FIREBIRD – “DOUBLE DIAMOND”
RISE ABOVE (2011)
Thirty years ago, a young Birmingham-based outfit by the name of Napalm Death caused a massive stir in the extreme metal underground scene by releasing one of the hardest and most uncompromising debuts in the history of music – the highly revered twenty eight track opus entitled “Scum”. Though not a founding member, guitarist Bill Steer’s contribution was recognised as instrumental in the band’s early musical evolution, but soon after the release of 1998s “From Enslavement To Obliteration” he decided to part ways with his mates and went to form the equally influential Grindcore outfit Carcass. In 1999, and following the demise of Carcass, Steer took a very daring step by aboandoning his extreme metal roots and forming the Blues Rock trio Firebird – a gamble which seems to have paid off as twelve years after they first saw the light of day, Firebird are about to release their sixth studio album, “Double Diamond”.
It is indeed very strange how I never managed to come across Firebird’s music prior to hearing “Double Diamond”, especially as a) I have followed Bill’s career from quite early on and b) my record collection features many Heavy Rock and Blues records. Leaving all regrets behind, I made up for lost time, hearing a relatively short ten track release, offering a heavy Blues sound, with influence ranging from the likes of early Cream all the way to Thin Lizzy and Deep Purple MK III. Bill’s skills on the six string are the stuff of legend, so having him sucessfuly performing an array of Funk and heavy Blues riffs throughout was not at all surprising. What “Double Diamond” helped me discover is that he is also a pretty decent singer – not the most diverse and technically proficient, but one whose contribution does not undermine the quality of the compositions on offer. So based on all that, how sucessful is “Double Diamond” as a Heavy Blues record?
Well, one thing I can say for sure is that this album is defintely a labour of love, as emotion and passion can be found in abundance in every single track on offer. If I am to be terribly honest with you, though, there were a few moments when I felt that a more versatile and experienced singer would have provided an extra dimension to riff-orientated tracks such as the opener “Soul Saviour” which comes across as lacking an important ingredient. There are moments such as in the funk-sounding “Ruined” or the amazingly emotional “Farewell” where Bill’s voice is stretched to its limit with much sucess, but songs like the Purple MKIII sounding“Bright Lights”, the Thin Lizzy infused “For Crying Out Loud” and the Hard Rocker “A Wing And A Prayer” are not providing the reaction in me that one would expect. The latter part of the album is divided bwtween the quite satisfying “A Pound Of Flesh”, “Lose Your Delusions” on one hand, and a ‘duet’ consisting of the oriental sounding opus “Arabesque” and the emotional accoustic rocker “Pantomime” on the other.
Listening to “Double Diamond” has been indeed a very enjoyable experience but it was also one that left me quite annoyed with myself. Why is that? Well, though all the songs are beautifully crafted and smartly arranged, I was quite often left with the feeling that there was something missing from them – the kind of thing that helps distinguish a good composition from an exceptional one. That, of course, does not mean that Firebird’s sixth studio album is a bad effort; it would be strange of me to suggest such a thing, having spend quite a few days listening to it – something I intend to continue doing long after this review has been published. Things are very simple here – if you love bands like Creme and and you recognise the fundamental importance of Glen Hughes’ contribution to Deep Purple then you can invest without fear – you will not be dissappointed.
John Stefanis
Rating: ***1/2 (3.5/5.0)
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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024
In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections
Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024
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14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)
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