Fireroad - Flesh, Blood & Bone album review

A working-class hero is something to be

Cover art for Fireroad - Flesh, Blood & Bone album

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With a lyrical focus on the struggles of blue-collar folk, this second album from Welsh rockers Fireroad is heartfelt, honest and – most importantly – seriously rocking. It’s all here, from AC/DC to the inevitable comparison with Stereophonics, but ultimately main songwriter Rich Jones and co. easily transcend their influences to create something that is truly their own.

Key tracks Light As A Feather, Second Hand Soldier and All We Have form the emotional heart of the album, especially the latter with its slow-building, proudly defiant momentum, and the theatrical power of these songs is complemented by the more immediate pile-driving grooves of Minute, Bones and The Raven. Thematically strong and musically impeccable, this is rock’n’roll with depth and feeling.

Essi Berelian

Whether it’s magazines, books or online, Essi has been writing about rock ’n’ metal for around thirty years. He has been reviews editor for Classic Rock and Metal Hammer, rock reviews editor for lads mag Front and worked for Kerrang!. He has also written the Rough Guide to Heavy Metal and contributed to the Rough Guide to Rock and Rough Guide Book of Playlists, and the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles (13th edition). Most fun interview? Tenacious D – Jack Black and Kyle Gass – for The Pick of Destiny movie book. An avid record/CD/tape collector, he’s amassed more music than he could ever possibly listen to, which annoys his wife no end.