BEN HACKNEY, HERALD AND POST - "There are few original bands around today that manage to deliver the pure power and face melting energy of heavier music without resorting to clichéd riffing and needless squiggly solos by “musicians†trying to emulate their favorite tight-trousered rock star.
Instead of creating and working on an original stamp of their own, artists hear something they like and try to write tracks that sounds exactly the same. It’s the age old example of running before you can walk, but this isn’t always the case.
With as much beef to their songs as a foot and mouth graveyard but twice as brutal, A Thousand Fires can rip through a set with the power of national acts at the top of their game. The difference comes when you hear that the four-piece disperse this aggression with soft and subtle melodies that could lull a child off to sleep through intelligent time changes and increasingly interesting uses of the grunge era’s “heavy/quiet†dynamic.
Whilst ATF utilize the haunting, droning nature of Isis’ repetition, the energy can change within seconds as guitars spasm over a fixed rhythm section reminiscent of Oceansize or even the Deftones.
A dominant amalgamation of unrestrained control brings through a frenzy of influences and emotions to light, and it is this serrated soundscape that means upon first listen to a track, you can never truly pinpoint exactly what it is that will happen next.
Finally we have a fresh approach to a popular genre that’s set to move the masses and give everyone a different look at how to channel energy through instruments in another original and exciting way."
ART AND SOUL MAGAZINE, OCT '07 - “Finally the last band takes to the stage, the lights dim down and everyone knows that the band about to play are something special. A Thousand Fires are notorious for their combination of groovy chilled out bass lines which suddenly switch to focus on heavy guitar fret work and powerful vocals. This is in essence what makes the band, how they dabber between different styles and how their music is structured often changing without warning. The vocals seem to add to the intensity of the band, with long lasting, almost hypnotic “yeahs†and wails that create a powerful sound that is truly breathtaking. There is definitely something epic about this band which can only truly be understood by listening to them for yourself. The bands sound and scale of musical talent proved very suitable to end the concert with and I can’t wait to see them play again.â€
NEON PROMOTIONS, LONDON - "A Thousand Fires who are tonights final act. An initial psychedelic intro explodes into a complex rhythmical frenzy before settling down into a strangely hypnotic groove as vocals kick in - and familiar vocals they are too as this guy just sang in the last band to cover for their usual vocalist! Bass carries big fat grooves that the whole band sits on, guitar can be content coaxing out one or two notes yet frequently explodes into torrents of riffage and extreme chord work. The whole outfit is incredibly tight and they mess around with complex, seemingly impossible rhythms that chop and change unpredictably. Vocal is strong, often tormented. Rhythms pound out as massive chunks of guitar grind away. There's a hint of Soundgarden in here, along with a rootsy rock vibe. Complex, brilliant, irresistible.
Band of the night : A Thousand Fires."
"i would give my left testicle to go back in time to watch last nights gig again.speechless.
un fucking believable."
"Hold on, keep listening, they gonna take us to a place we never been before, mon"
"All the sounds are spot on and I would do more that watch it, I'd buy it!
People should take notice. Love it or hate it, it is fresh and well executed with no musician lacking in prowess. No dropped notes just well executed ideas."
"Another great sounding band to come out from the depths of the boro, played an amazing 4 songs rolled into one great non-stop set, with chilled out smooth intros to full on rocking riffs, this is a band that you should keep your eyes on as they are headed for big things. "
"Blew me away. Excellent shit"
"A Thousand Fires - Muts nuts yo! They ruled and they rocked, note perfect all set and making all the songs role into one was a sweet touch. The sound was nice. Next time you play i'm rolling a fat one!"
"Band of the night. Fucking awesome. I hadnt heard any of your stuff before now, and I was blown away. Truly awesome, perfect to chill to, and then heavy enough in places to make your teeth rattle. Prestinely played too. Bloody excellent, more of the same please!"
"Wow, very impressed!! Really good ideas and very well played."
"A Thousand Fires - Thought they were fucking goooood! Nice and quirky sorta stuff, made you think about it but also could nod your head along to"
"Awesome, Just......Awesome!!"
"You're like a mediterranian cruise, you never end"
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