Review: Of Fire “Death Do Us All”

Of Fire “Death Do Us All”

Norrtällje is located almost directly midway between Stockholm and Uppsala. It’s not big town, even as on Swedish conditions (here live a little more than 10 millions of people), but number of residents systematically mount up and now it’s something like 19.500. Some places in the city “performed” in several Swedish movies.

I didn’t find any information about other cultural activities in the city. But there’s some (at least) exception. This exception is name OF FIRE. The band was formed in 2013. During this time there were some changes in line-up, but they were rather cosmetic and hadn’t huge influence on band’s existence and its consistency. That’s why for me it’s a little strange that guys has, except “Death Do Us All”, only one release –debut full-length “Carnage Fever” from 2014. Guys enclosed of course bio in files I got, but since I can’t open the document…

Anyway, album contains eight rather long (in case of last one – just long, without “quite”, “rather” and other synonyms) songs. What about music… Well, maybe I’m old stupid orthodox, but I’ll tell you honestly that I never understood term “Death’n’Roll”. I agree that it sounds nicely and intriguingly, but I really can’t hear anything what would distinguish this from “regular” Death Metal. By the way, music is in rather middle tempo. It’s about both guitars and drums (as well as about bass, too). Riffs aren’t technical Chomolungma and they’re quite often stretched over time. Of course it doesn’t mean that they stretch out like tripe with oil as we say in Poland! They’re just not as short and broken as you can probably expect. Of course brothers Thunell (Rasmus and Jonathan) play them heavy and with right dose of brutality. In the same time it’s in its way melodic as well. It’s still pure Death Metal, but… Rick (Williamsson) drums mostly also in slow tempo, but it’s surely not calm and stuff like that! He uses cymbals whole the time. Well, there’re some short breaks, but they’re really short ones and it’s hard to notice them. Anyway, there happen some speed-ups, too – they’re maybe rarely, but they’re. Bass is mostly hidden in background, but there’re moments when we can hear very nice pulsing of Martin’s (Johansson) instrument.   So to describe everything I have to write few words about vocal, too. Doesn’t it?!? Robin (Joelsson) has growling which many people would describe as typical Death Metal one. But well, it says anything to you, or what?!? Besides I heard in my life hundreds (maybe even thousands) of Death Metal bands and I know that growling doesn’t mean exactly the same in every case – actually most of vocalists has own style. OK… Robin does it quite deeply and, let’s call it, in Swedish style. Of course it’s not about lyrics… ahahahahahah…

I think that this is good stuff and band! Their Death Metal isn’t probably anything innovative or groundbreaking, but in my opinion that’s good! I like this band and this a little “calmer” Death Metal! And I’m sure that everyone who appreciate in this music something more than speed and vomiting vocal.

Contact: offireofficial1@gmail.com