LINE OF FIRE – Line Of Fire

Straight from North Carolina out of the USA comes the debut release of a band named Line Of Fire, who have taken it upon themselves to help revitalize 80’s Melodic Rock. Their self-titled debut release is self-touted as being comparable to Journey, Boston, Foreigner, and the mighty Def Leppard. The band itself appears to consist of three members with Guitarists Darst and Dimage performing all forms of guitar duties, as well as keyboards on this album. The band borrowed a drummer, in Justin Collins, from another Tribunal Records artist named Killwhitneydead, where apparently Pelata had done some vocal work as well.

This ten track CD has several immediate, memorable moments, but also has a few slower moments in-between that require repeated listens to worm their way into favor. The release starts off with one of the best tracks in “Faith In Fire,” which has a propelling guitar rhythm fueled by an impressive vocal performance delivered by Pelata. Pelata sounds, at times, like a cross between a higher pitched Steve Perry (who knew that was even possible) and Fernando Garcia (Wicked Sensation). This track also shows that the band has the whole “harmony vocal” thing perfected as well. The guitar solo within this track sounds very “Schon-ish,” so it doesn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to hear from where the Journey comparison comes. The other instant favorite is “Falling Down (Hear My Prayer),” which is once again driven by some heavier guitars and a nice hook-line chorus by Pelata. This song includes a nice twin attack guitar solo where Darst and Dimage each take a turn. “Live & Let Go,” while slightly slower, is still memorable due to Pelata and company’s catchy, harmonized chorus. “Paradise” rides on a somewhat toned down tempo, but includes a nice melodic, harmonic-sounding guitar line within it that’ll tug at your heartstrings.

The release seems to lose some of its impact in the middle with mediocre tracks like “Remind Me,” “Morning Light,” “Can’t You See,” and “Salvation’s Edge.” While not awful tunes in any sense of the word, they just lack the extra luster and instantly memorable traits that the tracks around them have.

Bottom line, while this debut release is a well-produced, commendable effort, it isn’t going to set any new precedence in the Melodic Rock/AOR genre. It’s one of those AOR releases that doesn’t instantly grab you, but over a few repeated listens its hooks and melodies start to sink into your cranium. Even so, this is a good start and the band seems to have the talent and potential to make a huge impact, especially if they can find a dedicated drummer and keyboardist. This is definitely one band to watch in 2006!

Lineup

Shawn Pelata – Lead & Harmony Vocals, Keyboards
Ed Darst – Lead, Rhythm & Bass Guitar
Nikki Dimage – Lead, Rhythm, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Keyboards & Harmony Vocals

Guest Musicians:
Justin Collins – Drums
Cliff Paul – Bass