Blind Fire

Blind Fire is the second album, released in January 2008, on which Leverage drew a richer picture of Nordic melodic metal from thick guitars, lyrical keyboards and powerful vocals. The debut's reception brought a deal with Italy's Frontiers Records, who issued this one across Europe. It was recorded at the end of summer 2007, between July and September, at Studio Audio in Jyväskylä and Studio Tauko in Espoo. Torsti Spoof, Tuomas Heikkinen and Jari Mikkola produced; Henkka Niemistö mastered. Heikkinen wrote the words and music throughout, Spoof contributing music only for track nine, “Heart of Darkness,” and track ten, “Learn to Live.” From the opening “Shadow in the Rain” into “King of the Night,” riff-driven passages meet grand melody without strain. Hard-edged songs like “Stormchild” and “Hellhorn” sit beside the more open “Mr. Universe” and “Don't Touch the Sun,” and the ten tracks never sag across 53 minutes. Pekka Heino's voice keeps its mid-range gloss as it reaches upward — a record that balances technique and melodic feeling exactly.