Review: Saffire “From Ashes To Fire”

If you're a fan of Classic Rock, AOR and traditional Heavy Metal you could just live off Swedish bands for the rest of your life.  Along with Germany, they have kept this style of music alive in several different genres.  Enter "Saffire" a band fits into all these categories.

The guys were playing Funk in the clubs of Gothenburg when they decided to reach back their roots of 70's and 80's Classic Rock and this was the result.  "From Ashes To Fire" is 13 solid tracks of music that spans several genre's of Rock and Metal.  Even the songs themselves have several layers.

There's plenty of accessible tracks like "Magnolia" and "Freedom Call" that are just strait up rockers.  "What If" is a nice mid-tempo ballad with a modern rock influence.  "A Symphony Unheard" and "The Betrayers Fate" lean towards the Progressive Metal side.  Bottom line this is an extremely solid release from top to bottom.

Vocalist Tobias Jansson is able to successfully transport himself from one style to another.  Guitarist Victor Olsson wrote the music but the two seems to be in perfect harmony.

Saffire's debut can be purchased through Minnesota-based Nightmare Records owned by Lance King (Gemini).