Boomerang - Sounds of sirens 3.5/5
Reviewed: 3-28-08
Tracklist:
1. The sound of sirens
2. One night to remember
3. Sleeping titans
4. Of fire
5. Skin walker
6. Spawning ground
7. Blood angel (TCO 111)
8. Insecure
9. The house of silent screams
10. Phoenix rising
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Because there are so many metal bands today, there's no doubt that some are going to pass by our radar unnoticed, even if they're very close to the center of our tastes. Boomerang is a perfect example; they have 3 CDs, but it wasn't until this 3rd CD 'Sounds of sirens' was released that I learned of their existence. I knew this would be the case for many of you reading this review too, so I put forth the effort to pick up all 3 of their CDs, and surprisingly, they're in a style that will appeal to many metal fans.
Regarding all 3 of their CDs (debut 'Weaveworld', 2nd CD 'Balance of hate' and 'Sounds of sirens'), they very much belong on the heavier side of power metal, with a dash of thrash. Comparisons stood out immediately, and they would be Iced Earth, Persuader, Demons & Wizards, Winterfell, Sencirow, Brainstorm, Viperine and Mystic Prophecy. There are surely other comparisons as well, but I think you'll get the general idea from this list, and besides, these are definitely the bands that stand out the most.
Vocally, Axel Johann fits this heavier style of power metal quite well, and overall, he's easily comparable to the vocalists from these other bands. For a more in-depth description, he sounds like a blend of Jon Oliva (Savatage/Jon Oliva's Pain) and Andy B. Franck (Brainstorm), with a pinch of Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth (Overkill). So his voice is fairly rough, and even slightly raspy on occasion. I don't think he's one of the best vocalists from the style, but he's good, and will satisfy fans of the vocalists from the aforementioned bands.
One thing I've noticed is that there are backing vocals during the choruses of almost every song. This is one of the band's strongest aspects, for sure, and this vocal method reminds me of the CDs from Demons & Wizards and Viperine, especially. This also makes for a more memorable CD, in my mind.
'Sounds of sirens' doesn't contain a lot of speed, as most of the songs are simply mid-paced, but it's far from a slow and/or boring CD. Really, although there are only a few songs with speed (track 7 "Blood angel" being the most obvious), the CD remains upbeat and there are plenty of catchy riffs, as the guitar work is another one of the strong aspects of the CD. I don't have any favorite songs, as they all hover around the level of greatness, which means there aren't any songs I dislike either.
While the band's first 2 CDs ('Weaveworld' and 'Balance of hate') are solid, 'Sounds of sirens' is definitely their best, and I don't even think they've reached their full potential. So maybe they'll become more of a well-known band now, or sometime in the near future. One thing's for sure, if you're a fan of the bands mentioned in this review, checking out Boomerang's entire discography is recommended, as they're good enough to avoid passing by your radar unnoticed.
CLINT
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