Touted as one of the top ‘live’ Rock acts in the UK and just off a European tour with Tarja (ex-Nightwish) it’s taken Birmingham’s Devilfire 4 years to release their debut album ‘Dark Manoeuvres’. If you’re a fan of classy, melodic hard rock then you may well have already heard the name, the first question though of course is can it be worth the wait? The supplementary question might be well if it is, are we going to be waiting a similar Def Leppard like period before the next?
Thing start very well with the low creeping keys of ‘Ready For War’ a song that sets out the stall and delivers a fine slab of 80’s infused melodic hard rock. If you’re looking for markers to the sound then think a slightly darker take on the traditional British Hard Rock we all love – at times you’ll hear a little Magnum, a dash of Little Angels, a dab of Thunder even at times. There’s also an early Bon Jovi undercurrent, which is tempered by a sliver of gritty Blues.
Second track ‘She’s Like Fire’ is a real rocker and a well worn tale of “the lass that got away” and alongside standout track ‘(In And Out Of Love) All Of The Time’ with its Bon Jovi riff and laid back and bluesy vibe it makes a great start to the album. Its one of a few songs here that has a cool laid back 70s vibe slipped under the skin of a straightforward take on 80’s melodic rock which is nicely kept to a simmer – that makes you wonder what would happen if the heat was turned up just a little to allow it to boil over?
Elsewhere there’s plenty more cherries – ‘Waiting For a Rockstar’ is col as you like, and there’s a great riff to ‘Lay it on the Line’ that adds a little variety and more modern touch. Best of all though might just be the huge anthem ‘Kill Your Love’ which I must warn you might just lead to a bad case of air guitar or for the more energetic a spate of punching the air. And that is backed up against another real contender for best song he wonderfully executed ballad ‘Tear Me Apart’ which just may have you singing along…
Deeper in he album continues to deliver with a fine mix or rockers and slower numbers ‘God Give Me Vengeance’ packs a great melodic punch, whilst ‘Devil in you Eyes’ ups the tempo and has that real ‘blue sky’ feel,very uplifting, a great summer song. Then there’s the other huge anthem the debut single ‘She’s Always On The Run’ before we round out with the assured melodic rocker ‘A Thousand Times’ and closer ‘Somehow’ an impassioned sower track that sees perhaps Alex’s best vocal performance here. It’s a great ending to a great album.
Quality.