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Burning Point: Arsonist Of The Soul
Burning Point - Arsonist Of The Soul Album Art

Burning Point: Arsonist Of The Soul

Heavy Power Metal
4.0/5.0

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AFM Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 20.10.2021 | Released: 22.10.2021

I've followed Finland's Burning Point with some interest for nearly 15 years. The metal band, founded by guitarist Pete Ahonen, has had a long and successful career, releasing studio albums since 2001. From the start through 2012's Ignitor, Ahonen was also the band's vocalist. But this changed with the albums Burning Point (2015) and The Blaze (2016) wherein ex-Battle Beast vocalist Nitte Valo joined the band.

Not to necessarily criticize female metal vocalists, but I found this to be, not so much a mistake, but rather a disappointment for the band. So much so, that when their latest and eighth album Arsonist Of The Soul arrived, I almost gave it a pass. That is until I discovered that Ahonen had replaced Valo with male vocalist Luca Sturniolo, a relatively obscure Italian singer with mostly background vocal experience. Well then. Burning Point also features several additional new members: Jarkko Poussu (bass), Tuomas Jaatinen (drums), and Matti Halonen (Keyboards).

Burning Point - Click For Larger Image

Burning Point

After that lengthy history lesson and introduction, you can expect to hear much more of the same from Burning Point: traditional European heavy power metal. Ahonen and the band venture little from their classic formula which includes assertive twin guitar riffs in harmony, plenty of gallop and groove, a smattering of keyboards, and eruptions of blistering solos. As for Sturniolo, he's a classic metal vocalist who can follow song harmony and melody, yet with some assertive spirit to his presentation.

Speaking to the songs, to start, Burning Point reminds you that they still play fast and heavy power metal with Blast In The Past and Rules The Universe. This formula returns with Off The Radar, Eternal Life, and Hit The Night, which verges on rabid thrash metal. Alternatively, Calling turns more upon big drums, large guitar harmony, and stronger vocal harmony. Some might find the song to be a heavy ballad. With Out Of Control, you get the strength of sharp riffs, but also strong groove from the rhythm section where the bass line rises prominently. The pacing is also mixed, both fast and steady, but the result is the same: some fine heavy metal rock. There are fine guitar solos throughout this album, yet one of the best appears within Will I Rise With The Sun in the breakdown at two and a half minutes. Very nice.

All things considered, by returning to its old paths and bringing back a (new) male vocalist, Burning Point enters a new era with Arsonist Of The Soul, while still delivering their traditional, assertive, and headbanging power metal. Recommended.




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The Take Away

By returning to its old paths and bringing back a (new) male vocalist, Burning Point enters a new era with Arsonist Of The Soul, while still delivering their traditional, assertive, and headbanging power metal. Recommended.

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