LINE OF FIRE - MOMENTUM

Line of Fire’s latest release entitled Momentum, is nothing short of sheer melodic rock genius. Glorious vocal harmonies and hooks that slice to the bone while embedding themselves deep in your psyche. Top drawer production seals the deal; a strong demanding urge to play it at full volume to share with others is the last item on the agenda.

Shawn Pelata clearly shows that he has one of the finest voices currently in the melodic rock arena. Vocally Shawn’s strength, grit and depth provide the power to cut across the finely tuned instrumentation underneath. The vocal harmonizations are top drawer excursions into musical bliss, reminiscent of Boston, these exploits are just not heard with the same quality in today’s musical environment. Some may quip ‘What about Stryper?’ perhaps, but their harmonies are clean and shiny. The vocal lines here have more balls, determination and strength.

Musically the band itself provides the appropriate counter balance to Shawn’s vocal grit and angst. The songs themselves are musical passages, which simply cannot be ignored. Wonderful arranging and instrumental interplay through out this album deliver these infectious bits of whimsy to the listener with ease. Hitting replay on your player will be easier than anything else you’ve done this summer.

Nikki Damage and Ed Darst show what it means to play tastefully with each other. Both men provide some exceptionally high brow guitar playing; they don’t over do it but seem to know instinctively where to place their parts in the songs.

The lyrics throughout this album continually provide a positive and message to keep fighting through life. Even when the chips are down, and in some cases gone, these messages of encouragement and words of empathy are delivered to the listener with a strong sense of camaraderie. These guys have all been in some of the hardest times imaginable and they tell us all ‘We passed through the fire and so can you.’

This is a hard rock record which is destined for long, hot drives and mountain driving. It’s not an album you can only listen to once, that would be a crime. If you love melodic rock n roll such as Boston, Journey or Firehouse this album is a must. Line of Fire breathed life into an art form (melodic hard rock) that was in need of some life. Do yourself a favor and grab this disc sooner rather than later. You’ll be glad you did.


8 axes

LINE OF FIRE - LINE OF FIRE

The debut release by Line of Fire is not to be missed. After a five year hiatus this catalog of melodic rock anthems is now available once again and not a moment too soon. Compositions of encouragement and driving rock n roll shouldn’t be neglected. With a unique timeliness, many of the songs here are simply astounding.

The mass appeal of these melodies is evident from the first listen. Catchy and mesmerizing you’ll find yourself humming along and not even realizing it. This re-release dovetails the release of their new album entitled Momentum.

However as it seems that Momentum took page from the Foreigner catalog, this debut album took a page from the Boston archives. In both cases neither one is a rip off but clearly an homage that says, ‘these bands influenced us but we’re own band.’

A tremendous amount of passion went into the making of this album that much is clear. The crafting of each passage almost feels as if they were composing more than a rock album, but something for a time capsule of their lives. The members of Line of Fire have had a rather trying past five years. Personal tragedy marked each member with its indelible mark.

It is with great empathy that I hope they were able to listen to their own creation, because listening to these songs definitely grant assurance to the listener. Faith in Fire, Salvations Edge are prime examples of ‘hold on till the end’ type songs. As someone who has walked in the valley they've brought me encouragement.

This deluxe edition has two extra tracks which represent different versions of both, Remind Me and Can’t You See. Nice touches on both and essential for the Line of Fire fan.

The bottom line here is that this disc rocks and you’ll have a hard time getting out of your CD player, or changing the folder on your MP3 player. Just hearing Shawn Pelata crank out these sensational vocals will give you chills. Fans of melodic hard rock will want to get this release and get it quickly.


8 axes

UP FROM THE ASHES 3 ..... The Review

Up From the Ashes 3 was a celebration of 25 years of Heaven’s Metal/HM and the musical assemblage had much from the past and just as much from the modern day of heavy metal. The artists assembled had various methods of expression from thrash to punk/Goth to progressive to the melodic with Jesus Christ as the impetus for their musical expressions.

Bill Bafford of Roxx Productions was the vocal point for organizing and putting this event together. A very loud round of applause is in order because just as Roxx Records insists on quality merchandise the same can be said of Roxx Productions. This two day festival was simply a blast and just to be apart of it was very special to me.

Day One seemed to host the heavier bands and starting things off was Silent Rise. They delivered a solid brand of modern metal which started things off nicely. Their 30 minute set was tight and bristling. This was just a foretaste of what was to come when Fresno smashers Fasedown unloaded a powerful set of highly energetic and heavy modern metal.

