Firehouse
3

Firehouse was, at the dawn of the '90s, the last group to keep the flag of hard rock/hair metal flying high, during the dark years that accompanied this genre after the golden period experienced in the second half of the eighties. Their debut album, released in 1990, managed to be hair while breaking away from some clichés and stereotypes of the genre that were inexorably tied to the '80s and would no longer have a place in the new decade, but this was achieved without giving up the catchy and flirtatious choruses and the classic tear-jerking ballads typical of the genre. Even the follow-up "Hold Your Fire," released in 1992, when the grunge era had already begun, still garnered success and confirmed the goodness the band showcased in their first release, with "Reach For The Sky", "Rock You Tonight", and "Get In Touch" rocking and driving away, and "When I Look Into Your Eyes" moving with its immense romance.

By the mid-'90s, however, Firehouse realized that continuing to propose the hard rock of their beginnings would be rather futile, and thus attempted to adapt to the times; but they did not do so by jumping on the grunge bandwagon as some of their "colleagues" did at the time (I think of Motley Crue, Harem Scarem, Warrant, or Extreme), instead attempting to soften their sound and focus more on ballads, which seemed to gain more approval especially overseas (indeed, it was the ballad "When I Look Into Your Eyes" from "Hold Your Fire" that introduced them to the broader public of the Land of the Rising Sun, and in this case, too, the song "I Live My Life For You" was quite successful in Japan).

However, there are still more aggressive tracks that are more closely tied to the band's recent past, starting with the excellent "Get A Life", which immediately goes on the attack with Michael Forster's drums taking center stage, in a track that, for its power and energy, would have fit perfectly on either of the two previous albums, moving towards "What's Wrong", a song with very heavy and solid riffs, passing through the engaging "Two Sides" and the decent "Temptation". In contrast, in the opener "Love Is A Dangerous Thing", "Somethin' But Your Body", and "Tryin' To Make A Living", one can notice the search for new, broader sounds, for songs that lose a bit in energy and aggression but gain in accuracy and melody, particularly in the captivating "Tryin' To Make A Living", which begins with a suggestive and delicate arpeggio with almost a ballad-like flavor, but then unfolds with the very particular and almost reggae riffs in Bill Leverty's chorus (his performance throughout the whole album is consistently excellent), and C.J. Snare's always stunning voice, although less raw than in the recent past.

But what greatly embellishes this album are the three ballads present, and even in these, a change in the group's writing style is noticeable; we are no longer faced with the classic power ballads typical of hair metal, but with more intimate and sophisticated compositions that aim to hit the heart with their sweet and captivating melodies: unforgettable and always wonderful with each listen is "Here For You", an acoustic ballad with a light and delicate arpeggio, enhanced by Snare's emotional voice and a dual solo, one acoustic and one more compelling by Leverty; beautiful, moving, and equally romantic is "No One At All"; but perhaps the most beautiful is the closing piece "I Live My Life For You", another acoustic ballad somewhat predictable in the lyrics but not musically, which indeed strikes right at the heart with its poignant and dreamy melody and thanks to Snare's singing, filled with passion and a touch of nostalgia, downright chilling in the final chorus and ending.

"3" is the album where Firehouse slightly lowers the tones but does not abandon their rocker (hard) nature. And this in 1995 is already something. The album ends up being engaging from the first to the last song, and in the end, it deserves a 4. It could also be a 3.5, but that’s fine too.

It will not even be the last work of the band on these sound coordinates, and in fact, the level of the tracks will remain good even in the three subsequent albums, "Category 5" (1998), "O2" (2000), and "Prime Time" (2003), all enjoyable records. Okay, not at these levels, but almost 15 years after their debut, one couldn't expect otherwise. Today, however, we are in 2010, and a follow-up to Firehouse's latest work has yet to be released, but fortunately, the band has not officially broken up and continues to play "all around the world." I hope this sequel comes out soon, because I honestly want to listen to some new Firehouse. A guarantee, give them a listen.

Tracklist:

1) "Love Is A Dangerous Thing" 

2) "What's Wrong"

3) "Something But Your Body" 

4) "Tryin' To Make A Living"

5) "Here For You" 

6) "Get A Life"

7) "Two Sides"

8) "No One At All"

9) "Temptation"

10) "I Live My Life For You"