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The Fire Still Burns

Keeping Hope Alive (2005)
Blackout! Records

Reviewer Rating:

Contributed by: Anchors
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on March 3rd 2006

The Fire Still Burns are a very aptly named five-piece. Featuring former and current members of such well-known acts as Lifetime and Ensign, this is a band who’s got a very firm grasp on how to write some fist pump-inspiring punk rock music.

This six-song EP is an excellent representation of all five members' abilities to work in a cohesive fashion to achieve the best results. It’s gritty punk rock with enough underlying melody to keep the sound interesting no matter what the course. It’s not a new formula, but it’s one they’re able to get the maximum out of.

Wasting no time to put their best foot forward, “Insert Motivation Here” is a bouncy track sure to incite sing-alongs with whoever may be listening. Complete with some melodic guitar undercurrents and passionately sung and shouted vocals, in just two minutes it sets the tone for what’s going to be a great EP, and the next track only expands on that. “Good as New” takes on a more aggressive, more angry sound, with pounding drum fills and some raging chord progressions, but at its core the song is still as catchy and infectious as anything else to be found on the record. It slows a bit in the middle, but the same intensity is just as prevalent as before. Vocalist Alf Bartone has clear command of each and every song, and it’s clear that’s much more a pleasure than a burden to him.

As good as Bartone sounds, the backup vocals accent him and his conviction to an absolute 'T,' and the instrumentation never lacks. The intro to “November Days” sets a perfect and ominous stage for the rest of the song, which quickly bursts into action around the one-minute mark. The contrast of clean and distorted guitars is one that works well for the band, even if a few of the last songs do slack a bit when compared to the first 3 or 4.

A great effort from a band with a most impressive of pedigrees, and hopefully this is a fire we’ll all be seeing and hearing a lot more of.

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vinhoff (January 15, 2007)

I like it

Anonymous (March 22, 2006)

THIS BAND ROCKS!!

cant wait for the full length!!

two thumbs up indeed....

Flowbee (March 16, 2006)

"uh actually flowbee scott played on the LT demo, the first 7inch on new age, the horizon 7" comp, the ghost LP on breakevenpoint, the background LP on new age, and the "somewhere in the swamps of jersey" record. learn your history! "

I should've said he never played their good full lengths. "Hello Bastards" and "Jersey's Best Dancers" are far far superior to anything Lifetime did beforehand. You mostly named a bunch of seven inches that he played on anyways, thus proving my point. Also, "Somewhere In The Swamps Of Jersey" is not a record at all. In fact, it is a collection of all that stuff you brought up and it doesn't even come out until next week.

Way to show me up dude.

Anonymous (March 4, 2006)

Way awesome band. and this ep fucking kills.

If you happen to live in MA they are playing April 16 in Brockton with 108!!!

www.myspace.com/mcclane.

Anonymous (March 4, 2006)

great band! they are actually doing a few shows with 108 in april on the east coast, that should be really fun!

Anonymous (March 3, 2006)

It sounds like Chad Price singing in a decent Lifetime cover-band (Crime In Stereo).

Not bad.

Anonymous (March 3, 2006)

alf= alfred= alfredo?

moneenerd (March 3, 2006)

fuckin awesome band
again, anchors brings the goods

Anonymous (March 3, 2006)

uh actually flowbee scott played on the LT demo, the first 7inch on new age, the horizon 7" comp, the ghost LP on breakevenpoint, the background LP on new age, and the "somewhere in the swamps of jersey" record. learn your history!

anyway, great record by some great dudes!

Anonymous (March 3, 2006)

"Is the guy's name seriously Alf?"

Yeah, that's his real name. He used to sing for Ex Number Five.

Flowbee (March 3, 2006)

These guys have a ton of potential. I just don't like the whole riding of the ex-bands thing, especially considering Scott wasn't in Lifetime for very long and he didn't play on their full lengths. Other than that minor annoyance, I look forward to seeing what comes out of this band.

Anonymous (March 3, 2006)

Reminds me of Soul Calibur.

Anonymous (March 3, 2006)

Alf? Will this band be headlining on Melmac anytime soon?

givemeamuseumandillfillit (March 3, 2006)

Score is for alf the tv series.

TheOneTrueBill (March 3, 2006)

Is the guy's name seriously Alf?

P-Fresh (March 3, 2006)

I love this band, but the production on this just makes it sound awful.

Anonymous (March 3, 2006)

Awesome guys, great music. It's not reinventing the wheel, but if you love the bands they were all in (like Ensign and Ex Number Five) then this will PWN you.