SINBREED - review added 30th March 2010
Album Review: When Worlds Collide (2010)
For fans of: Power Metal... and plenty of speed
German power/speed metal band Sinbreed is something of an all...or at least part-star affair. Created initially by guitarist Flo Laurin, the album features Frederik Ehmke (Blind Guardian) on drums, Herbie Langhans (Seventh Avenue) on vocals, alongside Alexander Schulz on bass. Thomas Rettke (Heaven’s Gate), Joost van den Broek (Ayreon, Star One) and Morten Sandager (Pretty Maids) join them as special guests.
The artwork was created by Felipe Machado Franco, known for his work with Iced Earth, Ayreon and Pyramaze. The album was mixed and mastered by Markus Teske (Symphony X, Vanden Plas, Neal Morse).
Anyway, enough ripping info from the promo sheet, what's the music like...? Well, the people working on the project kind of give it away. It's a fest of unrelenting rhythms, riffs and scream-rich vocalizing. Look at any number of top-end European power metal bands and a good percentage of them will sound just like this.
There's a lot on When Worlds Collide that's outstanding or original, and you could argue that Sinbreed are refining the art to new highs, but I don't think that's necessarily enough to gain classic status. The majority of the tracks are merely good or great, not stunning. Final entry 'Salvation' is as close as the album gets. The combination of metal and funky-folk at the chorus is a real shining light.
Would I recommend this release? Yes, it really is very enjoyable. If you are a monster fan of Hammerfall, Blind Guardian etc., it is without doubt worth checking out. If you are new to the genre, there are arguably better albums out there.
Check out... That final track.
Track List:
01. Newborn Tomorrow
02. Book Of Life
03. When Worlds Collide
04. Dust To Dust
05. Infinity's Call
06. Through The Dark
07. Enemy Lines
08. Room 101
09. Arise
10. Salvation
Label: Ulterium Records
Artist's website(s): Sinbreed , MySpace
