Subfire are active now for 17 years and only now we see something of their original work. Were they idle? No, of course not and you will understand that only a few minutes into the album. They didn’t take their sweet time expecting an album to appear, they just were smart enough not to haste things. Subfire planted a seed of creativity that slowly bloomed to the final result that is now presented as the “Define the Sinner”.
And their debut reflects their patience and their commitment to the perfection. They wanted to release something that could support musically the qualities of their ideas and this album is definitely it. Almost flawless, solid, it hardly resembles a debut but a product of a band that has worked a lot to find a sound and now walks on a sure musical path. Truth be told, if I hadn’t search their biography I would never have guessed that this is a debut.
Musically, the “Define The Sinner” is a traditional heavy/power metal album. Heavy, epic riffs, shredding solos, fast drum and precise drum work, wide choruses and beautiful melodic lines, compose the debut of Subfire. Now that may sounds like a generic approach in heavy/power songwriting, but would you really believe that after so much work in composing the perfect result the approach would be generic and tasteless? Subfire has formed their own musical character, which draws inspiration from the traditional guidelines and the greats, but concludes into something new and fresh that defines the band with a distinct musical color.
Subfire understood the significance of first impressions, so they took extra care of the preparations, making sure that it won’t be just another power metal record that got lost in the chaos of the scene because it had nothing to offer. They wanted to present something original yet traditional enough to create a warm and familiar feeling. And this is exactly how the “Define the Sinner” feels like.
With no more praises to add, I hope that I have convinced you to spare a listen to Subfire’s debut. If not, if you still have hesitations, the best remedy is a listen and you will see that the “Define the Sinner” does not only meet my praises but is even better. Subfire have delivered a great debut and we can’t but expect great things from this band in the future.
