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Spirits Of Fire: Embrace The Unknown
Spirits Of Fire - Embrace The Unknown Album Art

Spirits Of Fire: Embrace The Unknown

Classic Heavy Power Metal
4.5/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 16.02.2022 | Released: 18.02.2022

When Spirits Of Fire appeared three years ago as a new heavy metal supergroup, heavy metal fans' jaws dropped so far down their bullet belts nearly chopped of their dicks. Okay, jokes aside. It was a pretty fuckin' big deal. The band consisted of metal veterans original members Chris Caffery, Steve DiGiorgio, and Mark Zonder with Priest alumnus Tim Owens of vocals. And their self-titled debut album kicked head-banging assage. Now the band returns with that aforementioned trio sans Owens. Owens is back into his Priest-groove runnning with KK Downing's new band. He's been replaced by veteran Italian singer Fabio Lione, known for his work with Vision Divine, Angra, Rhapsody Of Fire, and many others. Another difference is that Spirits Of Fire has moved on from veteran American producer Roy Z to the Italian producer, musician, and guitarist Aldo Lonobile (working with Frontiers Music) of Secret Sphere fame.

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Spirits Of Fire: too hot to handle.

Just another paragraph to speak about their second effort, Embrace The Unknown. Simply, and like its predecessor, this is classic heavy power metal written by a classic metal guitarist. So expect tough riffs, fine guitar harmony, and brilliant guitar lines, including immense solos. For aspiring metal guitarist, Caffery puts on a clinic. After this the songs are wrapped up in heaviness and adequate rock groove. With Lione at the mic, you can expect clean vocals that follow song melody and harmony. But, frankly, he's seems out of his element with most Spirits Of Fire arrangements: the classic metal heaviness simply stifles his vocal style (just the opposite of Tim Owens on the last album). But, alternatively, Lione could be the victim of poor mixing and mastering which reduced his vocal arrangements to little more than a foot note. In that case, if I were him, I would find that guy, kick him in the nuts, then slash the tires on his Lambo. (That's my heavy metal muse speaking there.) To be fair, Lione is heard much better with the milder Sea Of Change and My Confession, but not by much. Otherwise, some vicious and true headbanging metal rockers are Hearts In The Sand, Embrace The Unknown, the rough and tough House Of Pain, and the power metal romp, A Second Chance. All said, Embrace The Unknown finds supergroup Spirits Of Fire, with new singer Fabio Lione in tow, delivering another solid album of classic heavy power metal for a new day. Recommended.




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The Take Away

All in all, Embrace The Unknown finds supergroup Spirits Of Fire, with new singer Fabio Lione in tow, delivering another solid album of classic heavy power metal for a new day. Recommended.

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