Line Of Fire is a pure melodic rock band through and through. They can best be compared to Journey, Boston and many other rock bands of that same era. Solid hooks and huge, layered choruses are all that await.

L to R: Ed Darst, Nikki Dimage, Shawn Pelata

LINE OF FIRE (2005) TRIBUNAL RECORDS

I've been lucky enough to follow this band since it's interception. Shawn Pelata has become a friend of mine on the internet, and throughout the making of this album he kept giving me some clips and teasers every now and then. Just enough to keep me on my toes.

Those of you who find that the name Shawn Pelata rings a bell, might know that he used to be in more hard-hitting bands, such as Oracle and K-Octave. And if you have read even just parts of my website, you probably figured out that AOR is not my favorite genre. I have absolutely zero knowledge about most of the bands these guys state as influences. But I was still intrigued to hear what Shawn's voice could bring to such a musical environment. And why should it not work? This threesome turns out to be one killer combo for writing stellar music! Line Of Fire offers melodic 80's hard rock, and they serve it with conviction! It's always a blast to listen to a band that totally loves what they are doing. And when they also play their songs as good as these guys, then it's all the better. Their guitar-driven melodies, filled with vocal harmonies and memorable hooks is just fantastic. Most of the songs will be stuck in your head for days. Just listen to "Paradise", and see if you are not humming along instantly!

Line Of Fire's debut is very well produced, so all in all this is one commendable effort. Upon getting this I could not stop listening to it.

Killer tracks: They are all good!

L to R: Thomas Clark, Shawn Pelata, Nikki Dimage

MOMENTUM (2010) TRIBUNAL RECORDS

After a stunning' debut, that harvested awesome reviews worldwide, one would have thought that Line Of Fire kept the momentum going. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, it took the band 5 years to release a follow up, mostly due to the devastating horrors of a vile sickness, named cancer. But, as the saying goes; what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! So finally Line Of Fire return with another slab of melodic hard rock! And what a better name to give this sophomore release than 'Momentum'! :D

Musically this sound as though it was recorded back to back with the debut. This band have no desire to sound modern. In fact, the whole point of this band it s to deliver the music that they love, namely late '70's and '80's melodic hard rock. Many bands comes to mind when listening to 'Momentum'. Journey might be the most obvious one. But I also hear stuff that reminds me of Kansas, Boston, Dokken (more on that later) and Stryper. Most importantly though, Line Of Fire has a sound that is their own.

The combination of Nikki's melodic leads and Shawn's distinct voice is a match made in hard rock heaven. The type of music these guys are plying doesn't necessarily depend on extraordinaire instrumental skills, but rather a knack for writing memorable songs. Now, I'm not saying that these guys doesn't have the chops or anything. It's just that melodic hard rock is better when it's not overplayed, in my opinion. More important is the distinct diversity from song to song, and the dynamics created within the given formula. And here is where Line Of Fire succeed. 'Momentuml' is a CD you want to play over and over. Most of the songs are instantly memorable, thanks to some monster hooks and sing-along-choruses. Listen to "It Takes Time" and/or "The Fire Never Dies" and see if you can keep from singing along. It's virtually impossible!

Now, I'm not sure that Line Of Fire has surpassed the debut album with this release. However, this is easily as good as 'Line Of Fire' was. My only complaint is that the production is a little "dry" and claustrophobic. This kind of music needs more room to breath, and perhaps more warmth? Still, this is a minor complaint, and 'Momentum' is sure to land safely on my top 20 releases from 2010.

The CD version (as opposed to any download version) has a bonus track. This is an acoustic rendition of the Dokken classic.

Killer tracks: It Takes Time, I'll Be The One Tonight, The Fire Never Dies, I'm Crying For You

Shawn Pelata guest appearances:

Liberty N' Justice - 'Independence Day'

Liberty N' Justice - '4 All: The Best Of LNJ' (as writer)

Liberty N' Justice - 'Light It Up' (also as writer)

Nikki Dimage guest appearances:

Liberty N' Justice - 'Independence Day'

Related artists:

Oracle, K-Octave, Trampled Underfoot, October 31