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Gunfire: Age of Supremacy

Melodic/Heavy/Power Metal

4.0/5.0

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Jolly Rogers Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 03.09.2014

If you never heard of Italian metal band Gunfire, don't be surpised. Their origins date back to the early Eighties, but their history is as sketchy as their musical output. They had one self-titled EP and then quickly went the way of the heavy metal dodo. The resurfaced again in 2002 with a demo The Fire Still Burns and their first full-length album Thunder of War in 2004. But then, again, there was silence. Until now.

Gunfire: there was a sale on black leather.

Ten years later the band returns with Age of Supremacy. You might want to hook up with this album fast as, at this rate, you'll likely not hear from Gunfire for another ten years. What you have here is some solid melodic heavy metal straight out of Eighties tradition. References might include a mix of Accept, Saxon, and Iron Maiden

Clean vocals, large riffs, soaring guitar solos, supported by a swift and steady rhythm section. The band is big on melody and harmony, and even throws in some synth symphonic layers for ambience. They are from Italy after all. Most songs are untypically long, six minutes or better, with two over ten minutes. You migth catch some prog metal nuances in the longer numbers, but it's minor rather than technical. Mostly the longer songs seem more designed to be heavy and steady, melodic and dense, for a more epic feeling. But, the same might be said for all the songs which, in turn, add some the sometimes unforgiving element of predictability. A slight deviation might come with Fire in the Sky, a rather intense number that has that tricky combination of speed and thrash metal at it's core. In the end, for fans of the traditional genre, Gunfire's Age of Supremacy remains solid and satisfying classic heavy metal, even if it's taken them 30 years to get heard.

Gunfire - Age of Supremacy (Album Trailer)

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

For fans of the traditional genre, Gunfire's Age of Supremacy remains solid and satisfying classic heavy metal, even if it's taken them 30 years to get heard.

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The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]