Well, the end of our trip through Japan is coming. It’s been a hell of a journey, and I loved every minute of it with you all. We’ve taken a gander at one obscure Japanese band, so why not do another one? The subject of today’s review, however, might be the furthest from Japan than I’ve ever heard. From beginning to the end, you’ll swear that you’re listening to something straight from the heart of Europe’s Power Metal scene! Don’t believe me? Well, take a look at the highly obscure Balflare & their 4th album Downpour, and hear it yourself!
Background
If you think finding out information about Gotsu Totsu Kotsu was a pain, there’s not that much of a difference here. At the very least there’s a tiny wikipedia page, and the band has a website that hasn’t been updated in a while (Here), as well as some reviews on Metal Archives & some information scattered elsewhere. Otherwise, you’re not going to find a lot.
Basic Description
“Western” Japanese Metal.
Out of everything I’ve covered during this summer, this is perhaps the most Western sounding album out of the Land of the Rising Sun. More so than Gotsu Totsu Kotsu, and even more so than Anthem or Loudness, Balflare’s 4th release is the furthest from Japan when compared to practically everything else that comes out of the country. Like I’ve seen in a bunch of Youtube comments & reviews from other sites, people compare Balflare to the likes of Sonata Arctica and Stratovarius, and probably a few more groups. These guys are definitely on the melodic side of Power Metal, but for the first time in their career, they finally seemed to sync up. All parts come together, and things seem to finally work perfectly together. There is one fault to be had (More on that later), but Downpour is perhaps some of the best Power Metal to be released outside of Europe!
Best Track
Kinda gotta give it to Sate the Heart, and the 2nd to last track, From the Edge of Time. The former is a more fast-paced tune, but Balflare never loose focus, and they keep themselves on a leash as they play & sing. They never loose the intensity though, as the guitarwork & drums carry a lot of energy, the keyboards bring the sound, and the vocals are fantastic. From the Edge of Time on the other hand, shows off the more melodic side of the band. The speed & pacing is toned down a little, but is made up by more intense instrumentation & keyboarding. The Power Metal vibes are also slightly more obvious here (On an album that’s not subtle, that’s saying something), and I don’t know if I was hallucinating when I first listened to this song, but I swore I felt like I was hearing a forgotten Everfrost song of all things. That might sound strange, but I swear that’s what happened!
Sate the Heart
From the Edge of Time
Worst Track
Much like Gotsu Totsu Kotsu from last time, obscurity is this band’s fault, so I won’t say much in this regard. The only other thing I’ll mention is the singing, and for the most part you can’t tell that it’s a Japanese singer. Every once in a while though, a little bit of his accent creeps in. Not heavily, but enough that you can tell something is odd.
Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:
Downpour
Overall Impression & Rating
Downpour is Balflare at their best. Though their first three releases were certainly something, it’s this album where things finally seem to click. The instrumentation, keyboarding, and vocal work all finally comes together to create something fantastic. Though Isao Matsuzaki’s accent does make an appearance once in a while, it doesn’t ruin the Power Metal on this CD. If you somehow find a download link or CD, you owe yourself the time to listen to this slice of badassery!
Downpour gets a 9 out of 10.
And with that, we board our plane for the return trip to the United States. However, we got one thing to look at during our flight, so join me next time when we’ll look at some albums from Japan that are needed for one’s own collection. See you soon!
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