Through Fire – Devil’s Got You Dreamin’
Through Fire – Devil’s Got You Dreamin’
Sumerian Records
Release Date: 21/04/23
Running Time: 48:12
Review by Simon Black
8.5/10
Through Fire are not a band I’ve come across before today. Whilst being one of the team who will often pick more Melodic acts to review, this commercial end of the spectrum I don’t normally encounter much, but they do have a very persuasive PR firm… That said, I was still pleasantly surprised when this came across the platter, because I was expecting something in the vein of Nickelback based on their history, and what I found was a lot heavier, meatier and authentic sounding than the by the numbers commercial approach that this end of the market normally caters to.
A huge influencing factor here is that the line up has changed significantly in recent years with half the line-up being replaced by the powerhouse rhythm section of twin brothers Tyler and Zach Halverson formerly of Awakening Force on bass and drums. The consequence is a much heavier and more Modern Metal punch into the overall sound which takes the core melody and structure and lends it some serious weight and power, even on songs with less complex arrangement structures. This new sound really kicks their music up several levels from their more commercial past and although this might be a radical departure for fans of old, for me it feels like a natural evolution of their sound to allow a wider appeal and cross the aisles into the Metal end of the audience spectrum.
That said, this is an album of two halves, with this newer sound dominating the first half before easing back into familiar territory at the back end of the record and softer ballad-orientated songs creeping in. However, having a much more brutal rhythm section in the band means that even these have way more wallop than you would expect. Musically this album positively drips angst, with vocalist Grant Joshua Kendrick pouring emotion and power, and with elements of more extreme vocal tropes from the backing vocals really adding to the raw passion of the overall vocal delivery and counterbalancing his cleaner approach perfectly. The songs are solid, well-written and catchy, and the aggression really makes them more sharply focussed, and you cannot help but be swept along with them.
The only downside for me is the decision to not mix up the rough with the smooth a bit more with the track sequencing, as the game of two halves for me means the record feel like it runs out of steam. Had they mixed the hard and the soft up a bit more, that would have made a more even flow and reduced the risk of alienating older fans, but for me this still hits ticks lots of boxes.
‘Lose It’ Official Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. Karma Kills
02. Dead Winter
03. Wake Up
04. Lose It
05. Heal Your Wounds
06. For The Last Time
07. Prevail
08. Devolution
09. Blindsided
10. Straightjacket
11. Over The Influence
12. Satellites
13. The Road
LINE-UP:
Justin Mccain – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Grant Joshua Kendrick – Lead Vocals
Tyler Halverson – Bass, Backing Vocals
Zach Halverson – Drums, Percussion
LINKS:
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