RONNY MUNROE - review added 22nd September 2009
Album Review: The Fire Within (2009)
For fans of: Metal... and sounding like a hoarse Bruce Dickinson
The Fire Within is vocalist Ronny Munroe's first solo album, although he released an EP, Infernal Quest, in 2007. He is best known as the lead singer of Metal Church, recording with them on their 3 most recent albums. Before that Ronny was a regular fixture in the Seattle scene in the early 90's in bands like Moxi and Far Cry.
Featured alongside him on this release are Rick Van Zant and Randy Cooper on guitar, Izzy Rehaume on bass and Johnny Ringo on drums. Together they make for a heavy sound, although it isn't going to blow your shoes off. It's on a par with the more pyrotechnic end of bands like Saxon and Judas Priest in terms of power, if not in style.
As is only fair, Ronny dominates The Fire Within. He sounds not unlike Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden...but a slightly rougher version. If Bruce had been out cheering on his favourite football team all night, then come home and drunk some brake fluid, he'd have a voice similar to Ronny's. The man doesn't sound bad, far from it, but he's certainly more characterful than clean.
The tracks vary from the frankly unexciting to the rather excellent. The thrashy 'Deafening Hypocrisy' is arguably the album's best track. The very silly scream at the start of the song throws you off the scent, but the track itself is an absolute beast. 'Delirium' is a good'un too, with a throbbing power metal vibe coursing through it's veins. 'Across The Sea of Souls' is a hard hitting ballad with an edge of brilliance, whilst the early Metallica-esque 'Ivory Towers' is up there with the best. The cover of 'Man on the Silver Mountain' is good, but that says more about the song than this version. RJD still does it best.
It's a grower, this album. There are a few weak tracks but the best ones get better every time you hear them. I didn't think I was going to like it to start with but I definitely do now. Good stuff.
Check out... His work with Metal Church too...
Track List:
01. Far
02. What You Choose to Call Hell (I Call Home)
03. Deafening Hypocrisy
04. Rebulid the Ruins
05. Delirium
06. Demon Opera
07. Across The Sea of Souls
08. Desperate Man
09. Ivory Towers
10. Evil Genius
11. Ride Me
12. Man on the Silver Mountain
Label: Metal Heaven
Artist's website(s): Ronny Munroe , MySpace