The guitar tones of Mike Philips and company are simply brutal, period. Even though it had been mentioned that vocalist Devin Shaeffer has been suffering from vocal problems, anyone would’ve been hard pressed to find any that night. Drawing heavily from their first album (due to vocals constraints) Fasedown got the crowd and ready for what was to come.

In somewhat of a surprise move Jupiter VI played and having not heard them before it was simply stunning. With Jimmy Brown singing, George Ochoa on lead guitar and Brian Khairulah playing rhythm guitar their 70’s inspired hard rock/metal was just what the doctor ordered. I was familiar with some of the Bowie material played (Ziggy Stardust in particular), and it was wonderful. It makes you wonder why more artists don’t go back to the roots of their musical expressions.

Up next from the Bay Area was Klank. Their Rob Zombie/Marilyn Manson sounding tunes drove the crowd right up to frenzy. The energy was reciprocated between band and audience, a tight bond that just rocked hard. Playing material from their latest release NUMB….Reborn as well as earlier material Klank shows no chance of slowing down. Catch them if you can. Klank delivered a world class performance that left most of us breathless.

The audience was wound up tight and when Ultimatum took the stage it must be that the Vault simply exploded. Hair was flying, arms and fists raising in unison a true sight to behold.
Moving from One for All right into Ton of Bricks was amazing. Scott Waters moved with authority and command. Yet seeing Robert Gutierrez flays his guitar alive during tracks such as Never, World of Sin or Heart of Metal impressed even more. But mention must be given to Rob Whitlock’s bass line during Exonerate, simply unreal and watching so intently as his fingers dominated his instrument.

Not all the energy was gone when Deliverance finally hit the stage. From the opening number Flesh and Blood through Stay of Execution and the multitude of other gems The Big D made it was clear who the headliners were on this night. When Jimmy did take a moment to speak about the next song they’d perform it was always personal but done in such a way that sparked of professionalism and an unyielding passion for his art.
Hearing BellTown was a personal highlight for this listener. Songs from through out their catalog were presented, both young and old. Songs from Learn and Camelot in Smithereens came alive in ways that their original recordings probably won’t do justice. Hearing Weapons of Our Warfare was a fine encore number however the final number

The Call was the highlight of the performance as both George Ochoa and Mike Phillips handled the lead guitar duties with their extended guitar jam at the end. Trading licks back in forth as well as any other metal act in the world, the fans were in the presence of greatness; especially when Jimmy Brown decided to watch the rest of the show from the audience. He said later that to watch those two trade off like that was ‘incredible.’ Indeed.

Day 2 was a bit more on the melodic side as the opening set by Southern California’s FellGuard started. FellGuard provided pretty intense modern metal, but with a clean melodic vocal sound that really gets your attention. Troglodyte Dawn took the stage next and the word was DOOM!!! Heavy and powerful these guys sludged it out and were in marked contrast to what came before and after. Perhaps the only complaint was that their set was too short, time constraints. However these guys brought the metal and laid it down.

Taking a slight departure arrived Souljourners with their epic brand of melodic prog/metal. Clearly a crowd came specifically for them and didn’t leave disappointed. On first listen it was obvious Souljourners were tight, polished and was having a great time. The performance of the song ‘Mind Control’ was simply awe inspiring. Melodic passages coupled with amazing passages of progressive whimsy. Yet the goose bumps arouse on the back of my legs as they tore through Rush’s Tom Sawyer. An extremely difficult song to pull off and Souljourners were up to the task.

A musical left turn came next with The Altar Billies. Mike Stand from The Altar Boys and a couple of co-horts offered up reworked Altar Boys songs done rockabilly fashion. So much energy arrived during this set that the crowd continued to grow and grow. An unexpected highlight to say the least, sensational. Using the least amount of gear than any other act they proceeded to blow the doors off this wagon train.

The touring cohorts of Grave Robber, Leper, were up next with their gothic style music, eerie and dark. Lots of atmosphere for the late afternoon.

However it was Grave Robber that this reviewer was eagerly awaiting for. This being their first ever West Coast jaunt, I crossed my fingers that they’d be as good as my expectations. As Ultimatum surpassed mine the day before, Grave Robber blew my preconceptions out of the water. From the intro to start and finish, Grave Robber showed me again that there is world class talent abounding in the scene. The stage presence, the musicianship, the atmosphere and more importantly the songs showed Wretched, Lamentor, Carcass and Plague in top form. The audience in particular kept their distance in reverent respect, wouldn’t you if a six foot tall talking corpse came your way?????

