Search - Day of Fire :: Losing All

Day of Fire is About to Ignite

C. Smith | New York | 01/27/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Day of Fire is back with the long anticipated Losing All. The best word to describe this album is "gripping". It's obvious that this album was birthed from difficult times and recent heartaches in Josh Brown's personal life. This suffering has given Brown the chance to mature as a songwriter. Losing All is, hands down, Day of Fire's best lyrical work to date. Not only that, but the whole band pushes the boundaries to create an emotional and engaging musical experience. Everything down to the album cover is done right: heavy riffs, pensive ballads, catchy choruses, and guitar solos. The cover is a picture of a broken compass with an exposed heart and fits the theme of the album perfectly. The overall sound of the album is straight up rock and roll, but each song is unique. This individuality makes each song instantly recognizable. This also means there is never a dull moment throughout the albums 51 minutes of running time.



"Light 'Em Up" is a roller coaster ride of riffs and catchy choruses that gets things off to a great start. Brown's raspy and deep vocals have never been more at home. In his own personal life, Brown's wife has left him, and the next song, "Hello Heartache" is about that pain. This song is easy to relate to for anyone who's been through a similar experience. "Hello to you, heartache. Welcome to this heartbreak. I swore I'd never see you again." Brown's emotional vocals grabs your attention and it's hard to focus on anything else but the music. This is also a recurring theme in many of the songs like "When I See You" and the ballad "Airplane". Some might consider the concept of the song "Airplane" a bit cliché. Essentially Brown wants to become an airplane to travel back in time to fix his relationship with his wife. However the lyrics are in no way cliché. The song is very heartfelt and has an epic feel to it. The ballad boasts soaring guitars, an orchestra, a nicely placed guitar solo, and a great vocal range in the second half of the song.



The hit single "Lately" is an album highlight. This is the type of song you want to sing along to by the second chorus the first time you hear it. Nice riffs, positive outlook on leaving heartaches behind, and extremely catchy. "Cold Addiction" is a mid-tempo song offers some of the best lyrics off the album. "Cold addiction racing through my veins, enslaving me to my fear, premonition, see it all unwind, God get me out of here." Like many of the albums other songs, this song has characteristic monster riffs. At first I wasn't sure about "Never Goodbye", but after a few listens it has become one of my favorites. It's a power ballad, but it breaks any negative connotation associated with power ballads. It is a great song with a clever false ending and will likely become a radio sensation.

Unlike most albums some of the best tracks are found in the latter half of the album. "Hey You" and "We Are No One" are both great tracks with heavy riffs, dirty baselines, and both are undeniably catchy. "The Dark Hills" closes the album off with the epic finish it deserves. This song is a genuine cry for help in a time of desperation. Every second of the five minute song is captivating and every line sang is thought provoking. "They say Jesus walked the dark hills. He broke bread with beggars and thieves. When I cry out in this darkness. When I fall down on my knees. When He walks the dark hills. I know He'll come for me. I know He'll come save me."



Although there are only two direct references to God (both of which I pointed out), it is still clear where Brown puts his faith. For those who are not Christian this is still an album not to overlook. To those who haven't heard of Day of Fire, don't wait for them to grace the airwaves with their monster riffs and captivating emotional vocals, you need to get this album. This is a serious step up for the band. They have been under the radar for a few years now, but Day of Fire is about to ignite. Putting out material this high-quality will inevitably give Day of Fire the attention that they deserve.



Day of Fire has always had the elements to create a masterpiece, and this is it. Day of Fire's Losing All has set the bar high for music in 2010.

"

What I Was Hoping For From These Guys

Matthew Robbins | Ohio | 02/05/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I grew up on a lot of non-Christian music before I was a Christian. I was a big Metallica fan. I listened to Alice-in-Chains, Our Lady Peace, Nirvana, and later Buckcherry. I was a fan of some older rock as well - Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Skynyrd. I listened to the gamut, the Almond Brothers and Clapton to Black Sabbath, The Who to Megadeth and White Zombie, among many others. When I became a Christian, I quickly looked for Christian counterparts to some of these bands, ones that would portray a better message (I still listen to a lot of same bands - I'm not saying they're evil).



Although Christian music has come a long way in terms of production thanks to the money being made in it, true musicianship and song-writing capabilities are still not at the level of secular music, in my opinion. Especially in the rock genre, you can still hear a difference in the level of songs, even though the production has caught up.



Enter Day of Fire. Back in my earlier days, one of the bands I listened to was Full Devil Jacket, the band Josh Brown fronted before becoming a Christian and starting Day of Fire. While I enjoyed the band's first 2 albums ("Cornerstone" is an amazing song), I hadn't been as impressed as I was by Josh's work with Full Devil Jacket. There was just a rawness missing. After a break that included new management and a new label, Day of Fire is back with Losing All, and it marks a return to why I enjoyed Brown's earlier work more - this is simply a fantastic rock album.



From the energy of the opener "Light `Em up" and first single "Lately," it's clear that Josh has discovered how to balance his Christian faith with creating a rock album that lacks a distinctly "Christian" sound. Save some of the lyrical content, I have no trouble imagining some of these songs played on my local rock station. The quality and sophistication of song-writing is that good. The guitar riffs, drums and baselines are straight-up rock, mixing in just enough guitar solos to keep things interesting. Simply put, I haven't enjoyed a "Christian" hard rock album this much in a long time.



Lest you think my suggestion they could be played on a normal rock station suggests they've toned down distinctly Christian thoughts, think again. The lyrics are nuanced and symbolic (like most good rock lyrics), but are powerful and, at times, profound. One song, in particular, that's been haunting me is the album's closer, "The Dark Hills." Musically, the song is fantastic; utilizing a pulsating drum beat throughout that crescendos magnificently. When this is combined with the lyrical imagery, the results gave me chills.



Brown sings:



If anybody knew this ugliness inside me

Would they throw a stone, would they crucify me?

How heavy was the crown of thorns?

I wonder if I'm too far gone



They say Jesus walked the dark hills

He broke bread with beggars and thieves

If I cry out in this darkness, if I fall down on my knees

If he walks the dark hills, will he come for me?



I think this album will likely go largely unappreciated. It's not polished by overproduction. It has a very raw sound to it, both instrumentally and vocally. I picture hearing this music in a small club amidst smoke in the air. I have my doubts that feel will have large mass appeal in the Christian market. Hopefully, the album will connect with some non-Christians who will hear powerful pictures of grace like "The Dark Hills." I would have listened to them back before I was a Christian, and I'll definitely be listening to this album plenty now that I am."

The Polo from Marco

The Polo from Marco | Seattle | 02/22/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dark Hills..

..I'm almost 50 yrs old, and when I heard this song, the sound and spirit ushered me in, and captivated me. A friend gave me a cd to check out.. and as with any song, I couldn't make out ever word, but I knew I had to. Of course it was hard to turn it down :] but finally I did, and understood,..

"they say Jesus walked the dark hills",.."he broke bread with beggers and thieves."..





The song describes who Jesus is...



Who we are in the deepest depths of our darkest moments.., can he save me, too..?



And the Spirit's release from shame, at that pinnacle moment of revelation!





Reminds me of Jars of Clays'>Worlds Apart, ..but new millineum style.

I know He'll come for me, I know He'll come save me...."