Just a quick review for the recent Line of Fire release as – as ever – I’m short of time. However, I just had to give them a quick plug as this is another excellent collection of songs from Paddy and the boys.
There are but three tracks on here and the title track is the only new one. The other two are re-recordings of ones you may have heard before, but given that one of them is “Wrong Side of the Track” there’s no harm in having another version of this particularly brilliant song.
As we’ve come to expect over the couple of years that this juggernaut has been trucking, the new song “Purple Sky” is lovely and heavy. From the opening bass notes which have a particularly steely tone to them, you can tell this is going to be downtuned nirvana and it doesn’t disappoint. This isn’t a song to get a circle pit going. It’s one to get heads and hair swinging and horns raised.
There’s something “seventies” about it, but I can’t quite put my finger on what. Perhaps a Sabbath/Ozzy overtone, but steeped in Southern Comfort.
ing the title track and “Wrong Side…” is “Lifetime Alone”, a song I’ve not encountered before. This seven minute behemoth has a bit more of a hook to it, but otherwise is every bit as doom-laden as “Purple Sky”. With an oft-repeated main riff which is designed to get the toe tapping and the air guitar heavily strummed (bottom string only), it’s a worryingly easy song to get into… before it launches into a much more up-tempo pre-chorus which is the complete opposite of the entire of “Purple Sky”.
Three songs, all of which would be well placed on an album with a decent number of tracks. Paddy has confirmed, though, that this release is only a stopgap until their next release – a full album!
If I have my facts right, the next time you can catch Life of Fire live is at Metal Militia (Ye Old Salutation, Nottingham) on April 23rd where they may be playing another couple of new tracks. Maybe. Or they could just have been dropping hints to get people through the door, the cheeky sods. Regardless, the show kicks off at 3pm and there are nine bands playing for a fiver. Is there really a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon?
Line of Fire: facebook
