The slow rise of rock music has been evident in the past few years and, several bands have taken up the challenge to continue serving this genre of music. Firebrand is the latest band in this breed coming out with a stellar debut album. Writes Faysal Islam.
Firebrand's self-titled debut album deserves the tag 'one of the best rock albums of 2007' in every sense. The talented and somewhat unknown group has produced an album which is the ultimate fantasy of any rock fan. Formed in 2003 by school friends Yameen (Guitars), Nabil (Guitars) & Shahir (Drums), Firebrand entered the rock scene quietly with a few performances here and there. Zubaidur (Bass) and Niloy (Vocalist) finished the present lineup.
The band got their big break last summer when G-Series picked them up for an album deal. 'We compiled a 5 track Demo CD and went to Khaled Bhai of G-Series. After hearing the stuff, he commented that we had potential and signed us up,' says Shahir. 'We worked for months and finished the album. The final product was very personal for us. We wanted to make something different – a sound, a story, a message in some cases that would connect with the listener. And, It took us a while to figure out what we would call it, but in the end “Firebrand” was explanation enough,' he adds.
The greatest feature of the album and the tracks for that matter is the energy of the songs. Great rock albums like Oniket Prantor (Artcell), 64m 53s (Arbovirus) were groundbreakers in this regard. Firebrand just takes it up a notch and sets a new benchmark for upcoming bands from the scene. Although it might not be of the same league as Danob (Cryptic Fate) or Oniket Prantor in terms of creativity, the 9 track album makes up for it with a great influence of 80's hard rock music and the current style of progressive rock. The finished products are rock numbers of the highest quality, and provide endless head banging opportunities to the fans.
Tracks like 'Ognishikha', 'Jhor' and 'Ontor Doitto' are heavy riffed hard rock numbers and are already proving big hits among listeners. Aggressive and catchy, these tracks have some of the best guitar solos you will get to hear from the new generation of guitarists. As a listener you just drop your jaws as you hear Yameen and Nabil compete to play one great solo after another. Add to that, the fantastic drum work of Shahir, the grungy voals of Niloy and sleek bass from Zubaidur and you are left with 20 minutes of mayhem. Literally!
'Shopnomoyi' is an absolute joy to listen to. The romantic soft rock number brings out the other side of the band. You easily get addicted to the song, and its simple yet meaningful lyrics and a fantastic composition. 'Bewarish Mon', 'Chaya Shongi' and 'Kacher Manush' follows the trend and grabs you. I was left wondering, where this band was all these years and I'm sure I'm not alone. 'Biday' is perhaps the most mature composition of the album providing a calm listening experience with some melodious vocals and drumming.
And, finally, 'Bijoy Amar Dui Dhaap Piche' sums up what a rock track should be like. Easily the best number of the album, the song ignites the rebel in you, ready to take on the world through rock. 'This song was our take on the current happenings of our country. We wanted to sound young and yet powerful – it's a message to the masses,' says Shahir, who wrote the lyrics. The song stands out through a powerful composition with Niloy singing his heart out.
Firebrand marks the start of the 2nd generation of Rock Music from our Scene. A masterpiece in every possible way (even the album sleeve is fantastic!), the album surely sets a new benchmark. It shouts out the arrival of 5 new rock stars and yes, this is the best rock album of the year.
