Something special about this DVD is that it was created entirely from one performance, recorded at the Helsinki Apollo Club. If that wasn’t pressure enough, guest singer Anette Olzon from the current Nightwish line-up was also asked to appear. There is no denying that Brother Firetribe wanted to give the fans something they had been waiting years for.

What we have here is a musical showcase, consisting of 14 live tracks, including a tour documentary and music video (which I will discuss later). The CD itself is simply the audio of the live recording, however I will focus on the DVD side for the purpose of this review. Before we begin, many comparisons are clearly going to be made to the aforementioned high profile bands that the Brother Firetribe line-up consists of, however the music offered is definitely something different to any Nightwish or Leverage material. If anything, what we hear is something perhaps more suited to the late 80s in terms of sound, however the band are not suggesting they are at the forefront of new music.

What I have noticed throughout the DVD is that the crowds are far from active participants in getting involved with the performance. Perhaps I am more used to seeing people launch themselves at each other and bounce wildly for the entirety of a band’s set; however this does not occur in the Helsinki Apollo. Maybe they are a more refined bunch to us lot in the UK.

I couldn’t tell you how much video recording equipment was used, however the way it has been edited is fantastic and each member is given necessary time on screen, and for once I’ve actually found a DVD which pans and zooms in on the Guitarist during solos! So many drift back and forth at other member’s faces, but the fact is, I want to see Emppu light up his axe and that is what I got.

Starting with a keyboard intro akin to an 80’s chat show, this is soon overshadowed by quality musicianship from the guitarist and drummer – which incidentally is not outlandish and played at one hundred miles an hour, but precise power chords and simple drum patterns are adopted, which suit the music. ‘Who will you run to now?’ is not a thrash-fest featuring metal wannabes, it’s a group of guys playing songs they love, which just so happen to be heavily influenced by bands of years gone by. Even the drummer took on a Hasselhoff hairdo for this event.

It’s nice to see a band who actually crack a smile when they are on stage. I'm getting a little tired of the ‘mean and angry’ look and the ever so popular ‘I'm in so much pain playing my instrument I need to grit my teeth’ look. Pekka even jokes to the crowd half way through “Make sure your hair is just right, you’re being filmed”.

‘Midnight Queen’ starts off with a vocally harmonised intro and this does remind me of the early Queen days, but maybe that’s because ‘Queen’ is written in the title and my brain wouldn’t challenge that thought. An upbeat, feel-good track which for a brief moment gets a cheer from the crowd. Emppu even uses this opportunity to throw his plectrum into the crowd and use his fingers as if playing a bass guitar – during a solo! I would be surprised if a bead of sweat was exchanged between any members of the audience during this event and the chap at the front even has room to balance his pint on the railing.

‘Heart full of fire’ is the track which features Anette from Nightwish and represents the duet of the live set. The crowd adopted a more lively reaction to seeing this addition to the Brother Firetribe line-up and this is a clear highlight of the set. ‘Heart full of fire’ has an obvious chorus, which is catchy and allows for audience participation. Anette’s voice is put in the spotlight during this song and she holds her own against the reliable vocal of Pekka. There is clear concentration on the faces of other band members, however they are integral to making this track flow and the keyboard work is evident throughout. I first saw this song on YouTube and it encouraged me to seek out the full DVD.

Ending with hit song ‘I am rock’, Pekka says “You might as well sing along”. After a couple of smoke-based explosions we’re thrown head-long into the song and a few brave members of the audience even tests their legs out and guess what? They can jump! This must have been a revelation to the surrounding individuals, who consequently joined in. The band seemed genuinely pleased with this response and although I felt it was far delayed, they got there in the end.

Another element of this DVD which I really enjoyed was the video footage taken from within the crowd, which gives a clearer sense of the fan experience. As I mentioned previously, most of these angles meet no interference from waving arms, as these do not seem to feature greatly anyway. This is a crowd who I can only believe are in awe and appreciation of what they are seeing, maybe a second live performance might see these Helsinki rockers step-up the pit mayhem. That said, this is not quite your ‘circle pit’ music, but I wouldn’t knock anything for trying.

DVD extras

Tour Documentary – From airports, to particularly impressive tour buses, to fast food, to soundchecks, to medical centres, to Phil Collins backing music, and childish conversations, this documentary gives you everything you need to gain an insight into Brother Firetribe. I can exclusively reveal that eating chips with mayonnaise gives you ‘big muscles, under a lot of fat’ and the band appear far too keen to find Legoland on their journeys. What do you call a lamb with a long neck? Yes, that’s right, it’s a Lama. Comic genius. These guys are really funny to watch and even with some recordings having no subtitles, I still strangely enjoyed it! (or maybe I'm just amazing at translating Finnish?). One thing to also mention, wherever they go in Europe, the crowds are so reserved and dull. It’s unbelievable.

The ‘Photo Gallery’ and ‘One Single Breath’ music video are pretty self explanatory. It’s always good to have some extra bits and pieces on your DVD, it shows a bit of time and effort has gone into the overall release.

To be very honest, many people would probably disregard this band, whether based on sound, image or otherwise, but I like them and their music suits me fine. If you are so inclined to make a purchase, find a few extra pennies and buy the DVD, it’s well worth it.

File Contents:
BROTHER FIRETRIBE.ISO

* Genre: Hard Rock/Heavy Metal
* Label & Catalog#: Spinefarm Records - SPI362DVD - 2715372
* Format: Original recording
* Release Date: February 17th ,2010
* Extractor: DVD Decrypter 3.5.4.0
* Codec: ISO
* Source: Original DVD
* File Size: 6.41 GB, 25.03 MB
* Covers: All Scans
300 DPI

01.Who Will You Run To Now
02.Runaways
03.Wildest Dreams
04.Midnite Queen
05.Game They Call Love
06.One Single Breath
07.Play It From The Heart
08.Chasing The Angels
09.Going Out With A Bang
10.Break Out
11 I’m On Fire
12.Heart Full Of Fire
13.Valerie
14.I Am Rock

Extras:

Tour Documentary

Photo Gallery

One Single Breath - Video

Total Playing Time 112 mins.

Pekka Ansio Heino - vocals
Emppu Vuorinen - guitar
Jason Flinck - bass, backing vocals
Tomppa Nikulainen - keyboards
Kalle Torniainen - drums
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