Rockfreaks.net

Frontline Fire

Breakeven

Written by: TL on 02/03/2012 00:02:49

Not much is known (by me at least) about South Wales upcoming rock band Frontline Fire, except that there are three of them in the band, and that they put out a record called "Breakeven" in October last year which was sent to us for review. The record is self-released, and you can tell from the lack of effects and production value that these lads probably put this together in a small studio with a limited budget and a rather straightforward aesthetic. The record opens with an intro followed by two tracks, "In Control" and "Nothing To Lose", that have a bit of punk energy that makes me think of The Offspring, but then eventually go for a slower approach on "No Better Way", which sounds a bit like Nirvana in the verse, and has a chorus riff that sounds like "Black Album"-era Metallica if it was played in a garage, while songs like "Mirror Test" and "Keep You Down" remind me of some of the angrier Foo Fighters songs.

Generally I get the feeling that Frontline Fire's initial ambitions are no more exotic than to try and take some of the very greatest, most wide-appealing bands in history, and combine their sounds into one potent cocktail. And there are a few positives to observe in the result; The basslines for instance, often sound pretty cool, albeit at the cost of making the guitarwork sound a bit pedestrian, but more importantly, the band seems to have an early knack for songwriting that is both dynamic and dramatic (the latter shows especially in closing track "Lies Of The Century"). Mostly however, it is too hard to shake the feeling that the rather low-fi production doesn't afford the compositions the power and vibrant nuances they need to reach their intended potential, and basically the one thing that echoes in your ears all the way through the release is "eaaaarly career recording". I think this is the kind of record most bands initially put out to prove to themselves that they can be an actual recording band, only to later look back and be slightly ashamed of the roughness and the simplicity of it, if they make it to bigger and better pastures later on.

Download: Lies Of The Century, Keep You Down
For The Fans Of: The Offspring, Foo Fighters, "Black Album" era Metallica
Listen: facebook.com/frontlinefiremusic

Release Date 21.10.2012
*Self-released*