Born A Dying Breed is the third studio album from UK rockers Stormbringer. The band formed in 2011 and released their debut album MMXIII in 2013 with vocalist Mike Stockley. Jimi Brown took over as vocalist in 2014, and their second album Blood And Rust was released in October 2015.
Third album Born A Dying Breed is an album full of powerful, chunky sounding chords, shredding guitar solos and strong vocals with a raw edge. The album opens with the track Don’t Trust Me, it is a strong opening with heavy, full sounding distorted guitar chords and drummer Jon Paul Quantrill’s use of the double bass drum pedals. This energetic track also introduces the edgy, aggressive tone and energetic which continues throughout the rest of the album. Pay Your Respects is one of the albums heavier tracks, opening with heavily distorted guitar chords with an off-beat rhythm set the disjunct feel, and continues the aggressive tone. This is reminiscent of the heavy guitar riff used by Avenged Sevenfold in their cover of Walk from Diamonds In The Rough; the palm muted chords through the verse fit with Jimi Brown’s vocals both in terms of sound and the subject of the lyrics and their threatening tone. The use of the group backing vocals add to the combative atmosphere.
Stormbringer include a more blues-rock feel in their seventh track, Dying Breed. The track opens and concludes with the use of acoustic and electric guitars. It also contains a blues influenced melody from the lead guitar that runs through the track, but maintains their heavy feel through continuing to use heavily distorted guitar chords. This change in tone adds another dimension to the album, but is executed in a way that it does not feel out of place.
Consequence, the ninth track on the album begins with harmonised guitars followed by the entrance of a strong percussion line. The verse follows with energetic chords, which support Brown’s vocals. This track allows the vocal melody line to take centre stage, particularly during the chorus where Brown shows off more of his vocal range by holding notes for longer and at a higher pitch. The guitar solo of this track is predominantly shredding based with use of tapping scalic melodies. The track then reduces to percussion, rhythm guitars and spoken lyrics which acts as a segue before returning to repeat the chorus. The final track on the album, Never Again upholds the energetic, fast pace of the album. Brown’s opening lyrics appear conversational like with a call-and-response style of held notes and faster, more shout-like vocals. This adds a different sound to the album as this vocal style has not been used on other tracks.
Stormbringer display their development as a band with this album. They are able to explore various areas of the genre but in such a way that they maintain their own sound. With features in Metal Hammer Magazine and performances at Download and Bloodstock under their belts, Stormbringer have the potential to continue growing in popularity.
8/10
For fans of: Shinedown, Five Finger Death Punch, Disturbed
Words by Holly Royle
‘Born A Dying Breed’ by Stormbringer is out now on Attic Records.
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