FIREFORCE – March On

Fireforce is a very intense Metal powerhouse from Belgium. They brand themselves with a new buzz word going around the industry: “True Metal.” Of course “true” is a relative term, but Fireforce is assuredly a high energy band with several classic Power and Thrash metal influences. Their latest and first full-length album March On is undeniably commanding and powerful from start to finish.

Fireforce released a promo EP in 2009 called Moonlight Lady. After a couple of line-up changes they settled on their current five-piece group led by ex-Double Diamond vocalist Flype. Flype’s vocal style is very raspy, rough, and dominant; reminiscent of Kai Hansen (Helloween, Gamma Ray) or the late David Wayne (Metal Church). There is also the very talented tandem guitar team of Steve Deleu and founding member Edwin Suetens. Their aggressive and shrewd riffs steer the entire album.

The feel of the album is Old School NWOBHM or early Thrash. There are bits and pieces of influences from early versions of such bands such as Iron Maiden, Metal Church, and Helloween. Being that Flype’s vocals are not crisp and clean-cut, you get a lot of raw unpolished energy that drives each track. One of the songs which best exemplifies this sound is the track “Annihilation.” The track begins with a Maiden-esque guitar intro, and then segues into fast, thrashing riffs with some very brash and wild vocals.

One of the interesting items about this album is that, like Iron Maiden, many of their songs are about historical places or people. For example, the track “Horus (Bringer Of Order)” is about the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh, Horus. Then you have “1302 – Battle For Freedom”, which is all about the Battle Of The Golden Spurs, which marks an official holiday of the band’s home community in Belgium. There is also “Fly Arrow Fly (Crecy 1346)” about The Battle Of Crecy in the Hundred Years War between France and England. Finally, there is “Mona Lisa”, which is all about the life and times of Leonardo Da Vinci. Not only do you get great Metal, but also an education.

There is no doubt Fireforce has the capacity to produce great Classic Metal from an era which most Metal fans consider very sacred. However, there are a couple of things this album lacks: one is great and memorable melodies, and the second is a distinctive or unique sound, which would set them apart from their contemporaries. The songs are heavy enough, the musicians are extremely talented, but unfortunately the songwriting could use more development. Fireforce has a load of potential, and should be exciting to watch in future years.