the metal of Born Of Fire "Dead Winter Sun"

review of BORN OF FIRE by Metal Bulletin Zine (Seattle area)

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Born of Fire (U.S.): Dead Winter Sun (Pure Steel Records)

Born of Fire, and latter-day Queensryche and Fates Warning have several elements in common: a balance between heavy metal and prog songs that showcase guitar and vocal melodies that would be welcomed by the listener that appreciates traditional talent in metal, especially metal that leans towards the prog side. With a band like Born of Fire there is more than meets the eye, though. They sound deceptively simple and memorable, although it should be noted that Born of Fire’s melodies are not the cheap, sugary kind. The spirit of intellectual metal colors the sound of this album “Dead Winter Sun,” evincing that the band would be perfect for the ProgPower festival in the U.S. and the people who really back this specific style of music.

Supporters of this style of metal will appreciate the way that Born of Fire goes about constructing the music. It would seem almost discriminatory or elitist against certain bands to say the following, but this metal originates from veterans skilled at what they do and who are comfortable with what they are, knowing that this music is stubbornly based on talent and songwriting, not on gimmicks. If there is a gimmick with Born of Fire, these eyes have certainly missed it! Where’s the look-at-me factor? Where’s the look-at-my-cool-this or cool-that trick? Nope, don’t see it. (They like black clothes and some of them have beards. Who knows, they probably dress this way for work.)

The variety within the album means a listen that makes you sit up a bit and double check the songs, which is a very good thing, signaling that this band is not on autopilot. The songs run the range of heavy/power metal uptempo numbers to tracks that are more introspective in nature, encouraging the listener to explore a bit more. Like Fates Warning or Queensryche, Born of Fire can and does rock at times, but they refuse to be one-dimensional, and they just come across as self-confident, in a good way. They do various things, not just one tempo, and hopefully people like it, but if people expect cookie-cutter songs that are all ear candy, perhaps Born of Fire is not the band for those listeners. For that reason, you can call this “adult contemporary metal” or “middle-age metal” or “your parents’ metal.” It’s music for people who have confidence in the metal that they support, regardless of how popular it is with their friends.

Here’s also hoping that some young kid writes hate mail and responds with: “You are stupid, Metal Bulletin Zine. I am 14 years of age and I love Born of Fire, you idiot!” The truth is that it’s bad to stereotype. We all know that amongst the metal public, there are, in fact, very young listeners who read difficult books, who read philosophy, science and politics, and who are very intelligent and who see right through the trends and the silliness of a lot of metal, and who are searching for metal that offers more than cheap thrills and pop melodies. Born of Fire is such a band.

What should a listener expect, then? Well, definitely expect talent, singing, good instrumentation, tradition, skill, a good sound and overall effort and quality.

www.facebook.com/pages/Born-of-Fire/498173826897778 www.puresteel-records.com