When I pulled reviewing duty for Firewind’s self-titled release way back during the bizarre spring of 2020, I wasn’t prepared for how hard the record was going to hit me. Aside from the band’s debut and a handful of tracks throughout Firewind’s discography, I’d never really been grabbed by their sound, so when Firewind arrived on-scene with the gnarly vocals of front man Herbie Langhans alongside some of Gus G’s tightest songwriting ever, it managed to land a sucker punch right in my sweet spot. Huge hard rock, heavy metal, and power metal anthems with muscular riffing and amazing guitarwork saw the band firing on all cylinders, and if I’m being honest, that record has only grown in stature in the years since its release. That great success left me thirsting for more, so when follow-up Stand United was announced, I felt a strong breeze stoking the metal embers within my heart.
Very little has changed for Firewind since that eponymous release; enjoying a stable lineup, the band stands poised to build upon the newfound vigor that Firewind introduced. And from minute one, it’s clear that Gus G and the boys subscribe to the notion of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ because they come out swinging with first single “Salvation Day.” Undoubtedly one of the album’s strongest cuts, “Salvation Day” builds to a gigantic chorus that hasn’t left my head for weeks now, and it’s yet another reminder of how big a boon Langhans’ voice is to Firewind. The track shows all of the band’s strengths with classic metal songwriting paired with Gus’ trademark shredding.
And that leads me to one of the things I respect most about this era of Firewind: I’ve said it before, but it’s just refreshing to hear such a talented virtuoso putting songwriting above showboating. It would be easy for Gus to craft an album’s worth of six-string masturbation for his friends to play and sing behind, but that isn’t the case here at all. If anything, you have to really pay attention to catch all of the pyrotechnics because the songs themselves are designed to punch you in the face in a very straightforward way. Take the title track for example. It sounds like a standard heavy metal tune, and while it is that, it’s also laced with some blazing leads and solos that never once commandeer the ride. And the preceding sentence could sum up just about every other track on here—aside from the excellent cover of The Romantics’ “Talking in Your Sleep”—showing just how consistent Firewind’s songwriting has become.
And while that consistency leads to a thoroughly enjoyable listen, it also holds Stand United back from further greatness. Every track here is good, but aside from “Salvation Day,” none of them reach elite status. Firewind had tracks like “Orbitual Sunrise,” a mid-paced, almost balladic track with some of Langhans’ most powerful vocals ever, and as I listened to Stand United, I kept wising that it had a similar huge, emotional gut-punch. That’s not to say that the record is anything less than Good, though. Big songs with big, beefy production will thrill me every time, and Stand United doesn’t disappoint. Check out “Salvation Day,” “Destiny is Calling,” “The Power Lies Within,” “and “Land of Chaos”—and don’t forget that “Talking in Your Sleep” cover!—to feel Mr. G putting the ‘Gus’ in flame gust.
Stand United might not live up to the standard set by its predecessor, but that doesn’t keep it from being worth your time. Firewind is having a late-career renaissance, one from which fans of guitar-centric, big vocal-ed, straightforward heavy metal stand to benefit hugely.
Rating: Good!
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: AFM Records
Websites: facebook.com/firewindofficial | firewind.gr
Releases Worldwide: March 1st, 2024
