Despite being thanked in the liner notes of the last two Brainstorm albums, I can unequivocally state they lacked some of the punch of earlier works, "Liquid Monster" in particular and while these ten tracks won’t rival said platter, it’s certainly a step (back?) in the right direction. After acoustic and distant pre-recorded voiceovers (which reoccur throughout the track) kick off ‘Below The Line’, it’s familiar territory for the Germans, without relying on the speed quotient. That comes on the follow-up, an appropriately entitled ‘In The Blink Of An Eye’ fist-pumper, where Andy B. Franck utilizes his higher register.

‘Temple Of Stone’ is a gritty, mid-tempo number, with easy to remember titular chorus. ‘Dark Life’ provides a good mid-tempo groove/punch and backed by the disc’s strongest cut, ‘No Sinner – No Saint’ introduces the last third of the running order in fine fashion. The latter tracks portents to be a ballad, but the joke’s on our ears, becoming a bouncy chorus led treat. A flurry of guitars begins ‘Where Your Actions Lead You..’ and ‘A Life On Hold’ owes a debt to classic Judas Priest. The concluding ‘My Own Hell’ is a dramatic symphonic epic, accented by keyboards (which play a more prominent role throughout this record).

A strong return to form. Highly recommended!