions to the listener. It is also well noticed that THORNBRIDGE are good students of great Kai Hansen, but there are some BLIND GUARDIAN and even RUNNING WILD references to their sound as well.

I won’t tire you anymore. For me THORNBRIDGE is a band that was missing in the contemporary power metal scene, because with their debut album they have returned to the classic forms of this sound without just copying it, but also offering to us some really good and fresh tunes.

Nick “Verkaim” Parastatidis