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Prior to 2009's Memorial Roots, an excellent album that I found consistently good, my only other Brainstorm exposure came via the uneven Liquid Monster in 2005. Uneven seems to be an adjective that sums up Brainstorm's output over their 20 or so years of existence. It also applies to 2011's On the Spur of the Moment.

Vocalist Andy B. Franck once again comes through with an excellent performance. His voice is well suited for this style of aggressive Power Metal, though I could do without the Dave Mustaine sneer/growl on "My Own Hell." The rest of the band is excellent. The songwriting is where On the Spur of the Moment fluctuates. On the one hand we get the moody, introspective "In These Walls," which utilizes just the right amount of keyboards to give the song a distinctive sense of melancholy. Franck's vocals propel the chorus of "No Saint – No Sinner" directly into your brain. The frenetic guitars and double-kick drums on "Where Your Actions Lead You to Live" beg for repeat listens. On the other hand, which encompasses the rest of the album, we get the same old Brainstorm mid-tempo rockers, songs you've heard dozens on times over the course of nine records. Brainstorm sound like they are going through the motions and just plain tired for much of On the Spur of the Moment.

With album #9 Brainstorm remain consistently inconsistent. At some point you expect them to hit one out of the park with an album that is a monster all the way through. On the Spur of the Moment isn't that album, but as usual, there are some gems among the rocks.