If you are a long time reader of metalreviews.com, you noticed that Brainstorm's previous album has been elected surprise of the year 2000. So you can imagine how much I was expecting this one (actually I was wondering if I would ever receive the promo).

Yes I was afraid when I hit the play button .... but hell yes Brainstorm delivers again a wonderful lesson of heavy/power metal. I think time has come to compare this band to Iced Earth as Brainstorm is showing album after album its full talent. And the best is about to come as Brainstorm's potential is still hidden.

But let's take one event after another and let's appreciate this Metus Mortis before looking too far in the future. So how sounds this Metus Mortis ? Is it better than Ambiguity (previous album) ? I will say much more mature, but above all, Brainstorm is now recognizable and has its own sound. Brainstorm sounds like Brainstorm and I think this is the best award a band can dream of.

It took me some spins to enter in this one : at the beginning, I thought Metus Mortis was very repetitive (especially the riffs and the guitars solos), but Andy B. Franck's vocals changed my first impression. What a fantastic performance from Andy (yes man, you did it again). Now, the more I listen to Metus Mortis, the more I realize it is a masterpiece. Full of melodies, killing choruses and every song is in fact a hit. In other words : A must !!!

Brainstorm has overpass the rocky scene. If you are fan of Savatage, Vicious Rumors (Digital Dictator), Forbidden or Iced Earth, follow this advice : don't miss this one !

Can't you believe this band will tour with Grave Digger early next year. What a metal hell of a party it is going to be ;-) ...