Do you remember those big poodle hairstyles? All the classic 80’s rock songs we posed around the dance floor to at our favourite rock nightclubs? Well if all that still rocks your boat even now, then look no further as Brother Firetribe take you down those roads again, with this their second album “Heart Full Of Fire”. It’s bound to put a wry smile on one or two of those folks on the mature side of rockdom!

To say the band is a ‘supergroup’ may be a bit off the mark, but when it has classy singer Pekka Ansio Heino from ‘Leverage’ and ‘Nightwish’ guitarist Erno ‘Empu’ Vuorinen in its ranks, then no doubt the term will be whispered amongst some, no matter how unfair it is, but on evidence of this record I think they’d give a ‘supergroup’ a run for its money.

What strikes you most of all throughout the album is the talent of Heino’s vocals that are either powerful and full of gusto on tracks such as opener “Who Will You Run To” or “Heard It On My Radio” (that has touches of Journey here and there), also he can sound tame and emotional on the likes of “Play It From The Heart” and “Game They Call Love”, (which you can imagine someone like Survivor doing as it has that repeated thumping bass line cutting through it along with the airy keyboards floating over the song that seemed to be their trademark in their heyday).

There’s no mistaking the influence (if there is one) on “Wildest Dreams” and it’s a fact that Heino does actually sounds like a young Meatloaf here (SORRY H!), but it seems I’m not the only one that thinks that either. This is THE song that has that complete ‘80’s sound’ on it, with the dominant keyboard beginning and gritty guitars whilst the harmonies in the chorus cry out Steinman/Meatloaf inc.

Now there’s nothing like keeping it in the family so on “Heart Full Of Fire” Vuorinen has his Nightwish pal Anette Olzon come along and assist Heino on vocals. Listening to this song with your eyes closed conjures up images of it being the type that would get onto the ‘Eurovision Song Contest’ at the moment, with its exaggerated keyboards veering into dance territory along with the racing guitars and drums which leave both singers almost breathless throughout as the song goes so fast.

“Out Of My Head” is one track that stands out the most, as it is more of a rockier song than the others, mainly because  the keyboards seem to be kept to a minimum giving the guitars more of a free range all along. Heino is probably at his best here as well, his voice totally in charge of the whole song making the backing vocals virtually non-existent at times. No wonder he’s beginning to get noticed as an up and coming major talent in the Finnish rock world.

The album comes to an end with another big sounding rock track “Chasing The Angels” which has some rather grand keyboards blazing away and a chest thumping testosterone-filled chorus that is nearly so far over the top, you wonder how they could have followed this song on the album, so its just as well it’s the final track. It’ll be interesting to see how both ‘Nightwish’ and ‘Leverage’ cope as bands if this album does well, especially in its home country and no doubt somewhere along the way I can imagine there will be a tour to promote it as well, so watch out, the Finns are coming!

*Review by Bob