Bloodgood elected to play one slot earlier and brought the house down. Michael Bloodgood, Les Carlson, Oz Fox, Paul Jackson and Mark Welling delivered a staggering show. Pulling material from throughout their storied career, the packed house lapped it up one song at a time. From Out of the Darkness to Crucify to Killing the Beast and Seven it was evident that Bloodgood still has an abundant amount of ability and passion in the tank. Seeing Oz and Paul trade off guitar solos was fantastic not to mention hearing Les Carlson award us such a terrific performance. His vocal control had many of us turning our heads in disbelief at his ability to hold a note. A professional singer that knows his instrument, there just aren’t that many out there these days, or so it seems. Their hour and twenty minute set was a sheer adrenaline rush. Not to be missed.

Closing the show was Neon Cross and they delivered sensational performances of such songs as Run into the Light, Son of God and Buy My Record. The vocal harmonies were crisp and sharp, only exceeded by the tightness of the band itself, it was clear that Neon Cross still had the chops to bring the hammer down.

Two day events used to be very common back in the day, however it seems they don’t occur as much these. Especially for the ‘traditional’ sounding metal bands, the bands that in many ways paved the way for the current crop of metal acts such as Demon Hunter, Norma Jean, As I Lay Dying ect. The fans who attended left deaf and happy. The sound production was above adequate through out with a room that had decent acoustics and a proper p.a.(better lighting would've been nice tho) Hopefully it won’t be the last event of it’s kind on the West Coast, the Economy will most assuredly dictate that. In closing it must be said that Jesus was praised through the music arts and the performing artists were allowed to share their hearts passion.

CRYSTAVOX - THE 20 YEAR MIX

Our friends at Roxx Records have offered another treat from the past. Crystavox, were a melodic metal band from the Southern California area circa 1988-1991. Bringing elements of Skid Row, The Bulletboys and the attitude of Van Halen, Crystavox were the real deal, however not being content with just putting out the same recording from 20+ years ago, Roxx has given us a completely re-mastered album.

Re-mastering will usually give a chance to breathe a little new life into a release. Perhaps certain audio frequencies were absent or overdone in the original releases. The volume is generally enhanced as well, which will contribute to the overall listening experience of the fans. Yet even more work was done to this special recording,

'These tracks have been completely remastered and totally redone; new guitars, drums and an over-sampling method vastly increasing the mastered volume of each song to today’s standards making for an optimal sound that brings these tracks straight in to the modern day.' Roxx Website


Such is the case with the release of Crystavox – the 20 Year Mix. Eight tracks were taken from their sophomore effort ‘The Bottom Line’ and the remaining four were taken from their self titled debut. They've never sounded this good!

Listening to this album I really think these songs have stood up rather well, especially in comparison to some of the recent releases by Liberty N Justice or Line of Fire. With oodles of energy and swing Crystavox offered a high quality listening experience, no lack of chops here. Quick melodic rockers throughout this 12 song compilation provide a great summer time listening experience.

Break Down the Walls and Stick to Your Guns are my favorite tracks here, lots of energy and melody that will stick to you like glue. The mid tempo’d slice and dice on The 20 Year Mix is rather catchy. However the bands one attempt at a fast more straight metal tune, Paradise, leaves me flat; almost like the song wasn’t finished.

No album from this time period would be complete without a few power ballads, Home Again and No Boundaries fit the bill nicely. Home Again scored a bit of radio play back in the day and Roxx was trying to bring that back again by issuing that as the first single. You can see the lighters going up in unison.

The members of the band have all gone on to other endeavors, but have all thrown their support behind this release. It’s a good thing too, because the quality here is not to be missed. Roxx even included an extremely high quality DVD as well, live footage, interviews and reminiscences by the band. Vocalist Adam Lee Kemp provides some written insights as well, amongst the liner notes.

One item that did elude me is what happened to their bass player? No mention of him in the liners that I could see, yet on the DVD he’s right there. Just a question, not a criticism.

Grab that leather frilled jacket and snake skin boots, big hair is back. If you missed ‘em back in the day pick this one up and see what the excitement was about. For the fans, this release is an absolute must that will delight and engage you, while reminding you about all that was good about Crystavox in the first place.

8 axes

THE MOSHKETEERS - THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL

Take The Downward Spiral and you’ll end up in a pit of sheer thrash brilliance. The Moshketeers really did deliver some strong thrash metal. If you’re a fan of Overkill, Exodus and Anthrax this Roxx Records release should be right up your alley. Prior to the band taking the moniker The Moshketeers they had previously been known as Rapture. Several demos of theirs have floated around for years with the Vacation From Hell demo added as a limited edition special bonus disc for this release.

With plenty of dynamic riffs and powerful songwriting The Moshketeers have delivered a long forgotten classic to the masses. It’s really hard to believe this is only a three piece band, yes I understand how the studio works with guitar tracking and such. While that may need to be taken in account it just sounds like a solid wall of guitar goodness. The guitar sound Paul was able to get really is phenomenal.

