A couple of days ago when I reviewed Johan Langquist the Castle with his self-tittled album I said I felt great when a band played the exact music I loved. I remember to have said that those albums have the power to trigger my musical memory and take me to a travel in time. Same happens with today’s subject Front Row Warriors “Running Out of Time,” an album drenched with 1980s Metal with a vocalist that addresses a little to our queen Doro Pesch.
Well, first things first. Always.
“Running Out of Time” is the band’s sophomore album and we had the pleasure and honor to review their 2024s debut album “Wheel of Fortune.” Well, except for the constant use of the keyboards, this album is pretty on the same page regarding to the music. Front Row Warriors are a band that dives deep into the atmosphere of 1980s Metal music with female vocalists as Blacklace, Bitch, our queen Doro Pesch and Lita Ford. The band deals fine with a more Pop Metal grip intertwined with more vigorous songs, a thing that was very common back then. So, of course, there are delicate moments as the ballad “Seems Like Paradise” that could be in any 1980s Lita Ford’s album or the neat intro of “Theory of Mind.” Some sugarcoated songs are always delicious in the voice of such vocalists as Elkie Gee. As a homage to such an icon as Pat Benatar, the band recorded one of her greater songs “Heartbreaker,” a ubiquitous song at the MTV back then.
The fast and muscular “Turn the Tide“ opens up the album showing Front Row Warriors are following the same path of their previous album. However, as I said before, the keyboards are not so prominent as they were. I’d say they are a little bit shy. Following this more muscular streak comes “Theory of Mind,” the last track with a more prominent keyboarding, but with strong guitars that keep the fan’s attention. I warn my dear children of the night to pay close attention to the bass drumming of tittle track “Running Out Of Time.” The dude does wondrous with it as Tony Richards used to do with “W.A.S.P.” Fun fact about it is that the band was so meticulous in recreating the 1980s sound that the drums sound to be the electronic drums used for bands as Accept in the 1980s. I may be wrong, but it sounds just like it. I cannot help it saying that “FRW” melody sounds a lot like Guns N’ Roses “Sweet Child of Mine” without the iconic guitar riff. I guess my dear child of the night might agree with me. But that does not take the value of thew album in any way. Those things that simply happen.
“Running Out Of Time” is an album that masters the ability of bouncing sugarcoated ballads weith more muscular tracks. I’d say this is Front Row Warriors‘s musical signature. One more album that triggered my very special music memories.
Front Row Warriors “Running Out Of Time” will be released on July 11th via ROAR.
Track Listing:
01 – Turn the Tide
02 – Theory of Mind
03 – The Holy
04 – Cast a Spell
05 – New Horizons
06 – Running Out of Time
07 – Rise Against
08 – Don’t Think the Night Is Over
09 – Seems Like Paradise
10 – Heartbreaker
11 – FRW
Watch “Running Out of Time” official music video here:
I’m just a lucky guy who has chosen metal to live with for a long time. Metal changed my life for good. It made me more confident and stronger. Metalheads are naturally far away from the mass mediocrity and don’t accept impostures from anybody else. Metal is more than music, it’s a life changing oportunity!