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 | Forest FireSteal Things!2006 self-released 
  Review by: BJR See others by this writer Forest Fire CD Artwork and MP3s (link) Only registered users can post comments 
 Published on June 23rd 2006
When a young band gets attention in the music industry nowadays, it is usually for their prodigious guitar skills that tend to include outlandish time signature changes (the Fall of Troy) and insane shredding (Protest the Hero). While many young bands try to separate themselves from genre distinctions by creating a sound that is extremely inventive and has very few derivatives, Forest Fire took the hardcore and ska elements of the music they love and forged a sound that is theirs. Forest Fire has drawn comparisons to Gorilla Biscuits, Minor Threat, and some of their contemporary ska hybrids Against All Authority and the Suicide Machines.
We have no need to be enemies / You’re instigating every bit / Criticize and ostracize / Where do we go with it / What happened to the scene unity you preached / In all of your fucking songs / One scene this ones for us for our friends for all of us / You’re a fucking joke!!!!!!!!!!!While Chris sings songs like “Pop Punk:" This is where we sing about our favorite bands / Blink-182 and Simple Plan, Good Charlotte / They almost can steal our vote for our favorite band!!!Other important songs on this record include “Rice Patty,” about local scene celebrity Pat Rice who attends almost every local show of note and whose opinion is cherished above all who come to a show. This song’s catchy hardcore sing-along chorus and pairing of Chris’s and Erik’s vocals make this song fun to see and listen to. Another notable one is “No Friends,” which goes to prove that when Erik and Chris are paired on a track that it leads to another catchy chorus. “Suppository Depository” is a short song that epitomizes Forest Fire: fast and fun. “Brandon Hatfield” and “Fast Food Economy” show off guitarist Matt Kursmark’s riffing and how he turns the former (a cover of a song that he recorded with more traditional ska band the Pinstripes) into a true Forest Fire song. It probably doesn’t need to be mentioned that the drumming is more than solid, as it doesn’t really stand out but helps to carry the album throughout without stopping a beat. The drums pound and crash with great intensity and the beat stays steady on the ska songs. What tarnishes this CD for me is the last 3 songs, which really drag the CD out. Having followed this band for a while I know that these are their three oldest songs (“Pop Punk,” “I Love Alaska,” and “Diversity Day”) and they have distanced themselves stylistically and technically at this point. I know that a band’s first songs have a special place in their hearts, but Forest Fire has to drop the baggage and record songs that are up to par with their live performance. I have seen them twice in the past two months and Erik really gets into the harder songs and they seem to play less of the ska songs. I think that most will agree with me when they say that Forest Fire should stick to the formula that lead to the creation of songs like “Pimp Your Ride,” “Rice Patty,” “Self Deprecation,” and “Suppository Depository.” Those songs are getting better and better live and are sweet recorded. Keep up the good work and make Cincinnati proud!!! People who liked this also liked:   ![Say Anything - ...Is a Real Boy [reissue]](/images/covers/thumb/say_anything-is_a_real_boy.jpg)        Please login or register to post comments. What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
casey, i love you. in a platonic sense. keep it up man. i also think you guys should tour with bandcamp, theyre the fucking rock. i didnt have a problem with the song placement, the only thing that really got to me is the high treble and low bass. i think bass needed to be mixed louder and less highs on the hi hat/cymbals/distortion of the guitar. I'm glad we aren't douchebags, that would leave for much of an unpleasent feeling all the time...although very refreshing for the douche-bagger. Erik, I see a Gorilla Biscuits viceralness in your vocal style and the delivery similar to Ian Mackaye in Minor Threat but more often of Embrace. The GB isn't really in the style of music but some of the stuff (like Suicide Machines) is probably influenced by it as well. Oh, and what's wrong with playing as many shows as we possibly can and not being picky about where they are? Last time I checked, I still had fun playing shows, and therefore its something I'll do whenever or wherever I can! Drewcifer- Ive been wearing those fucking hot plaid shorts every day for like 2 months now. I only change for work, where i have to wear long pants. Hell yeah. I call shenanigans on the gorilla biscuits/minor threat name check, a more apt comparison would be the early nofx 7 inch if it was chirpishly irritating and much more shut-off-right-now-able instead of humorously endearing. Sometimes when a band will play anywhere it's for a reason. This band promotes thievieriness. Until we can all afford decent cars I can't see stealing. p.s. It does help. Thanx! Apparently this band really enjoys volleyball. Hey SilentStorms, I don't know if this makes the line ANY better for you, but it should appear more like this: It's good, but where's the ska? This sounds promising. I'll download some of their songs off of their myspace, but the music just doesn't seem appropriate as I await LSD to take effect. This doesn't sound terrible, but I'm past the ska stage. And for christ's sake, "They almost can steal our vote for our favorite band!!!" that's just shitty lyrics. That doesn't make any fucking sense!!! Pass. Though I do respect the DIY ethics. Shit I don't know what I was thinking: This sounds like something I'd like a lot. Can someone post the correct link to their myspace? I could spot Chris's shorts from a mile away. I didn't mean to only post negativity. I do love this album whole-heartedly and am very proud to be a part of it. We have come a long way from doing nothing to playing with the likes of Mustard Plug, BTMI, and Latterman. There are tracks that drag but for the most part this album doesn't really let up. I agree with the statement of the dragging at the end of the album. Those three songs aren't my favorite and we definitely have distanced ourselves from those songs especially with our three new ones which are not on the album. The next album should be way more cohesive. "...Bomb the Music Industry!-esque track..." |
