“Boom Bang Goodbye” by Sinner is the final farewell from the long-standing German hard rock/melodic metal outfit, drawing the curtain on an impressive 44-year career. With mastermind Mat Sinner choosing to focus his energy exclusively on Primal Fear, he gifts fans one last hurrah — a record packed with a “who’s who” of elite guest vocalists. Thanks to producer Jacob Hansen, the album boasts a crisp, modern, and undeniably powerful mix.
“Dreams Can Come True” kicks off the album on a bright, feel-good note. Fronted by Electric Mob’s Renan Zonta, the track’s uplifting tone immediately signals that this farewell is meant to be a party, not a funeral.
“Wait” is one of the record’s lead singles and it features the exceptional Michael Bormann (Jaded Heart, Michael Bormann’s Jaded Hard) on vocals. Driven by great musicianship, it lands perfectly thanks to a massive, incredibly infectious chorus.
“Leave It All Behind” has Ronnie Romero taking over the mic, delivering a deeply passionate performance. The song itself is a highly melodic, mid-tempo number where guitarists Alex Scholpp and Jim Müller trade some truly fantastic melodic leads.
“All Night Long” is not a Rainbow cover, but does see Ronnie Romero (who’s been a part of that band) return to the vocal booth. It is a highly enjoyable, ‘80s-flavored party rocker built around a great riff that will easily get crowds singing along.
“Are You Ready” borrows another classic title without being a cover. This straight-to-the-point track is an uplifting, radio-friendly melodic hard rock piece. Björn “Speed” Strid (Soilwork, The Night Flight Orchestra) handles the vocals nicely.
“Born to Run” is predictably not a Springsteen cover but an anthemic, highly rhythmic original dedicated to freedom and the open road. The guitarists shine brightly, while Eclipse frontman Erik Mårtensson turns in one of the absolute best vocal performances on the entire album.
“Hellbreaker” stands out as probably the heaviest yet still highly melodic offering, of the album. This mid-tempo rocker never plods and structurally recalls the band’s previous album. Vocally fronted once more by Romero, it lands somewhere in the territory of melodic Judas Priest mixed with classic Rainbow vibes, to no-one’s surprise.
“Turn the Page”, which is not a Bob Seger cover, starts with a ballad-like intro, before quickly morphing into an energetic, uplifting mid-tempo rocker. Saga’s Michael Sadler steps in to handle the vocals with class.
“Road to Remember” is an introspective, autobiographical piece that pays emotional tribute to the band’s 40+ years on the road. It is highly melodic, features one of the most memorable guitar solos on the record and finds a perfect vocal match in Michael Bormann.
“Under the Moonlight” features Sascha Krebs of Rock Meets Classic on vocals (RMC is an annual thematic tour series organized by Mat Sinner, that tends to have some of the bigger names in the industry as guests). Krebs utilises a distinctive, Dickinson-esque delivery that fits seamlessly over a melodic, mid-tempo groove complete with nice keyboard textures and a spectacular guitar solo.
The final curtain call of Sinner’s career is an epic, up-tempo melodic metal gem called “Power”. Michael Sadler returns on vocals, which despite feeling a little odd, given his progressive rock roots, is by no mean a compromise as his commanding performance leaves no room for debate. Primal Fear bandmate and co-writer Magnus Karlsson lends his talents (and likely his songwriting pen) to the track, while former Sinner guitarist Mathias Dieth steps in for a guest solo, beautifully bringing their 40-year history full circle.
“Boom Bang Goodbye” is a straightforward, no-nonsense farewell album. Packed with some of the best-crafted songs the band has written in quite some time, it ensures the legendary group goes out with a massive bang rather than a whimper.
In fact, and for the purpose of this review I might call this one: “Bam-Boom-Goodbuy”!
