Brother FireTribe
False Metal

Brother Firetribe is a Scandinavian band, specifically Finnish, dedicated to hard rock, although the term AOR might fit better. They were practically created by Emppu Vuorinen, guitarist of Nightwish, and Pekka Ansio Heino, an excellent singer. Belonging to a new wave of bands that emulate hard rock melodies, they create a truly spectacular album that aims to recreate 20-year-old sounds and modernize them with new rock ideas and perfect productions. Comparisons with the great metal-hard bands such as Van Halen, Bon Jovi, WASP seem apt, and the album in question boasts sounds, means, and abilities that match the sacred monsters of the genre. Of course, don't be misled by the album's title: "False Metal" is meant to be cheekily ironic.

The album starts with "Break Out", seemingly the album's manifesto: with riffs that recall the '80s sounds of WASP and a chorus that feels like an anthem, as does the following track "Valerie", whose keyboard inserts strongly remind of Van Halen and whose chorus has an incredible melodic grip that sticks immediately in your memory. The logic of the album is practically this: riffing that draws heavily from an '80s repertoire, enriched by excellent keyboards and catchy, delightful melodies.
This is the case with the excellent "I'm on Fire", energetic just the right amount with melodies that haven't been heard in a long time, while the next track "Love Goes Down" is relaxing, set on a bed of acoustic guitars and keyboards reminiscent of pianos dear to '80s ballads. But the energy returns with the syncopations of "Devil's Daughter", where the Van Halen influence becomes predominant again, while the single "Midnight Queen" stands as a track that, along with the opener, can be considered the symbol of this group. "One single breath" brings "Jump" to mind in the intro, but it's now expected to find solutions that Van Halen developed before them. The finale is all in the triptych "Lover tonite", energetic and at times influenced by Europe, "Spanish Eyes", a velvety and melodic ballad that best represents the Scandinavian HardRock course, and finally "Kill city Kid", with a very original riffing.

The merit of this group? We've talked a lot about Van Halen in the review, and the comparison shouldn't deceive. Even if the band draws heavily from that repertoire, the final result is a classy AOR, excellently played and quite personal, never forgetting the origins of the genre and those who created them.