The Safety Fire first made a name for themselves in the UK scene with the release of their critically acclaimed EP 'Sections' in 2009 and their reputation as a powerfully energetic live band. They have toured extensively across the UK with bands such as Rise To Remain, The Arusha Accord, Bleed From Within, and Xerath, as well as progressive metal titans Periphery and Monuments most recently throughout Europe. The Safety Fire also appeared at the renowned Sonisphere Festival in 2011 alongside Metallica, Slipknot, Mastodon, and The Mars Volta, proving to the metal community that they can hold their own amongst the likes of such music legends.
(Photo courtesy of Tom Barnes)
TSF consists of:
Sean McWeeney - Vocals | Joaquin Ardiles - Guitars | Derya Nagle - Guitars | Lori Peri - Bass | Calvin Smith - Drums
Their efforts have been recognised not only by their musical peers, but also by members of the press, who have hailed The Safety Fire as a fresh sound in their scene. When searching for a record label, it seemed only natural for these progressive newcomers to find their home with InsideOut Music. With a roster of artists that includes Devin Townsend, James Labrie, and King’s X, The Safety Fire will gain recognition and exposure far beyond the dreams they had as childhood friends.
'We all grew up together and would head over to Calvin's place and jam in his living-room after school, practically learning our instruments along the way. It took a few years and few different bands before The Safety Fire became what it is today. To be able to release our music worldwide with a label like InsideOut Music is a dream come true. We are all massively excited and can't wait to get our music out there across the whole world!'
The album was produced and mixed by guitarist Derya Nagle as part of his “BlackBear Productions” operation, through which he also produced up-and-coming bands such as Rise To Remain (EMI), The HAARP Machine (Sumerian), and Palehorse (Eyesofsound). With the imminent release of their debut single, "Huge Hammers", the band is ready to give the progressive world their first taste of what’s to come from “Grind the Ocean” and The Safety Fire, so stay tuned! -TSF
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Their debut album, "Grind the Ocean" was helmed as a grat success for the UK progressive quintuple (read reviews below) and personally caught my attention as soon as I heard their first single. I will agree that its progressive, but you can definitely hear other influences here such as some rock friendly choruses and some mellow guitar pieces that almost feel like a jazz/blues progression. The stick out part in my mind about these guys is the intricate guitar work, which you can hear consistently throughout the nine tracks. It was released (after a slight delay) on April 10th, 2012 (North America) via InsideOut Music/Century Media and was mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios.
1. Huge Hammers
2. Floods of Colour
3. DMB (FDP)
4. Anomalous Materials
5. Animal King
6. Circassian Beauties
7. Sections
8. Seagraves
9. Grind the Ocean
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On the bright side we have the instrumental part of the album. Every member is really proficient with handling their instrument and they don’t hold back to show this. The guitarists bombard you with polyrhythms (reminiscent of TesseracT), arpeggio sweeps or other technical wizardry, the drummer certainly can beat his kit with blinding speed and even the bassist gets his moments to shine. For the most part their music is aggressive or even hyperactive (like we have grown to love thanks to bands like SikTh) but we are also given an occasional interlude too let the music sink in. These interludes are mostly post-metal influenced and will end with a build-up that eventually will continue with their aggressive, even catchy sound.
For the most part the song writing is really tight, but there are a couple of moments that the album starts to drag and moments of “haven’t I heard this already” start to arise. The fact that every band member loves to smack you in the face with their technical prowess -especially the guitarists- can also become quite off-putting. There is a lot going on in this album which also doesn’t make it an “easy listen” either. One thing is for sure, those loving multi-layered technical music will have a lot to enjoy with this record. -Sputnik Music
It’s odd having had only their grim-faced EP to listen to for so long so it’s yet another surprise to find both the sumptuously light “Circassian Beauties” and craftily airy title-track are where The Safety Fire sound most comfortable. Having nicked back the pace without compromising their music’s honest approach, McSweeney, who at no point pushes too hard, masterfully croons his way through the verses, punches in with the mega-catchy riffs, owns the choruses and then easily struts back and forth as the guitars, bass and drums jink their way through complex sequences of technically-astute attack and release.
End of the day, this doesn’t really feel like djent at all. You could argue, with their combination of hardcore and progressive soundscaping, they don’t even qualify for the confines of the genre at all. The last bombshell is to discover that Grind The Ocean, as innovative as it may be, is stuffed full of promise yet, ultimately, ends up falling short in so many areas. However, with so much of their unique personality being stamped on their music like this, The Safety Fire are still most certainly a band to keep a close eye on for the future. -The New Review
I’ve given high praise to the guitars and vocals, but the bass and drums aren’t to be taken lightly either. The bass is clearly audible almost all the time, and even though it usually follows the intricate riffing of the guitars, it sometimes sets the mood by doing something funky, like in the beginning of the amazing title track. The drums also complement the guitars most of the time. There’s always some fill going on, but usually it’s just a similar pattern to the guitars. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and they fulfill their purpose; and the occasional extra touch the drums add makes the music even spicier.
Overall, this album is a slightly flawed masterpiece. It’s beautiful, provocative and evocative, challenging, and at times suffering from its own machinations. It’s definitely not for everyone; it’s slow at times and more jazz influenced than you would immediately assume, but there’s also an unprecedented amount of very high-quality guitar work and an endless stream of memorable, epic sections. Even though it’s slightly lacking in certain aspects, I believe that the positives outweigh the negatives, and I’ve listened to this album more than anything else this year at this point. That alone speaks to the power of this album. It gets better and better the more I listen to it, so I’d recommend that you don’t come in with any expectations, and set aside some time to let it sink in. Grind The Ocean is soothing yet fierce, familiar yet unexpected, and a great debut. I didn’t regret giving it a chance, and I hope you won’t either. -Heavy Blog Is Heavy
And if you have/are a big enough fan, you can follow, tweet, and/or check these guys at any of the following official links:
- www.facebook.com/thesafetyfire
- www.thesafetyfire.com
- www.twitter.com/thesafetyfire
- www.youtube.com/thesafetyfire
- www.thesafetyfire.tumblr.com
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