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Shin Force ~ The All Sega Site ~ Fire Fire
Shinobi
REVIEW DATE:
09.07.2002
LABEL:
Geffen
PRODUCTION:
Warner Bros.
FORMAT:
1 CD
ORIGIN:
Japan
USA
RECORDED:
1989
TRACKS:
11
LENGTH:
48:33
GENRE:
Heavy Metal
MEMBERS:
> Shoyo Iida
(guitar)
> Masaki Yamada 
(vocals)
> Taro Takahashi
(bass)
> Hiro Homma
(drums)
     > EZO is yet another Japanese metal band that was introduced to me by a fellow heavy metal fan in the late 80s.  He worked at a local record shop and knew that I loved Japanese metal, so he told me about this band.  'Fire Fire' is EZO's second album, to my knowledge.  I'm working on getting their first album now...

     > This album is great from start to finish, and follows a certain theme throughout.  Shoyo Iida's guitar performance is very precise (as expected from Japanese bands).  The vocals of Masaki Yamada are in the raspy range (the pleasing type) with a distinctive Japanese flair.  Yes, it's in English and fits well with the music.  The drum and bass are done well, but nothing exceptional.

     > Although it was released in 1989, I'd say 'Fire Fire' is a throw-back to early 80s power metal.  EZO has a fantastic sound, complete with melodic bridges and inspired guitar solos.  What's missing?  No ballad.  Strange but true.  It doesn't matter because the 11 songs on this album range in tempo and intensity.  My favorite song is defintely track #5, which is titled 'Burn Down the Night'.  Keep your eyes on the MP3 OTM...
(-_-

BOTTOM LINE:
     > A great album to get if you want English vocals from a Japanese band.  Masaki Yamada (vocals) later joined Loudness, which should tell you something about his abilities.  If you're interested, I searched the net and found that cdnow.com has a selection of 3 EZO albums for sale.

RATING: 95%

EZO / Fire Fire | front cover
EZO / Fire Fire | back cover

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