Gun Barrel
Brace For Impact

July 2012
Released: 2012, Massacre Records
Rating: 3.0/5
Reviewer: Waspman

Germany’s power-metal inflected traditional metal stalwarts Gun Barrel have been quite active over the last decade; tallying four albums, an EP, and a live album to their name. Unfortunately, the band has also had a taste of tragedy; with vocalist Xavier Drexler, who sang on the band’s BOMBARD YOUR SOUL, OUTLAW INVASION, and LIVE AT THE KUBANA albums, passing away in 2010. The band understandably needed some time to recover from such a loss, but they are back at it now, with BRACE FOR IMPACT – their first album of new material in four years.



Right from the title track, it’s clear that fan’s of the band’s gritty power metal sound will not be disappointed in the new album, as the band’s signature style has remained intact. New vocalist Patrick Suhl has a powerful, but not soaring, style that meshes well with the music – he’s a great fit and fans should accept him easily. The album is chock full of anthemic metal with hooky tracks like “Dancing On Torpedoes” and “Might and Main” leading the charge. Some of the more melodic material, like “Start a Riot” can get a bit twee, but it’s just par for the course I suppose. Still, I prefer the tracks with more bite.



While none of the songs hit home as an instant classic, this is a solid album that fans of no-frills heavy metal will easily enjoy. If you haven’t heard Gun Barrel before, BRACE FOR IMPACT is a good starting point.