Firewind is one of those bands that just does not sit well on its laurels, even as good as they are. Only six months after releasing its latest offering, the live recording, Still Raging, the band followed up that presentation this past March with its 10th album, Stand United. While the album’s title (and its title track) are sociopolitical commentaries, the album’s title is still fitting in that it is certain to once again unite the band’s established audiences and even unite them with metal and power metal fans in general. That is due in no small part to its featured musical arrangements, which will be discussed shortly. The lyrical themes that accompany the record’s musical content make that just as clear. They will be discussed a little later. The record’s production rounds out its most important elements and will also be addressed later. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the recording’s presentation. All things considered they make Stand United easily one more of this year’s top new hard rock and metal albums.
Stand United, the latest full-length studio offering from Firewind is another successful offering from the veteran hard rock outfit that is certain to unite so many hard rock and metal fans. That is proven in no small part through its featured musical arrangements. Throughout the course of its 10 total songs, the arrangements are pure power metal as usual, with the band’s own unique stylistic approach. At the same time, the band also adds some equally welcome hard rock leanings along the way, too. The album’s title track is just one of the many songs featured in this record that blends those power metal and hard rock leanings so expertly to make for so much engagement and enjoyment. ‘The Power Lies Within’ also adds that hard rock touch while also adding in the subtlest touch of 80s metal for its own interesting composition. At other points, the power metal churned out once again by Firewind is also easily comparable to the best works of fellow power metal outfit Sabaton. To that end, the overall musical picture painted throughout Stand United proves it to be a solid record if only for its musical content.
Of course, the musical arrangements featured throughout Stand United are only part of what makes the album worth hearing. The record’s lyrical themes add their own touch to the presentation, too. Case in point is the album’s aforementioned title track, which comes across as something of a sociopolitical commentary. The inferred commentary comes as front man Herbie Langhans sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “Time and again/We would return for the unbelievers/Just like in Troy/We will destroy/Tear down the walls/Lesson learned/Tide has turned/Time for ascension/Kill the pain/Not in vain/We survived it all/So we/Stand united/Ignite it/All for one/And one for all’s the way/Stand united/Keep fighting/Or divided we shall fall one day.” This comes across relatively clearly. It comes across as a call to…well…unity. A call to stand together against great odds. This is hardly a new concept for a lyrical theme but is still just as welcome here as in any other case past and present. Langhans continues the inferred message in the song’s second verse, singing, “If instead of hate/We all relate/Approach one another/If we don’t return/The fire will burn/There’s a resolution.” Considering how divided this world has become (one need only watch the nightly news for a few minutes to see how bad it has become), such a statement becomes all the more welcome and important.
‘Stand United’ is just one example of the importance of this album’s lyrical themes. Much later in the album’s run, the lyrical theme (or at least the seeming theme) featured in ‘Chains’ shows in its way, why the album’s lyrical content is important to its whole. In the case of this song, the very concept of ‘chains’ comes across as perhaps our addictions and those negative factors in life in general that maybe make things not so great for us. This is inferred as Langhans sings, “It’s human nature/Things that we give in/And we’re all made to suffer for our sins/You need a reason/To stay away/Standing on high live wire/You are the actor/In a shadow play/To fulfill a desire/So in denial/Then you realize/Chains cannot hold you forever/All alone/Forever on your way/Two worlds apart/yet together/And a heartbreak is the price you have to pay.” He continues in the song’s second verse, “Your darkest secret has to be destroyed/A confrontation/Trying to avoid/Another time and another place/Maybe not in this lifetime/It’s an illusion you have to face/It’s a reckless desire.” From there the band reprises the chorus in which Langhans reminds listeners again that those chains “cannot hold you forever.” The overall seeming message here seems to be one encouraging people. Reminding them that they can overcome their personal demons, whether they be addiction or even mental health struggles. The overall wording is a unique way to take on another familiar topic. To that end, it is another example of what makes Stand United’s lyrics as important as its musical arrangements.
The band does not stick to just the noted familiar lyrical fare in Stand United. It also takes on another familiar topic, that of personal relationships. This in the album’s finale, ‘Days of Grace.’ In the case of this song, the subject is singing to a special someone, stating in the chorus, “All my dreams may not come true/But one thing pulls me through/I get to spend my time with you.” He adds in the song’s second verse that said person’s laughter “makes me forget” and that he has “become a believer/When I see you” before adding that he is not looking forward to “the time that comes/When we have to say goodbye for good.” The rest of the song continues in similar fashion, both in the lead verse and third. The overall message is one of inspiration, love and respect. It is a theme that overall, is sure to definitely engage and move any listener, reminding once more, why this record’s lyrical themes are just as important as its musical arrangements. When the theme here and the others examined herein are considered alongside the rest of the album’s lyrical themes, the whole makes fully clear the importance of that collective content.
No doubt the overall content featured in Stand United goes a long way toward making the album engaging and entertaining. They would be nothing though, without the production and mixing that balanced out all of that content. From one song to the next, the instrumentation and vocals are expertly balanced, with each musician’s performance complimenting that of his band mates. As a result, audiences can hear each performance with full clarity and understand the vocals, just as well. To that end, those charged with ensuring each performer’s work was represented to the fullest are to be commended for their work considering how well the final product turned out. When the positive aesthetic presented throughout the album is considered along with the record’s content, the whole makes Stand United a complete success that is certain to unite so many listeners.
Stand United, the latest album from Firewind, is another successful offering from the veteran hard rock band that is certain to appeal to a wide range of listeners. That is due in no small part to its featured musical arrangements. The arrangements in question blend the band’s familiar power metal leanings with its equally familiar hard rock leanings for a whole that is unique from the band’s existing catalog even while still being familiar in its overall sound. That musical accessibility alone is reason enough for audiences to hear this record. The lyrical themes presented alongside the album’s musical content because it is accessible in its own right, too, while also being unique in how it is delivered from one song to the next. The positive general aesthetic ensured by the album’s production puts the finishing touch to the album and brings everything full circle. Each item examined is key in its own way to the whole of Stand United. All things considered they make Stand United easily one more of the best of this year’s new hard rock and metal albums.
Stand United is available now through AFM Records. More information on the album is available along with all of the band’s latest news (including tour news) at:
Website: http://www.firewind.gr
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/firewindofficial
Twitter: http://twitter.com/firewindmusic
