Kev Rowland Formed in Gothenburg in 2006 by guitarist Victor Olsson and keyboard player Dino Zuzic, these guys went through the normal line-up changes of any new band but released some EP’s that gained a lot of local interest before they went into the studio to record this their debut album. The line-up is completed by singer Tobias Jansson, drummer Anton Roos and bassist Magnus Carlsson, and together they have created something that straddles traditional metal with power metal, melodic AOR and prog metal, which makes for an interesting ride. They managed to get some top producers on board in the shape of Fredrik Nordström & Henrik Udd, while it was mastered by Jens Bogrenso. There is a real polish to the sound, without ever losing the impact that only comes from a metal act.

Although their sound is definitely fresh and current, Dino uses a Hammon (or at least a sampled version) which gives the band a quite different sound at times, and he isn’t adverse to throwing in keyboard sounds that definitely sound as if they belong in the Seventies or early Eighties and when this is combined with the melodic hard rock riffs of Victor then it definitely creates something of real interest. There is definitely a real move through different sounds and styles from everyone involved and there is a real sense of professionalism and there is no way that this ever comes across as a debut from an unknown group of musicians.

It is an album that grows on the listener the more that it is played, but is also incredibly powerful and enthralling from the very first listen. If you enjoy your metal but also like it to be melodic with some progressive overtones that shifts and changes with some great vocals and hooks then this is worthy of further investigation. www.saffire.se

Time Signature Kingdom of the deaf...

Genre: traditional heavy metal

Having been associated more with progressive metal on their previous releases (I haven't heard their EPs, so I cannot verify this), Saffire offer up a collection of in-yer-face heavy metal tracks on their debut album "From Ashes to Fire".

Combining the heavy guitar riffage of traditional heavy metal and hard rock with the melodic choruses of AOR, Saffire's debut is bound to be a success in the circles of those rock fans who like their metal straight up and catchy. A good example of this is slightly Rainbow-inspired 'Freedom Call' which features one of those choruses that you cannot help but singing along to. another good example is the groove-fest that is 'End of the World', the chorus of 'a Symphony Unheard', or the chorus of 'The Betrayer's Fate' which musically reminds me a bit of Rainbow's 'Eyes of the World'.

Now, according to legend, Saffire originated as a progressive metal band. There certainly is a slightly progressive element on this otherwise straight up riff fest of a traditional metal album. Their more progressive side shows itself in 'Kingdom of the Blind' in the form of a progressive bridge, which is in an interesting contrast with the rest of the song, as it is more of a groovy heavy rocker. In fact, the progressive bridge is an ingredient that shows up repeatedly on the album, just check the keyboard solos in 'Freedom Call' or the otherwise heavy 'Modus Vivendi' and the bridge of 'The Betrayer's Fate' apparently taking clues from Rainbow's 'Gates of Babylon', 'Paralyzed' leans more towards progressive rock - with its Middle Eastern feel - without actually being an all out prog track. 'Say Goodbye' is a similar case.

In terms of both production and musicianship, the album does not let the listener down. There are plenty of blazing gutiar solos and harmonic twin guitars, and the songwriting also reflects skill and talent in that department. I should probably also hasten to act that, despite my Rainbow references, Saffire is by no means a Rainbow rip-off.

As a traditional heavy metal album with elements from both hard rock and progressive metal, without every being too cheesy or too quirky (or too progressive) for those listeners who just want music that rocks hard, "From Ashes to Fire" is the perfect fit. At the same time, those who like progressive metal will also find some satisfaction in identifying progressive elements that the masses might miss out on. This is definitely a very enjoyable album!