At the end of last year, Metal Blade released Just Highs No Lows (12 Years of Persistence), a 2-CD compilation of Brainstorm hits and rarities. This is the band's final release on the Metal Blade label and this 32-track compilation pulls 4+ selections from each of the five albums that the band recorded for Metal Blade between 2000 - 2008 along with eight rarities.

The compilation runs in reverse chronological through Brainstorm's tenure with Metal Blade. Here is the track listing:

Disc 1:
"Downburst" (2008):
01. Falling Spiral Down
02. Fire Walk With Me
03. End In Sorrow
04. How Do You Feel
05. Stained with Sin

"Liquid Monster" (2005):
06. Worlds Are Coming Through
07. All Those Words
08. Inside The Monster
09. Painside
10. Heavenly

"Soul Temptation" (2003):
11. Highs Without Lows
12. The Leading
13. Doorway To Survive

"Trinity of Lust" trilogy :
14. Shiva's Tears
15. Fornever
16. Soul Temptation

Disc 2:

"Metus Mortis" (2001):
01. Blind Suffering
02. Hollow Hideaway
03. Shadowland
04. Under Lights

"Ambiguity" (2000):
05. Tear Down The Walls
06. Maharaja Palace
07. Beyond My Destiny
08. Demonsion

Bonus Tracks:
09. Face Down (from "Metus" digipack)
10. Breathe ("Liquid Monster" Japanese bonus)
11. Drowning ("Downburst" Japanese bonus)
12. Crawling In Chains ("Downburst" Japanese limited edition)
13. Before The Dawn (Judas Priest cover / from "All Those Words" single)
14. Is This The Way to Amarillo (Tony Chrisie cover)
15. Voices (Live - Budapest DVD)
16. Liar's Edge (Live - Summer Breeze DVD)

While this compilation spans a number of years, Brainstorm's melodic, power metal sound hasn't changed significantly over the years so this set comes across as a consistent body of work.

This is a great introduction to the band for the uninitiated. For those, like myself, who already have a number of Brainstorm's studio albums, I would have liked a second disc of just European b-sides and rarities but minor complaints don't diminish the power of this set.

Links:
Brainstorm