The Review Spider – Now – Fireflight

When Unbreakable came out in 2008, it felt as if the world stood still. Though the title track became an anthem for a Christian generation, every song was an anthem in its own way. It not only became one of the greatest records heard in Christian rock in the 2000s, but it also put hard rock/metal outfit Fireflight on the map. Four years later and two albums later Fireflight has released Now: a record that not only pales in comparison to Unbreakable, but is easily the band’s weakest release to date.

The opening track is the climax of Now. It’s a must-hear song off the record – the guitars fuse together to make a metallic masterpiece, while lead vocalist Dawn Richardson’s lavish vocals are catchy and thrust the song’s message forward without any problems. Though this song is an excellent example of who Fireflight is – booming guitars, puncturing melodies, and a strong sense of direction – the rest of the record is very restrained. To try and make a fair comparison, think Skillet‘s Awake; both records just aren’t up to par with the rest of the bands’ material. They’re both predicable and full of filler. For example, “Ignite” sounds like it could be a b-side not only for Unbreakable, but even for their last record, For Those Who Wait.

Other songs seem to focus more on keyboards and ballad-like effects to try and captivate listeners. There is a large amount of strings and piano that don’t exactly smother the listener like the typical guitar blasts do. For somebody who always like the alt-metal sound of Fireflight, I found myself bored throughout a lot of Now. Unbreakable was able to mesh together equal allotments of hard-hitting instrumentals and a strong Christian message, while Now only completely satisfies the latter. That being said, a few moments seemed to pique my interest, including the emotional “He Weeps,” a well-written power ballad, and “Dying For Your Love,” a song with high-energy guitar melodies. Apart from the opener, another great hard rock anthem is the closing title track, with guitar riffs reminiscent of bands like Red and Breaking Benjamin.

Unlike Lacey Mosley of Flyleaf, who has a unique nasally voice that keeps you on the edge of your seat, Dawn’s vocals sound just as restrained as the instrumentals. Though Lacey is able to climb up to hit high notes and nearly scream while still maintaining balance, it seems like Dawn often struggles to hold her own (for example, she relies on double vocals on many of the heavier tracks). In the slower tracks, however, her voice is a bit more suitable. Her vocals, though not quite as powerful as they were in the band’s first three records, seem to fit the music fairly well, pulling the music along with comforting characteristics and immediate recognizability.

Even though Now isn’t one of the better Christian rock releases of the year, it shouldn’t be forgotten. It’s not a total failure, and I’m sure I’ll come back to it on random occassions because of the highly impressive songwriting and its strengthening ability (which I feel every Fireflight album prospers from). Disappointingly, though, this effort doesn’t rock as hard as it should have (it sounds more like Paramore than Flyleaf), and I’m sure I’ll go back to the last three releases by this band before I ever think twice about playing through Now in its entirety, as Now is a near-generic rock album. Good try Fireflight, but this is your weakest release so far.

About the author: Tim Dodderidge View all posts by Tim Dodderidge

Being truly inspired and uplifted during my early teen years by a lot of alternative rock and metal, I made a long-lasting relationship with music thereafter. Though Switchfoot is the sole reason I enjoy music today, I'm also in love with a lot of other music.

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