Customer Reviews

Line of Fire

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

America may be the birthplace of arena rock, but it's been a long time since AOR ruled the US radio waves. I had long since given up hope for a new US band to continue the tradition established by Journey and Boston, which is why North Carolina's Line of Fire was such a nice surprise.

Line of Fire is without a doubt an old school AOR band, with a sound that is very much influenced by classic arena rockers Journey, Boston, Foreigner, and Survivor. I'm also reminded of more modern acts like Harem Scarem and Lost Weekend at times, but the emphasis is firmly on the classic sound. The song "Paradise," for example, is the kind of track you'd expect to hear as a big summer radio hit in 1985.

Line of Fire's 2005 debut is an impressive release. The songs are very melodic and very well written. The musicianship is tight and the vocals are fairly solid as well. You get the impression that singer Shawn Pelata pushes himself a bit too far at times (like album opener Faith in Fire), but when he relaxes to his normal range on songs like "Paradise" and "Remind Me," he is right on the money.

This one is bound to please just about any AOR/melodic rock fan. Whether you're endlessly spinning your old Boston and Journey albums, or relentlessly checking out all the new releases by Frontiers and Escape, chances are you'll soon have Faith in (Line of) Fire!

Edition Notes: Line of Fire was reissued in 2010 to coincide with the release of the band's long-awaited follow-up Momentum. The reissue features digitally remastered sound and a pair of bonus tracks, alternate versions of "Remind Me" and "Can't You See." I thought the original version of the album sounded just fine, but the new mix and mastering really breathe new life into the album. This is a very worthwhile upgrade.

PS - If you like what you hear, be sure to check out Dimage, guitarist/songwriter Nikki Diamge's previous band. Their It Takes Time: 1991-1993 Ep anthology is a great collection of vintage melodic rock.

I first found Line Of Fire on Myspace. I was just amazed by the first song i ever heard from them which was cut #6 from the Album, "Morning Light". It was like Triumph and Journey rolled into one and I LOVED it!!. I finally ordered this Album and cannot be more pleased!! This is by far the best money I have spent on an Album this year! It is amazing to me that these guys do not have a major Label deal. Oh wait...their style is very Old School. If you loved the music that dominated 80's Rock you will absolutely LOVE this Album!! It is very melodic at its base. There are the requisite Guitar riffs to keep any 80's Rock fan happy, and there is also some very interesting Drum work to be found. Cut #7 "Can't you see" is one of the most unique Power Ballads you will hear. I urge you to buy this Album!!! You will not be disappointed in the least if you are a fan of Journey, Dokken, Triumph, and Boston.

This is the self-titled debut album by American melodic hard rock band "Line of Fire" re-issued in 2010 by "Divebomb Records". The line up features seasoned guitarist Nikki Dimage, lead singer Shawn Pelata and guitarist Ed Darst along with supporting musicians Justin Collins on Drums and Cliff Paul on bass.

The sound of "Line of Fire" on this debut is built on a mixture of distorted and acoustic guitars, well crated guitar melodies/leads, robust rhythm section (where the bass often takes a leading role within song structures) and distinctly melodic lead vocals courtesy of Shawn who sounds similar to Tony Mills in both style and tone.

Though appropriately labeled as melodic hard rock, one finds that the songs featured on the "Line of Fire" debut rely just as much on the melodic aspects of their structure as on rhythm patterns; for that matter "Line of fire" is especially groovy (by melodic rock standards) which makes for memorable songs.

It has to be addressed that the more one moves along the track-list the more melodic "line of fire" becomes; in particular songs like "Morning Light", `Salvation's Edge", "Falling down" and "Time to say goodbye" are indeed the albums most melodic moments and perhaps the most infectious. More US bands should pick up on the example of "Line of Fire".

This is one of the best hard rock cd's of 2005. If you take a hard rock version of Journey & Boston & mix them together you get Line of Fire. Members are Shawn Pelata (Vocals), Nikki Dimage (Guitars, Keyboards, Bass & Backing Vocals), Ed Darst (Guitars), Cliff Paul (Bass) and Justin Collins (Drums). The songs are well written & the musicianship is unbelievable. Pick it up, you will not be dissappointed.

The Good
"Live & Let Go" is paced with steady rhythms and power chords that give way to strong verse sections. The group is dead-on with their harmonies on the chorus. Guitarist Ed Darst fires off a few Neal Schon-esque solo sections here. "Fade" is a middle-of-the-road melodic rock. Rather than focusing on instrumentation, vocalist Shawn Pelata leads the pack with his strong melodies. The rest of the group vocals blend perfectly with Shawn's during the refrain.

"Remind Me" is a hard rock tale of heartbreak that's accented by chunky muted riffs and enduring emotion. I like the mix of electric and acoustic guitars. Speaking of reminding me; "Morning Light" sure reminds me of a lost Journey track circa 1984. It has lots of energy and endearment, with a catch vocal and rhythm pattern. The meaty guitar riffs with lots of distortion are busted out for "Falling Down (Hear My Prayer)". This is one of the most solid tracks on the album.

The Bad
Although "Faith in Fire" is one of those steady building energetic songs that you want to start an album off with, Pelata is just over-singing it.

The Verdict
The first thing you're going to think when you listen to this one is that they sound a lot like Journey. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The more you listen to Line of Fire you realize that they really do have a sound of their own (with a Journey/Boston influence). I have to give credit to an American band that's out there doing something no one else over hear is trying. That's what makes Line of Fire unique. They may draw from a sound that has long been forgotten in the states, but they make it sound modern and interesting again. If someone throws these guys a lot of money to produce their next album, you better watch out!