This band of talented musicians hailing from the Land of Oz (Australia) has got attitude, charisma, and the ability to totally rock. The On Fires open their album Betrayer with the track “Coming Home,” which starts off with a bang and lets us know immediately that these are serious musicians and they aren’t playing around. They are taking the world of music by storm and we are all welcome to come along for the ride, if we can handle it. “Coming Home” is a great choice to open the album with. Post-punk edginess coupled with a surfer-esque rhythm makes for a unique sound that catches the attention within the first thirty seconds of the album. Clearly, The On Fires are not your average run-of-the-mill band.
“Hangin’ With The Living” begins with some melodic guitar work that sets the pace for the funky groove of this piece. With slightly darker overtones, this track has attitude and spirit. Fans of the horror punk genre might be pleased with this compilation and the macabre subject matter of the lyrics. A mellower and more melodic Wednesday 13 comes to mind while rocking this track. “Precious Injury” takes the album down a slightly different path with a post-80’s beat that is reminiscent of New Order. The sound quality of this track is brimming with perfection and The On Fires do a fantastic job harmonizing. The song is well balanced, brilliantly engineered and creatively innovative.
The On Fires slow it down a notch with the beautiful opening piano work of “Melancholy Intro.” A haunting guitar rhythm accompanies the piano wonderfully and the instrumentation is flawless. The intro flows effortlessly into the song “Melancholy” and the listener gets a much better appreciation for the diversity and talent of this collective during this piece. The vocals are fantastic, the music is performed with perfection, and the sound could not be any better. As the title suggest, the song brings forth a feeling of sadness and melancholy and it is lyrically compelling as well. “Melancholy” ends with grace and rolls smoothly into “Without.” The song placement on this album is genius.
“Without” is the single most defined and exquisite track on the album. The On Fires are talented musicians, this is a given, but this piece truly showcases their understanding of music, how it makes people feel, and how it is supposed to sound. There is a haunting melody that evokes a plethora of emotions ranging from bittersweet sadness to total rocking abandon. “Without” is a classic, timeless piece of music that can stand on its own. The musicianship is flawless, the lyrics are masterful, and the song never once lags or becomes repetitive in its six-plus minutes. In fact, most would prefer that the song would continue on indefinitely. The track rolls along smoothly throughout until it builds up to the orgasmic ending that is phenomenal. Fans of exceptional music of any genre will be delighted with this piece, and fans of My Morning Jacket will be delighted with the jam session of pure unbridled talent that closes this track. This is truly a masterful piece of work that is certain to outlast time itself. Extraordinary.
Betrayer continues on with “When Monkeys Turn.” Again, the sound quality is phenomenal with engineering perfection. At 58 seconds, this short track is an excellent intro to “Arms Open,” which picks up the pace again. Full of attitude and a 4 Non Blondes sort of vibe, “Arms Open” rocks as only The On Fires can. This would be a great song to see performed live as it is full of energy and embodies the vibe of this band exceptionally well. “Sorry Now” hits a bit harder than any of the preceding tracks with crunching guitar work and a fast tempo. The harmonizing is excellent and the rhythm carries a sensation of careening through the universe at light speed. This piece is alive, energizing and rejuvenating. The vocals are well-delivered, the instrumentation is stellar, and this track is a classic. “Sorry Now” is the signature song from The On Fires; The song that fans will most relate to when thinking of this collective and what they stand for.
“Nobody Wants” starts off with a slick bass line and a sound that is just out of this world. Another lively piece from this energetic band, this song is brimming with confidence and talent. The vocals are gritty, the guitar work is simply amazing, and everyone gets a chance to shine during this track. One of the strongest songs on the album as far as collaboration amongst the band members go, this is a solid piece of music that can hold its own. While listening to this, one gets the impression that the members of The On Fires truly enjoy what they do, most especially doing it together. “Island” is a bit different from the other tracks on Betrayer and it’s refreshing. The lyrics are delivered with an in-your-face attitude and they are not so much sung as they are spoken. Fans of the Sex Pistols will be thrilled with this offering. The album continues to take us for a ride with “Hotel Room,” which has the best harmonizing on the album yet, and that’s saying something. The members of The On Fires compliment each other exceedingly well and that fact is made evident with this track. A hard-rocking rhythm, fantastic vocals, and musicianship that are obviously the result of years of dedication and sheer talent, “Hotel Room” is yet another classic piece that makes The On Fires more than just a band.
“Skeleton” is quite possibly the most energetic track on the album and it carries a positive vibe that will be sure to get the feet tapping. A great sing-along song that would be amazing to see performed live, this track is upbeat and full of vigorous chords and vocals. The On Fires begin to close out the album with “Crook Plumbing,” a slower paced short track that leads the way into the title track, “Betrayer,” which is the final song. It is an excellent song to close with and the tempo starts off slow with haunting piano work. “Betrayer” is a dramatic, powerful, artistic piece that leaves the listener in awe of this band and what they are capable of. Many bands have talent, but not all bands really understand music like The On Fires do, and not many bands can create something so extraordinarily vital and important to the current world of music. The On Fires have demonstrated not only their sheer talent with this album, but also their love and understanding of music, and they have shared these things with the masses in the most brilliant way; By creating the masterpiece known as Betrayer.
Review by Rhonda Readence