Powerful songs like Sin, The Myth and Self Extinction show a band that was on their ‘A’ game when they originally recorded this material back in 1990. I must say its aged very well; they’d find no trouble finding an audience today. The riffs still sound fresh and vocalist Paul Scozzafava is very reminiscent of Kurt Bachman on the vocal side.

The varied tempos across this album are one of its greatest strengths. At one moment you could be moving at light speed as during The Downward Spiral or punching a groove like Epicurus, maybe even some doom like riffage, just listen to Self Extinction. There’s a nice palette of heavy sounds waiting for you to engage with.

The song Grease the Duck is a total rant against televangelists who claim more than they could possibly achieve. Thematically close in style to The Crucifieds, The Insult Circus. Throughout the album themes of sin, salvation and authenticity are explored. Lyrically very up front and in your face about where they’re coming from; The Moshketeers are ministry oriented and don’t apologize for it at all.

The Downward Spiral delivers great tonality and the mastering done by everyone’s favorite, J Powell at Steinhaus, shows once again why he is one of most requested studio engineers around. The mix is solid, and with Powell’s EQ mastery, it comes together like a bullet. The sonic feast that awaits you which is tight and punchy, with great bass and drum tones.

The Downward Spiral is a reminder that to be heavy doesn’t mean light speed. It also doesn’t mean a tune down sound, with a rumbling bottom end, courtesy of Michael Parkin locks in so well with the guitar it contributes to a sound that is pounding. Hearing this material now, its suspect as to why they didn’t get a deal 20 years ago.

Scott Waters of Ultimatum wrote the three pages of liner notes inside. Several great live color photos are included, along with photos of several demo covers. Nice touches which help to make this a great package. There is even their four track demo from 1997 added as bonus tracks.

With the unleashed strength of The Downward Spiral, don’t be surprised to witness a break out of the waltz that is toxic across this fine globe of ours. Powerful thrash metal played to perfection.

8 axes

WONROWE VISION - MISSION INVINCIBLE

Wonrowe Vision is the creation of Steve Rowe, bass player vocalist for Australian headbangers Mortification. That being said this album sounds NOTHING like Mortification, aside from Steve’s vocals and rumbly bass playing. Mission Invincible is the title of the bands debut album and it rocks.

Lincoln Bowen plays guitar and Andrew Esnouf rounds out this trio on drums. Between the three of them they have created some high energy rock n roll with some Metal and Punk overtones, Think Ramones and Motorhead, wrapped up and delivered in a slightly less volatile package. Taylor made for an underground college metal show.

Spirit of the Rock is a motoring rock tune with a great hook. Don’t look for a vast array of power chords or complexity here, simplicity with melody and rawness. Most of the songs could easily be heard at a skate park or bar or motorcycle rally. Resident Spider and Radical Parrot have perhaps the most ‘metal’ on the frame as it were.

Vaporizer, The White Rock and Smile Your way Through Life just scream of Motorhead. After making that observation it should be pointed out that ‘head have always viewed themselves as just a rock n roll band. In the same way Wonrowe Vision offer quite a bit of power and rawness while delivering a lot of bang for the buck. Not a rip off buck a tribute in which an artist pays homage to those who’ve come before them while delivering a map on how to get it done.

Rowe’s love for the Ramones is quite clear on the title track, I’m Not Afraid of the Dark and Wreath the Passion of My Fire. While the influence is obvious, the songs themselves are original. Perhaps the one song on this album that felt a little out of place to me is the single entitled Run in Circles. While I think it’s a good song, I don’t really think it’s a good representation of what this album is about. It veers toward a mellower or balladry (?) feel which is in direct contrast to the rest of the album.

Steve Rowe shows that he still has it crafting top drawer rock tunes with an appeal that is universal. Honestly, too many folks want to focus on Steve’s early work without giving his later work its due. I find that tragic and shortsighted. In one sense this release should silence those critics who claim that Steve is washed up. Mission Invincible puts all those doubts to rest once and for all.

For a limited time the album also comes with a DVD of two of the bands concerts; one at a skate park and the other in a club setting. I should also mention the quality of the cover artwork which I think simply screams PLAY IT LOUD! A great illustration I’d wear proudly on shirt.

Mission Invincible brings the load home and drops it right in your driveway. Greasy and dirty with a decade of dirt (from the Outback no less), the sweat spent during this records construction is quite clear. Direct pumping and raw rock n roll with an infectious groove that would fit nicely in any hard rock fans library.


8 axes