Song Titles:  
Disc 1 
1) Loreili 4:01
2) Ride 4:42
3) Ball & Chain 4:23
4) New Love 5:06
5) Givin' Me Life 3:20
6) Get It All 3:57
7) Automatic 4:18
8) Fascination Touch 4:08
9) Bound N' Tied 4:57
10) Freight Train 4:55
11) Don't Look Down 4:15

Since this album here is being re-issued this year, and Flame is releasing a new album in August, I thought I'd give you my take on the debut album that is being re-issued, then as soon as the new album is around, I'll give you my take on that. Oh that's right, you don't know Flame. Remember the 1991 movie Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead? Flame had a song on that soundtrack called "What She Don't Know." One year later, Flame released their self-titled debut. With grunge starting to take over the music industry, Flame was doomed. This was released in 1989, before Flame got signed to a major label. My Flame review is about to Flame!!!

1) Loreili 9/10

Midtempo rocker, that flames the album off nicely. Flame has an awesome hard rock formula going here. This is an awesome song, great verses, choruses, lead solo, guitar riffs, great everything. This has my CD player on overload. That line there was taken from a line in the chorus "you're puttin' my heart on overload." Sounds awesome so far, I've never heard the 1992 S/T release but I'm looking to check that out after what I've heard here.

2) Ride 10/10

I'm revvin up the motorcyle and we're goin' for a ride!!! The song even starts with a motorcyle revving up, which isn't the only thing revving up, so does the song. This song is about riding, it even takes you for an awesome ride. This is my first Flame album, and this album is flaming so far.

3) Ball & Chain 8/10

Is it just me, or is this album really reminiscent of Great White? I heard a song on BoneYard, an XM radio station that plays 80's metal, it was a Great White song, which I actually mistook for a Flame song. I know, it sounds crazy, cause Great White came first, but like Cinderella and Britny Fox, Flame is very much like Great White. I always get off subject! Anyway, this is a very good song, you'll want to chain yourself to the CD player while this album is it, with the album on loop.

4) New Love 10/10

Two words come to mind when you hear the intro to this: Led Zeppelin. This sounds like Kingdom Come which means it sounds like Led Zeppelin. I love this song, damn, if Flame had been on a major label when this was originally released, it never would have gone out of print in the first place.

5) Givin' Me Life 8/10

Pretty good song. There's a lot going on with the guitars here. Midtempo rocker. I'm not sure what song to put this next to. It's a real good song.

6) Get It All 9/10

This sounds like something from Fastway's Trick Or Treat Soundtrack. This song comes off as a cross between Great White and Shotgun Messiah circa 1991 (did Shotgun get ideas from this?). Very fun song, we haven't hit a bad one yet. Flame is still flaming like a flame!!!

7) Automatic 10/10

The drum beat starts, stops, then starts again. The song then gets going. Things are really flaming for Flame now!!! We've hit the hottest song on the album yet. The guitar riff rules, the beat and vocals go perfectly. This song would have been a huge hit for Flame had these guys been on a major label in 1989 when the was originally released.

8) Fascination Touch 6/10

Starts out with a guitar like that sounds like Kingdom Come meets Led Zeppelin (wait a minute...that makes Kingdom Come and Led Zeppelin). One of the weaker songs we've passed into so far. This may be "Fascination Touch" but it's not exactly Fascination Song.

9) Bound N' Tied 8/10

I'd listen to this even if I wasn't "Bound N' Tied." It starts out slow and....stays slow. But, this song could have got some good airplay, not as much as "New Love" but this could have taken some of the Led Zeppelin crowd. I've heard better ballads, but I've also heard worse.

10) Freight Train 9/10

Loaded like a freight train, flyin' like an aeroplane, loaded like a space brain...Whoa, whoa, whoa, wrong song, that's "Nightrain" by Guns N' Roses. We're not talking Guns N' Roses here. Awesome way to get the flame goin' again. Instead of "loaded like a freight train" as the first line of the song, it says "she fuckin' like a freight train" as the first line in the chorus. Come to think of it this is in some ways similar to "Night Train" by Guns N' Roses. Not a ripoff, but it was obviously influenced by it.

11) Don't Look Down 10/10

Very similar to Great White. This band to me comes off as a band that is apparently influenced by Great White. This is one of the best songs on here. This song has got some keyboards going. One last piece of firewood for the flame, then play the cd and start the flame again.....

Comments

I don't know a whole lot about Flame, except that their Blaze album, which is this album here, blazes like an out of control bonfire, the album keeps the flame going all the way to the finish line. After this, Flame released their major-label debut, a little too late I'm afraid. It was out in 1992....Flame was never heard from again, until now with the re-issue of Blaze and the release of the new album coming this August (as of the time this was written).

For more info go here http://www.zrecords.net/

Score Key:
0: (scratches chalkboard with fingernails) ahh...I'm relieved
1-2: Weaker than weak.
3-4: Mediocre
5-6: Average
7-8: Good to Very Good
9: Great
10: Masterpiece
11+: How did I ever live without this?