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Shadow Rising

    
       
       
       
     
             
Stormburner are a heavy metal band from Sweden formed in 2016 by former Starblind vocalist Mike Stark, and guitarist Tommi Korkeamaki. The band released their debut album 'Shadow Rising', in 2019.    
             
Featuring the classic twin guitar attack of traditional heavy metal, Stormburner play full on and in your face metal to get the pulses racing, heads banging and fists punching the air. The album fairly bristles with heavy metal anthems, sing a longs and fan pleasers, as the ten songs on offer play out across fifty minutes. Album opener 'We Burn' flies out of the blocks like a champion sprinter, fiery and fierce, as it thunders on to a finish. The chant style chorus is gonna win over fans easily, and in a live arena the crowd are gonna go wild for this one. Wow, what an opener... Followed by the rabble rousing, call to arms anthem 'Metal In The Night' - anthem masters such as Manowar, Powerwolf and Sabaton take a back seat, there's a new player in town. 'Metal In The Night' is hard edged heavy metal of the "foot on the monitor" variety, with chugging guitars paying homage to the eighties NWOBHM evolution.    
             
Title song 'Shadow Rising' continues the albums NWOBHM flavour, adopting a more mid tempo melodic approach, the aroma of heavy metal from the eighties well and truly in the air. Lead singer Mike Stark has everything in his arsenal to be well suited as a heavy metal singer - a little bit of Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) and Rob Halford (Judas Priest) is easily detectable. An atmospheric intro greets the listener as 'Demon Fire' comes to life, another mid tempo melodic monster, full of catchy guitar riffs and that buzzing guitar sound so synonymous with the iconic NWOBHM. 'Ragnarok' bustles into life, and marches on almost regal like, through a majestic and anthemic chorus. Manowar - eat your heart out! Just how much more anthemic can this album get? Much more, as 'Men At Arms' lurches forward at a pace and tempo, that it could easily sit on a Manowar or Sabaton album. Stormburner are delivering a late contender for Album Of Year 2019.    
             
Energy, pace and bombast all explode, as 'Eye Of The Storm' hurtles into life and err, storms on. Add some screams and screeches reminiscent of Dickinson and Halford, and 'Eye Of The Storm' takes on the mantle of good old British heavy metal. The melodic side of the band rises high again as 'Into The Storm' bulldozes its way through a cacophony of thunder, displaying the most addictive sing a long chorus the album has to offer. At almost seven minutes in length, 'Rune Of The Dead' is by far and away the longest song on the album, and is a lot more than just epic. It is dramatic and climactic as it marches on, more anthemic than the back catalogues of Sabaton, Powerwolf and Manowar. Raise your fists high in the air and salute a truly memorable epic song. And we arrive at the final song, slightly saddened that the album is almost at its end. But what's that? Ah yes, the replay button... but before I press it - 'Ode To War' ends the album in dramatic style. An eerie and chilling opening sets a sombre tone, as the albums most anthemic song slow marches on and on. 'Ode To War' is a fitting end to the album, bringing the curtain down in emphatic fashion, one hundred percent regal, and worthy of a standing ovation.    
             
Overall, a sparkling debut album full of good old traditional, heavy metal, catchy and infectious with a massive melodic edge.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Pure Steel Records    
             
             
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