Born Through Fire puts one foot on stage.
Created in 2021 in the United States by the alliance of Tim Lambesis (vocals, As I Lay Dying, Austrian Death Machine) and Joey Alarcon (guitar/bass, Wolves at the Gates), the band calls on Parker Adsit (drums, Alura, ex-Ov Sulfur), Steve Cobucci (vocals, Wolves at the Gates), Chris Shaw (vocals) and Taylor Adsit (vocals, Alura, ex-Ov Sulfur), as well as Luke Holland (drums, The Word Alive, Hollywood Undead… ) for the release of Purify and Refine, their first album, on Seek & Strike.
The album starts with Reintroduction, revealing a melancholic melody joined by some samples, percussions, then by this voice which gradually intensifies until Bone by Bone comes to strike. Jerky riffs and majestic orchestrations combine to create the perfect atmosphere for the vocalist’s howls of rage, sometimes helped by some choirs as on the very melodious choruses where the contrast will be extremely effective, before Blood Fire Pain is adorned with more modern elements to develop its catchy rhythmic. Heavy Metal influences complete the energetic sound by giving it motivating tones, then The Reckoning strikes with its raw and devastating groove. Impossible not to be trampled by this real steamroller which will only stop to let a melodious break allow us to breathe before a more haunting part, then ferocity resurfaces by leading us to Trapped Inside, a composition which keeps the band’s aggressive and jerky approach. No doubt that this track will make the pits go crazy under this blast, especially during the devastating moshpart, then the band returns to its melodic influences for Walk Through the Fire by including soaring choruses and heady leads in catchy quite Old School riffs. The vocalist enters the scene accompanied by orchestrations for The Well, creating a rather heavy atmosphere before the other instruments join them, letting melodies progress once again to finally sublimate violence, which we find in its most raw and jerky form on Beneath the Scars, a composition letting musicians permanently unleash themselves. The federating rage will be followed by softness on We Closed Our Eyes, a much more soothing composition which plays on a heady groove to place airy leads, without forgetting to feed its solid rhythmic. Choruses are obviously the parts fans will want to chant during live shows before a final moment of floating represented by Overcome, the last composition, which comes to end the album with a much more soothing approach while keeping some energetic patterns, mixed with soaring guitars.
Strength and melodies meet in Born Through Fire, creating an energetic and very catchy Metalcore. Musicians are far from being unknown, and it is by giving their personal touch to Purify and Refine that they perfect it.
85/100