No Smoke Without Fire

Anthem was on a roll and released No Smoke Without Fire only ten months after the vivid predecessor Hunting Time. It still amazes me how many heavy metal bands released excellent records in one year or less when it takes the same bands numerous years to deliver good average outputs at best these days. No Smoke Without Fire keeps all the excellent elements of its two ferocious predecessors, adds a particularly heavy production, a few skillfully employed keyboard sounds and comes around with a balanced yet coherent songwriting to deliver what might be the quartet's best record ever.

The album wasn't produced by Chris Tsangarides this time around and has a slightly heavier sound than usual which is a pleasant change. Especially the great bass guitar play has never been more audible than on this release as one can hear in the incredibly diversified ''Do You Understand''. This type of song represents this record's particularly heavy approach which almost leans towards thrash metal, not unlike what Judas Priest attempted in the same year with the release of Painkiller.

On the other side, this album is also the first to feature Don Airey whose decently employed keyboard sounds add a longing twist to several songs such as the epic ''Blinded Pain'' with its soothing vocals carrying the emotional track for almost seven minutes.

With the melodic mid-tempo stomper ''Power & Blood'' with its uplifting keyboard sounds, melodic guitar solos and catchy chorus, the record even includes a track with massive single potential, reminding me of a heavier Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe track despite being the mellowest and most simplistic tune on this release. The more atmospheric and playful album closer ''The Night We Stand'' with its explosive chorus has a similar approach and would have also been a really decent single that would have deserved international airplay. It ends an incredibly strong record on a particularly high note.

In the end, No Smoke Without Fire burns brightly as it combines Anthem's heaviest tracks ever recorded with a few more longing and melodic epics. The album isn't watered down by any ballads or instrumental fillers but delivers nine efficient tracks for almost forty-five minutes of excellent heavy metal. The guitar solos always blend in perfectly, the bass guitar is particularly dominant, the drums are thunderous, the longing keyboard sounds add depth to the production and Yukio Morikawa proves to be one of the most variable and charismatic heavy metal singers who manages to combine longing melodic lines with a heartfelt and raw energy. Every musician involved gives the best he can which makes No Smoke Without Fire my favorite Anthem record of the early years, even though the two predecessors are very nearly equally great. It's a shame that this record was somewhat overlooked and turned out to be the second to last release of Anthem's legendary early years. If you want to rediscover the energy, sound and stylistics of heavy metal in the late eighties and early nineties, give yourself a gift and purchase this outstanding heavy metal milestone.