Review Summary: Despite its tilt towards meloblack over heavy metal, this sophomore effort was worth the wait.
I think Stygian Black Hand is one of the most exciting USBM labels around right now. So when I saw they were dropping the sophomore album by Virginia’s anonymous two-piece black metal outfit Fire Magic, my pulse picked up. The single certainly sounded much more fleshed out than the group’s debut, but did “Memories of Fire” live up to my own hype? Mostly, but with some small caveats.
Overall this is a solid record for anyone in search of a melodic and, dare I say, uplifting black metal album. Right from the jump, the track ‘Awaken the Conquerors’ spells out what to expect as it bounces from punky meloblack to riffs almost reminiscent at times of mid-2000s metalcore. It showcases the pummeling drums that switch deftly between frosty blasts and triumphant gallops which make up the lion’s share of this album’s percussion.
The first time I listened to this album it really blew me away, but on subsequent listens a few wrinkles started to emerge. The heavy metal elements of this album often take a back seat to the meloblack, and while that’s certainly not usually a problem for me, the leads - while always catchy and melodic - frequently aren’t that memorable. On top of that, these songs are built around traditional song structures which, again, isn’t necessarily a negative thing. It’s just that some tracks like ‘Break Them Against the Mountains’ or ‘Siege of Eternity’ can seem a bit too predictable and tend to blend into the background of this album.
That’s not to say that this is a bad record though. The back half of “Memories of Fire” sees the band really start laying on the atmosphere, and it benefits immensely from this. ‘Imperishable Flame’ starts with a nice halftime intro and spends its runtime alternating between acoustic sections featuring tortured midrange growls ripping over a meaty, plodding bass and epic, soaring leads. Everything about it works really well and creates a genuinely memorable track. It leads into the album’s only single, ‘Shadows on the Storm’ which comes out swinging with catchy guitar leads and blast beats raining down like a hail of arrows. This is easily the album’s best meloblack-leaning track, and even includes a fun Maiden-esque solo at the end. It was a nice touch that made me wish there were more solos on this album.
The highlight of “Memories of Fire” though comes by way of ‘Leave Me Where I Fall.’ At just over five minutes, it’s the longest track on the album and lets the band build up the atmosphere, especially with a stunning acoustic midsection complete with harmonized guitars. I think Fire Magic would have been fine ending the album here, although the title track that follows is a capable enough heater.
On the whole, “Memories or Fire” was worth the wait. After spinning this album probably close to ten times, I’m still not tired of it yet. Although the heavy metal elements weren’t quite as prominent as I was hoping for, the Virginia two-piece delivered a triumphant, uplifting and frequently fist-pumping follow up to their debut.
