▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Forever Storm ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Tragedy █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2013 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-12-17 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: EBM Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ There are few things more annoying for a fan of █ █ music than having a promising younger band █ █ releasing material on the last day of the year, █ █ particularly if said fan is expected to have a █ █ compelling list of best albums for said year. █ █ Nevertheless, in the case of Forever Storm's █ █ sophomore effort Tragedy, it's a forgivable █ █ offense given the quality of the album in question █ █ and also because the band has discovered a rather █ █ interesting niche in the power metal world that █ █ marks a clear and needed separation from both the █ █ recent craze of early 80s revivalism, as well as █ █ the equally prominent crowd that's been obsessed █ █ with modernity and noise-wars infused overloud █ █ guitar grooving and overall production █ █ (Masterplan's latest effort anyone?) █ █ Nailing down the core sound of Tragedy is actually █ █ not a difficult endeavor given the consistency █ █ from one song to the next, in fact, the lone flaw █ █ in this album is the militant precision it █ █ exhibits. Some might point to an early USPM and █ █ Iron Maiden influence with a solid helping of late █ █ 80s thrash metal riff work on the side, ergo what █ █ Iced Earth usually puts out, but this would be a █ █ bit misleading given that Forever Storm ends up in █ █ a very different place. Part of this is owed to █ █ vocalist Stefan Kovacevic's soaring tenor vocals, █ █ which point at a strong affinity for the Bruce █ █ Dickinson approach with a few interludes into the █ █ gruff and occasional screaming character of the █ █ Teutonic thrash sound. Nevertheless, the tone and █ █ harmonic contours of each song definitely point to █ █ something glorious and, fittingly enough, tragic █ █ in character. █ █ One thing can be ascertained from a single listen █ █ of this impressive festival of melodically tinged █ █ aggression, and that is that this fold of █ █ musicians are equally as enthralled with the █ █ handiwork of classic Metallica and Anthrax as they █ █ are the old guard 80s power metal that informs █ █ their general songwriting format. One listen to █ █ the riveting display of mid-80s Metallica mayhem █ █ on parts of ôDeath Comes Aliveö (which throws a █ █ massive gauntlet down before the likes of Tantara █ █ and Evile) and the stomping grooves that filter in █ █ and out of the half-ballad ôNocturnal Wingsö and █ █ the crunching fury of ôCity Of Vulturesö, it's █ █ difficult to miss the thrash detailing at work in █ █ the band's style. Be this as it may, most of this █ █ album tends to follow the melancholy speeding █ █ power character of cruisers like ôMade Of Liesö █ █ and ôThe Leavingö, which are nominally thrash when █ █ considering the percussive character of the █ █ guitars, but too consonant and sorrowful to fully █ █ embody that style alone. █ █ But the most enticing aspect of this album is how █ █ genuine and authentic it comes off. It exudes a █ █ deluge of social awareness and cynicism that is █ █ not terribly common in power metal, and drives the █ █ message home with a healthy display of intensity █ █ and virtuosity. An entire review could be devoted █ █ to the lyrically expressive character of the █ █ various guitar solos that chime in during each █ █ song, avoiding a lot of sweep picking cliches of █ █ late while still managing to deal some impressive █ █ shred work. Overall, an impressive collection of █ █ songs that will equally appeal to traditionalists, █ █ Helloween infused Euro-power fans and USPM █ █ adherents alike. The only thing that prevented █ █ this from making my Top 20 list was the fact that █ █ I didn't know about it until a little less than a █ █ week ago, and I am wont to designate it as a 2014 █ █ release purely to remedy this. █ █ █ █ --- █ █ █ █ The start of a new year is usually spent with my █ █ face in my palm, uttering sentiments along the █ █ lines of: ôWhy didnÆt I check this out when it █ █ came out in October!?ö or ôMan, this would have █ █ easily made my top 20 x or top 50 yö. Serbian █ █ heavy/power metallers Forever Storm are one such █ █ band to leave me regretting catching on. Whilst █ █ their sophomore effort Tragedy likely wouldnÆt █ █ have made much of a change in my top twenty list, █ █ itÆs an album I would have enjoyed, and certainly █ █ recommended. Oh well, itÆs never too late, so pay █ █ attention as this is some cool stuff! █ █ The descriptor heavy/power metal can be a very █ █ wide one, covering everything from Virgin Steele █ █ to Grave Digger and then some. Forever StormÆs █ █ sound is a modern one, and one IÆd suspect would █ █ boast appeal wider than that of the aforementioned █ █ acts. In terms of their contemporaries, IÆd say to █ █ think along the lines of Taberah and Trail Of █ █ Murder, or more immediately, the latest Tad Morose █ █ opus, hell even Morton or Helker would be good █ █ jumping off points. This is very riff heavy and █ █ conventional in terms of melody. What I mean by █ █ that is the sense of melody is one that might well █ █ appeal to your average Metal Hammer reader, as █ █ well as that of one of your frilled shirt wearing, █ █ sword wielding, European power metal buffs. █ █ ThereÆs also a spot of Swedish melodic death metal █ █ evident in some of the songs, which mainly stems █ █ from the guitar approach; definitely something I █ █ feel is worth mentioning when discerning how █ █ Forever Storm sounds. █ █ Where I feel the Serbs excel is in their █ █ songwriting craft. Whilst they donÆt attempt to █ █ blaze a trail or break a mold, they have a █ █ undoubtedly solid approach to crafting riff- █ █ orientated, catchy metal numbers. I could single █ █ out a vast majority of the tracklisting as being █ █ the best song on the album, which is testament to █ █ how good these guys are at writing captivating, █ █ concise numbers. Even when they slow it down as █ █ evident in ôNocturnal Wingsö, they manage to hold █ █ oneÆs attention, and remind me of Symphony X in █ █ how they deliver absorbing slower songs. █ █ This is normally around the point IÆd level any █ █ issues I have with a release, and to be completely █ █ honest; thereÆs nothing wrong with this. The worst █ █ thing I can say about Tragedy is that it isnÆt █ █ amazing or game-changing. ThatÆs it, as for the █ █ most part this is infectious, foot stomping metal █ █ that is an absolute blast to spin. The album is █ █ packed to the brim with riffs worthy of bringing █ █ out the air guitar, and gruff vocals that will █ █ have you proudly singing along; complete with the █ █ Bruce Dickinson stance (you know the one). █ █ Overall, IÆm a little sore I missed out on this █ █ when it came out, but IÆm enjoying it now, and I █ █ can imagine anyone who gives Forever Storm the █ █ chance will too. ThereÆs little else to say, █ █ Tragedy is just a really solid heavy/ power metal █ █ album that is deserving of attention and at least █ █ a couple of spins. Recommended! █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Inceptum Finis 1:44 ░ ░ 2. Mother 4:58 ░ ░ 3. Made of Lies 4:57 ░ ░ 4. Forever the Same 4:58 ░ ░ 5. Tragedy 5:14 ░ ░ 6. Nocturnal Wings 5:22 ░ ░ 7. Carry on the Flame 5:16 ░ ░ 8. Paradox 4:26 ░ ░ 9. City of Vultures 4:36 ░ ░ 10. Flames of Reason 4:51 ░ ░ 11. Death Comes Alive 5:12 ░ ░ 12. Euthanasia for Mankind 5:59 ░ ░ 13. The Leaving (Bonus Track) 4:38 ░ ░ 62:11 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░