Firebringer is a cacophony of epic proportions with a powerful, darkened melodic-metal sound; fit for a stadium with nefarious, rhythmic vocals with very dynamic stylings. The relentless momentum created by this force is infectious and intriguing to the listener; a satisfying surprise around every corner keeps you hooked.
The vocalist and guitarist, Allex Spark has a dark & charismatic vocal style with alluring lyrics that stick in your head and a gritty, malicious tone in his voice. He was the kid who first saw an electric guitar played and instantly had stars in his eyes and instantly knew his calling. He started out playing acoustic guitar but was magnetized to the energy behind the electric guitar when first hearing the glam rock/metal bands shred their insane solos with a devil-may-care stage presence. As the main songwriter in the band, Allex says his music is heavily inspired by negativity; "I’ve tried writing music about positive stuff like love and partying but it never ends up being a good song. And the best ones I wrote were always under the influence of depression, anger etc." The sound that emphatic frontman has envisioned has been brought forward with a great deal of character and detail in this impressive seven-track album.
Vitalii Sych, rhythm guitarist, seems to have started out playing the guitar to impress the ladies but quickly realized he needed to dig deeper to learn how it works. Filled with a desire to understand the technical aspects if everything he plays, Vitalii doesn't mind the tedious process of figuring out exactly what he needs to play before this or that in a guitar part. His progressive rock influences drive his appreciation for intricate guitar work and both make him the perfect fit for in the band.
Bassist, Arkadiy D. is an old-school punk through-in-through; inspired by “fighting the values of consumerism” he doesn't cater to societal norms and seems to be a drifter at heart. He contributes in the studio re-recording parts to add different flair and unique qualities to the final recording. The first member to join the project, Arkadiy plays bass because he finds his instrument the most straight forward instrument of them all. “If you want to punch somebody in a face - use the bass.” He just loves making noise... and he's good at it! A fan of the original, first wave of punk rock, he brings a fierce energy with his stage presence and throws a few cold ones back in the process.
Drummer, Alexander Don has a very musical background. His parents are musicians and he got involved early in his childhood. After a realization of playing music vs enjoying what music he is playing, Alexander changed his approach; focusing more on creating a wall of sound with the drums and bass in unison. Keyboardist, Margo’s parts were composed before and during the recording before she joined the project but she remakes her parts to fit her own style. As a big fan of pagan metal and classic rock, she fits her role in the project well.
The band brought their tracks to the studio and creatively began a process of remaking them and trying new ways to approach them to add creativity. They experimented with a myriad of different concepts like playing fifteen solos at once, using an anvil instead of a cymbal, and hitting bass pickups to make some strange unsettling ambience. With intense energy and fiery crescendos, their debut album is a phenomenal piece of music that you can easily listen to front-to-back and in the end, you'll only want more of it. The sound on the album is rich, thick and well-produced with intricate layers; effectively capturing all the different energies in the music. 'Firebringer' is an album that metalheads will be adding to their collection right off-the-bat.
- J. Wesley
Band Photo © Bogdan Yakuba