Sometimes aging has its rewards. I lived enough to listen again to bands which only purpose was to give Metal a bad name drowned in an ocean of broken hearted tears and parties full of beer and other enebriating beverages and else. Yeah, I’m citing directly Bon Jovi and his peers. Some of you millenial kids who worship the 1980s as the years when Metal led the way and got prominent. It is true but the fact is that Bon Jovi and his peers were considered Heavy Metal by the specialized media. Yeah, the 1980s were crazy years while Metal was up in the parades – well, not really that up the charts, but some bands got it -, pop and dance music gained force and started to force Rock a way out. So did Metal in the following years, slower than Rock bands, but still down hill. Well, Pop Metal bands or Hard’n’Heavy bands as they were called back then really got their place under the sun in the 1980s. There is no doubt about it. Bon Jovi were one of the bands that gathered a legion of fans with their pop oriented, but still Metal until the end of the 1980s. Though all the controversy and hatred, Bon Jovi played an important role to 1980s Metal. Speed, Power, and Thrash Metal were direct responses to that kind of Metal which were called back then Light Metal – and the important Metal academic writer Deena Weinstein brought it through the academic writings. Then they would change their direction towards a more Rock oriented music. It would be really strange if they wouldn’t have their followers in those times of recovering all the music of the 1980s. So what have Fighter V to do with it? Well, “Fighter” is an album that pays the respect to the early Bon Jovi efforts.
Ok, “Fighter” really pays the respect to Bon Jovi early efforts until the seventh track “Headlines” which sounds a bit more Rock’n’roll with saxophones and things. Following track “Looking for Action” sounds much more as Van Halen, Survivor or Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow. is an uptempo track with lots of adrenaline and energy, the kind of track many bands recorded back then. The main guitar riff sounds a bit what Deep Purple did in the 1980s. I guess this comparison sumarizes it better.
Bottom line, watch one of those famous movies from the mid 1980s and pay attention to the soundtrack. “Fighter” would be at them for sure specially with tracks as “Dangerous” or “City of Sinners” which fit perfect to them with those prominent and dancing keyboards. “Into the Night” is one track that begins with an agressive and powerful guitar riff, the chorus and the dancing keyboards take out much of the bloody path of it. Loyal to the tradition, “Fighter” wouldn’t be complete with a sweet and loving ballad. “Save Your Love For Me” does the job perfectly.
Fighter V “Fighter” was realased on October 11th via Rock Attack Records.
