Embrace the Unknown

Frontiers Records has been in the business of building super groups for almost as long as they've been a label, and it seems every few months there is a new concoction in the works to bring about yet another conglomeration of familiar talents for a similarly geared recording project. Though much of what has come of this revolving door has favored the AOR take on either heavy, power or progressive metal, Spirits Of Fire was a project that took a somewhat different route and placed a greater emphasis on hard-hitting metal after the mold of Judas Priest, a move not totally out of character for them given Primal Fear's extended tenure under their umbrella, albeit a bit unique with regard to the assortment of musicians tapped for the endeavor. However, the subsequent exodus of original vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens to join KK's Priest left a nagging question of what this band's future was, and though it would be 3 years after the release of their debut, the answer that was given proved quite a compelling one.

Sophomore LP Embrace The Unknown presents a rather interesting scenario of a mostly traditional heavy metal outfit being fronted by none other than former Rhapsody Of Fire and current Angra vocalist Fabio Lione, a rather curious proposition given his near exclusive career within the power and progressive metal realm. Suffice it to say, this classically trained impresario has little difficulty getting gritty and putting forth a ballsy, pedal to the metal approach to singing that this sort of project requires. In fact, the generally restrained rhythm section put forth by certified virtuosos Steve DiGiorgio and Mark Zonder, combined with the measured and methodical blend of punchy riffing and virtuosic edge put forth by Chris Caffery establishes the perfect foundation upon which Lione's larger-than-life vocal persona can really shine, and the result is a mammoth sound that could rival just about any modern heavy metal outfit looking to bring the old style into the current decade.

Though this album largely functions as its own beast and doesn't draw to heavily from the illustrious pasts of each musician involved, there is occasionally a subtle sense of theatricality at work on these songs that plays into Lione's past and even, at times, that of Caffery's time with Savatage. Straight up melodic cookers like opener "A Second Chance" and title anthem "Embrace The Unknown" have that classic driving, quick-paced stride to them that reminds of the vintage sound that was the order of the day for American and British heavy metal in the 80s, complete with the flashy guitar high-jinks and also incorporating some thudding, modern heaviness with the aid of DiGiorgio's ultra-glassy bass assault. Other entries like "Wildest Dreams" and "Into The Mirror" lay on the melodic flair in more of a fanfare-like direction, reminiscing upon the arena-oriented end of things while not sacrificing the heaviness factor. But interestingly enough, this album truly comes into its own when the songs go longer, such as on the somewhat dreary power ballad "Sea Of Change" and the quasi-symphonic epic closer "Out In The Rain" where Lione's full dynamic range is explored and the rest of the fold gets to show the extent of their respective chops.

In contrast to a lot of the stuff that has been coming out under the Frontiers moniker of late, this is not a more metallic version of Journey or a power metal album after the symphonic strain played at a mostly mid-tempo, but a full on metallic assault that can trade blows with most of the harder-hitting modern heavy metal material coming out of both Europe and the U.S. of late. Those whom want unapologetic heaviness with a menacing edge need look no further than pummeling anthems like "My Confession" and "Resurrection" to get something that can trade blows with their latest Vicious Rumors or Armored Saint albums. Truth be told, the display of metallic craftsmanship displayed on here is about on par with the recent output of Metal Church and Jag Panzer. It goes a little bit longer than an album usually goes in this style, but stays engaging throughout and avoids the pitfalls of either over-indulgence by the massively talent musicians involved or unnecessarily restraining them in the name of commercial viability. For a project that was likely thrown together with some input by Serafino Perugino, it has a truly organic result here.