When Brother Firetribe surfaced in 2006 with the smart-ass titled False Metal debut, the buzz that accompanied them had very little to do with the fact they sounded like a throwback to the days of Journey, Survivor and House Of Lords. A much bigger deal was Nightwish guitarist Emppu Vuorinen's presence as a card-carrying permanent band member, which served them well in getting some much needed attention. Unfortunately for Brother Firetribe, Vuorinen's status also means having to play the waiting game while he takes care of his Nightwish commitments as they come down, which resulted in a six year gap between their second album, Heart Full Of Fire, and the new slab of rock Diamond In The Firepit.

"The band was born with that cross to bear," says vocalist Pekka Ansio Heino, unperturbed. "Back in 2010 we did the last gig for the previous album and did the DVD (Live At Apollo), and then Nightwish went on their way touring the world again, so we agreed on taking a break and it was a much needed break. It wasn't a problem. Life just went on, everybody got busy trying to make a living, and all of a sudden we realized 'Holy shit, it's been way too long since the last album, let's start doing something.'"

Bottom line, though, is that Brother Firetribe sleeps and lives by Nightwish's schedule.

"That's true," Heino agrees, "but back then I had Leverage so I had my hands full, too. Brother Firetribe came out of getting together and having fun, having a few beers while writing some songs. All of a sudden we realized we had a bunch of songs, and somebody was crazy enough to sign us (laughs). We didn't really have any intention of doing an album in the first place, so this band was born as a side project. Nobody expected anything. Without Emppu's involvement I'm not so sure anybody would have been interested; that's a fact. We had an advantage in that sense because we drew more attention than some other bands making a debut album. But, at the end of the day I think we really made our mark. People forgot about talking about Brother Firetribe as Emppu's solo project pretty quickly because the music speaks for itself."

For Vuorinen, Brother Firetribe is a way for him to stretch his fretwork and maybe enjoy a little bit more of the spotlight even though he's still playing second to the keyboard player. Hell, take a good listen and you'll notice Diamond In The Firepit is loaded with very un-Nightwish-like guitar fills and solos.

"I think this is the best thing for each of us because we don't have any pressure on us about anything," says Heino. "Everybody can let loose, and like you said, that's especially true for Emppu. You're absolutely spot-on with that. Nightwish is a great band and a great job to have, and Brother Firetribe is his vacation."

Which is very true given that Vuorinen isn't one of the principal songwriters in Brother Firetribe.

"It's always been me and Tomppa (Nikulainen), the keyboard player, just the two of us that write the songs," Heino reveals. "We write the songs, we demo them with a drum machine, keyboards and my vocals. Then we send the files to the other guys so they can arrange their own parts. Of course, that's when the songs start to change a bit. Emppu has his own style; he's very delicate and he has all these nuances in his playing, a lot of trademark things in how he carries the song, so he comes up with some brilliant stuff."

Cliché questions about the bands that influenced Brother Firetribe are hardly necessary. Give Diamond In The Firepit just one spin and it's readily apparent where the band's roots are dug in deep.

"As a band I don't think we've even discussed other bands and their music. We're totally focused on writing our own stuff. To be honest, I'm not even sure what the other guys listen to when they get home. There are obvious influences like Van Halen - 5150 and 1984 - and everything from that era with big keyboards. The Brother Firetribe sound is pretty much based on keyboards. I've always loved it. That's what kind of sparked the whole thing when I started writing songs. I fell in love with the stuff that Tomppa came up with, those big keyboard riffs. Totally 1984 Van Halen (laughs)."

Heino makes no apologies for the fact Brother Firetribe sounds like they were yanked out of the same era as Journey's monstrous Escape album (1981) and Survivor's radio-friendly Vital Signs record (1984). Call the band dated, call them cheesy, he's good with it.

"If you write a good song it doesn't really matter what clothes it's wearing. That's always been my opinion. I'm never going to say we're not a melodic rock AOR band because we are, we fall into that category. It's never been a problem for me when people put us in that box. It's all about good songs. If somebody thinks that we're too old school or too cheesy, I don't believe that because I know where we stand with our music. Personally, I think it's quality stuff no matter what you call it. I like the songs and I think they're produced really well. This is also the best stuff to go on stage with. I don't want to go to a rock concert and see people who are depressed on stage. I understand that whole grunge thing, for example, but it's not for me. If I go to a concert I like to have a good time, and Brother Firetribe's stuff is made to be played on stage."

Ultimately, the stage is where Brother Firetribe find acceptance, consistently winning over the music police infiltrating their ranks of fans on the floor and the folks at the back of the room holding up the bar.

"And it's the best feeling in the world (laughs). You see those guys in the audience in their 50s and even their 60s in the audience with their beer bellies and Deep Purple t-shirts, on the other side there are the emo Nightwish fans who are between 12 and 20, and somewhere in the middle you see these black metal guys who look like penguins. Those guys are standing there doing nothing, but when the gig is over we've had them come up to us and say 'You did a great job.' That's a really cool thing to have such a wide range of people in the audience."
- Photos by Ville Juurikkala