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This young band from England tries something special on their debut album; to build a bridge between metalcore and progressive metal. And much to my surprise with success, because who would have thought that a blend of bands like Meshuggah, Between the Buried and Me, The Mars Volta and Karnivool would sound unspoiled and fresh?

Well it does, and "Grind the Ocean" is a very refreshing breath of air in an otherwise rather stale genre. Yes, I know progressive music is all about pushing the boundaries, but in all honesty not many bands manages to step out of the huge shadows of Dream Theater. The Safety Fire has chosen a different approach to things, and their formula works well, but there are still some sharp edges that need to be sharpened.

For one; I am not a huge fan of the vocals - sure the metalcore vocals need to be aggressive and in-your-face, but I miss some diversity in that department, they tend to sound too similar after a while. Another thing I wish they would explore more in the future is the more melodic parts, because in-between the massive explosion of aggression there are some really nice resting points where the band shows that they are capable of writing melodic pieces as well.

Not the normal kind of music you'd expect from InsideOut Music, but if you like the bands mentioned above or if you are in the mood for some more aggressive music then I suggest you give this one a listen: The Safety Fire is clearly here to stay, and have the talent and skills to make a few heads turn... yours maybe?

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