The alternative rock and female fronted band, Fireflight, have been churning out inspirational heavy rock for a few years now since their hit single "You Decide" exploded on the scene. After a string of successful followup albums, they are now a mainstay in Christian rock.
Fireflight has grungy elements to them, with thick crunching guitars and heavy leads mixed with belting vocals and softer harmonies. Their newest release, Now, does a perfect job of showcasing all of these elements while adding something completely original to the mix.
The first track, "Stay Close," is a very strong opener with a big chorus and excellent harmonies throughout. It has a nice heavy feel yet mixes well with the poppy vocals.
"Ignite" has an intro reminiscent to early Linkin Park and has great instrumentation throughout. The chorus has a superb back and fourth between main vocalist Dawn Michele and background vocalist, Justin Cox.
"Escape" does exactly what the title says. It takes the listener away from the heaviness of the previous songs. It is a power ballad of sorts with a nice drop out for the bridge.
The next song keeps the pace light, and really highlights Michele's voice. The song has a powerful message of God's love and speaks on how when we think He's not there, He's right there in the midst of trouble.
The slow and poppy, "Keeping Me Alive," talks about how God's love keeps us going through life. Immediately following is the uptempo and catchy, "Stronger Than You Think," as Fireflight brings back the gritty guitars as they sing, "I am stronger than you think, you'll never get the best of me."
"Prove Me Wrong" follows up with a mid tempo catchy riff and vocals. However, the following track, "Dying For Your Love," is one the best songs on the album.
The intro is heavy and then slows down for the verse. The chorus lands somewhere in the middle as both vocalist alternate between singing. The outro is heavy hitting, sounding more like alt/grunge rockers Breaking Benjamin.
The softest song on, Now, is "Rise Above." The song is a straight pop song that sets to move and inspire.
"Now," the title track is a great way to go out on the album. The cool synth opening along with the mixed heavy guitars make the song worthy of a single.
Overall the album will not disappoint. If you are looking for some heavy music with softer female vocals and an occasional rock ballad; Now is the perfect thing for you.
