When Kelv Hellraiser from AOR Blvd Records got in touch with me and suggested to take a listen to this “new” release by the Chicago-based outfit of Fierce Heart I knew that I would be treated with a good album but I didn’t expect whatsoever that it will absolutely blow me away with its sheer brilliance! Browsing a little bit the accompanying press release I noticed that this self-titled album by Fierce Heart was originally released back in 1986 but unfortunately fell by the wayside of the ever voracious music industry thus only few fans knew about it. Truth be told here; this was an era when the hard rock genre was at an all time high –artistically and commercially- and you had to have a witty management team if you wanted to make a difference. Unfortunately, Fierce Heart lacked big time in this department and the album faded away. To make a long story short, Fierce Heart became yet another rock n’ roll casualty.
30 years later and luckily for all of us, AOR Blvd re-releases this well-hidden hard rock gem with the addition of 3 bonus demo tracks. In an ideal world, Fierce Heart’s album would have become a classic point of reference for hard rock music and the year 1986 but better late than never! From a compositional standpoint, just imagine something in between Dokken, Icon, Ratt and Lion with the title track, “Out For Blood” and “Never Gonna Cry” being the absolute highlights. Add to this, an imposing and powerful production that takes you back to this huge 80s sound and you get a far more pristine image of Fierce Heart.
Let’s just hope that we will get to listen to more hidden gems in the years to come because in a time and age where US Hard Rock Music is almost extinct, we can use some rare audio cuts by unheralded bands.
Highlight: The cover sleeve is also new as the old one didn’t live up to the expectations of Fierce Heat guitarist Rex Carroll.
