Fair Warning
Brothers Keeper

September 2006
Released: 2006, Frontiers Records/Zink Music
Rating: 4.0/5
Reviewer: Anders Sandvall

After six years away, Fair Warning is back with a new studio album, probably long-awaited by fans. Everyone is an original member; the only one missing is guitar player Andy Malecek, so now the band has only one guitarist. Fair Warning continue where they left off and pay no attention to trends or stuff like that. They still play the same melodic hardrock/melodic heavy metal as before. The only thing that has changed are the keyboards, which have been narrowed down.



The music is extremely well-played, and there’s no sign of fatigue in the guys’ music. Tommy Heart sings just as good as always, and Helge Engelke on guitar keeps on delivering razor-sharp guitar riffs throughout the album.



BROTHER’S KEEPER was recorded in August 2005 and March 2006, and the guys produced it themselves. No fans are going to be disappointed by the production, that’s for sure. It sounds powerful and partly really heavy, but despite that they haven’t lost the melodic touch that’s the essence of Fair Warning. The album contains 13 tracks, one bonus track for Europe included, but with its 70 minutes it feels a little too long for my tastes. They could have gotten rid of a few songs that don’t add anything to the album and feel left over from the 80’s. BROTHER’S KEEPER probably has everything you can wish for from a melodic hardock point of view.



Overall, this is a great “comeback” album by one of the greater acts from the 80/90’s melodic era, and I don’t think any fans of Fair Warning are going to miss anything when they put the album in the stereo. It’s also a great album for newer fans to get acquainted with Fair Warning. Killer ones are “Don’t Keep Me Waiting”, “Push Me On”, “The Way”, “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”, “Tell Me Lies”, “In The Dark”, and “Still I Believe”.



An extended European tour is schedueled for late 2006/early 2007, with festival gigs planned as well. Don’t miss the band live, I tell you!



http://www.zinkmusic.com