While Embrace The Unknown (Frontiers srl) sees Spirits of Fire continue down the path of classic metal emulation last seen on their 2019 debut, its presentation sees more polish this time around. The production job courtesy of Aldo Lonobile, is considerably cleaner than before, giving the performances much better clarity. Guitarist Chris Caffery continues to lead the charge with an array of Savatage-inspired acrobatics while bass legend Steve DiGiorgio and drummer Mark Zonder make for a hard-hitting rhythm section without getting too flashy.

However, the most dramatic change comes in the lead singer department with Ripper Owens having left the project and Fabio Lione of Rhapsody / Angra fame taking his place. Contrary to the cleaner performances that ordinarily come with his Euro-power background, Lione aims for a similar approach as his predecessor with a gravelly demeanor punctuated with some higher wails. The approach works well with the material at hand, though there are times where he can get a little too scratchy.

But for all the technical flash the album has going for it, the songwriting isn’t particularly memorable. The vocal lines tend to be rather muddled with very few lines or choruses sticking out and there aren’t that many ear-catching riffs and leads for all the busy sweeps and blazing solos flailing about. There are some promising moments like the tight gallops on the opening ‘A Second Chance,’ the Hard Rock-flavored ‘Wildest Dreams’ and ‘Into The Mirror,’ and the epic balladry of the closing ‘Out In The Rain,’ but a lot of it just ends up being in one ear and out the other.

 

In their quest to “Embrace The Unknown”, Spirits Of Fire ultimately seems to take one step forward and two steps back. A cleaner production job suggests a more cohesive listening experience than the debut and the musicianship is arguably tighter than ever, but the indistinct songwriting on top of the occasionally awkward vocals ends up giving the album its own share of flaws. It also doesn’t help that, like the previous album, it really didn’t need to be over an hour long. Perhaps tighter writing and a better ear for constructing vocal lines would help in the future, but there are plenty of stronger bands pushing this sort of style.

Buy the album here: https://orcd.co/embrace

6 / 10

CHRIS LATTA