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Arsonist Of The Soul

    
       
       
       
     
             
Burning Point are a melodic power metal band from Finland formed in 1999 by guitarist/vocalist Pete Ahonen (Ghost Machinery, Stargazery). The band has had its fair share of line-up changes over the past twenty years - twenty years that has produced seven albums - 'Salvation By Fire' (2001), 'Feeding The Flames' (2003), 'Burned Down The Enemy' (2006), 'Empyre' (2009), 'The Igniter' (2012), 'Burning Point' (2015), and 'The Blaze' (2016) - and now, in 2021, Burning Point return after a quiet five year period with a new vocalist, and their eighth album 'Arsonist Of The Soul'.    
             
The bands main constant Ahonen, is also the bands mastermind when it comes to song writing - his skills as a guitarist maintaining the bands classic European power metal sound. And quite frankly, 'Arsonist Of The Soul' may be the bands best album to date. There is everything you would expect from a power metal album - power, pace, and a pounding intensity that keeps you hooked right from the start. And what a start! The opening song 'Blast In The Past' is a ferociously fast paced romp. The explosive nature is breath taking, the stunning pace phenomenal, with 'Blast In The Past' a red hot hammer blow that will knock you for six! With no pause for a breath, Burning Point power on with the blistering 'Rules The Universe' - a much faster paced romp than the opener! The classic sound of European power metal fills the air, with furious head banging as far as the eye can (and cannot) see. For power metal fans all around the world will be banging their heads to this one.    
             
Maintaining the albums intensity, 'Out Of Control' marches on, setting a majestic pace as it swaggers and swoons back and forth around the power metal genre. A much more melodic and bombastic offering than the opening double shot, 'Out Of Control' carries on the infectious nature the album immediately began with. And the breathless pace still doesn't waver, 'Persona non Grata' steaming ahead with purpose and intent. There have been some great power metal albums released already this year, with 'Arsonist Of The Soul' (the album) right up there with them. And now for the first time, the all out pace is dropped for the title song 'The Arsonist Of The Soul'. The heavy foot stomping and anthemic style of power metal takes over, with a veritable thunderstorm of savage riffage slicing the atmosphere to shreds. Whoa this is good.    
             
The scorching red hot pace of earlier makes an emphatic return in the mighty shape of 'Hit The Night', with involuntary head banging taking over - that's how infectious 'Hit The Night' is! And the chant style chorus is a beauty, an in concert crowd screaming "hit the night" at the tops of their lungs is gonna sound phenomenal. That is should the band include it in their live set! And talking of songs to include in a live set, 'Running In The Darkness' is surely a dead cert for inclusion - its melodic mastery an aural sensation of the most pleasurable kind. 'Running In The Darkness' is quite simply a stunner. The anthemic style of power metal makes a majestic return in the weighty form of 'Calling'. Blending in hymn like nuances, 'Calling' is a rousing battle cry, everyone gathering as one, raising clenched fists high and punching the air in a resounding salute. And here comes the scorching pace once more - 'Off The Radar' screaming into sight, and thundering off into the distance. Burning Point are very much "on the radar" of power metal fans from all over the world.    
             
The hurricane like force of the album dies down somewhat for the heavy foot stomper 'Fire With Fire'. A chugging guitar riff leads the way as the mid tempo thunder stomp shows no sign of abating. And with two songs still remaining Burning Point may just have made a late run for the top twenty albums of 2021. 'Will I Rise' - and the band bloody well have - shows the bands penchant for hymn like monolithic anthems, with 'Will I Rise' running perilously close to becoming a power ballad. Indeed a few fans may try and raise their lighters high in the air, but the force oozing from 'Will I Rise' will quickly put the flames out. The albums final flourish, is the fast paced 'Eternal Life', projecting an epic atmosphere of standing ovation proportions. What an end to what has been a breathless journey of breath taking power metal.    
             
Overall, a cracking album of red hot power metal, combining pace and power to great effect, 'Arsonist Of The Soul' is a superb album.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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