From The Fire
Thirty Days, Dirty Nights

Let's dust off yet another cult name of the utmost among rockers of the old continent, also because the moniker of From The Fire still resonates resoundingly for those who, myself included, have always considered this "Thirty days, dirty night" a small gem of artistic maturity dedicated to a compositional quality and a certain stylistic flexibility that have almost always characterized a music scene like the American one, firmly rooted in the evocation of a certain substantial and lively sound still full of eighties references and that, undeterred by the fashions and musical styles that have come and gone with little success, has been able to maintain a certain underlying truth.

And it was from the magical eighties that the central core of From the Fire came, formed by the will of the talented but then practically unknown vocalist J.D. Kelly and the more experienced guitar player Tommy Lafferty, already part of the cult heroes Voodoo X of the blond-haired Jean Beauvoir. For their debut album, they surrounded themselves with a handful of excellent studio musicians from the New York hinterland who only later became more famous, like the future keyboardist of the legendary JL Turner band, Paul Morris. Topped by a rather insignificant cover, but equipped with a highly reflective production and a sound that defining as vintage seems almost reductive, "Thirty days, dirty night," which saw the same Beauvoir involved as co-executive producer, is adorned with superb compositions and crystal-clear performances, soft sounds almost at the limit of the most radio-friendly airplay, seeking to take appropriate distances from the visceral and corrosive sound of the early nineties era, choosing instead to settle on dreamy melodic scores that find in the golden voice of the great J.D. Kelly, the most significant exponent of an entire songwriting dedicated, heart and soul, to the melodic rock of bands like Foreigner, Balance, and Loverboy.

Not surprisingly, during the alternation of the nine songs contained therein, the melodic interweavings that are created are anything but tense, even if the up-tempo pieces are certainly not lacking, see the gritty and blooded "Same song" pomp rock à la Giuffria/House of Lords, or "Spark and flame" a brilliant AOR song blessed with dynamism and vitality that makes it one of the best episodes of the whole album, thanks also to the presence of the seductive Theresa Straley of Harlow, the band of the former Black'n Blue, who engages in a compelling duet with the never-tiring vocalist of the band in question.
On an entirely different level of antagonistic and artistic depth are those episodes deliberately played on more subdued atmospheres like the sweet and gentle "Hold on" constructed on delicate guitar arabesques and soft keyboard carpets on which a delightful refrain and a chorus, so gentle and pleasant as to give goosebumps, ascend, or the changing atmospheres on which the equally melodic and catchy "Take my heart" is built, touching and emotional enough, that brings our band closer to the work of bands like Reo Speedwagon and Journey, especially.

What can I say, a fundamental record, monumental in its dedication to the service of the purest and most unrivaled melody. Unless there’s an unlikely reissue on CD, take your wallets and arm yourselves with patience; this album is waiting just for you!!!