  
Frontiers/BAM
RING OF FIRE returns on fire forged by Finns after a nine year hiatus. The story begins in 2000, as then YNGWIE vocalist Marc Boals is out to make one more solo album. He is augmented by TONY MACALPINE, guitars, and Virgil Donato (PLANET X), drums. To make ends meet they also enlist ARTENSION keyboard player Vitalij Kuprij. This all results in three studio albums and one live outing before disbanding in 2004. In 2012 the nucleus of Boals, MacAlpine and Kuprij starts working on unfinished business. It all amounts to this album, for which they also enlist the aid of Finns Timo Tolkki, bass, and Jami Huovinen, drums.
This said I must confess to not having been an ardent fan in the past, but that will change. Opener “Mother Russia” evolves as superior storytelling to the tones of classy power metal. Things get even better from there as “They´re Calling Your Name” starts. That track and “Firewind”, “Where Angels Play”, “No Way Out” and the massive closing track “Rain” all had me wanting more. First of all Tony´s “Maximum Security” is my all time favorite instrumental album, second I have a soft spot for Mark Boals vocals. Nuff said. Here they all make 1+1 become 5. The title track might seem slow moving, but in this context it is a perfect match. Everything runs like a Porsche engine. This one will be on my top 2014 list!
Track List
Mother Russia
They´re Calling Your Name
Empire
Land of Frozen Tears
Firewind
Where Angels Play
Battle of Leningrad
No Way Out
Our World
Rain
www.frontiers.it
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