January 2025
Those of us around in the late 90s didn’t know how good we had it when it came to punk music. While the sound still had roots in the streetwise, anti authoritarian recalcitrance of its earlier underground days, a wave of mainstream popularity for a few bands had brought waves of kids to the scene and it hindsight it seems like too much time was squandered talking about selling out or whatever the drama of the moment was, that we didn’t fully appreciate the epic backyard parties and boomboxes blasting pop punk at the skate spot.
Reno’s Engine Fire harkens back to those days of powerful guitar hooks and catchy gang choruses and Bad-Religion-on-speed drum beats. The band’s new 10 debut album, Start To Finish, bursts at the seams with raw melodic energy. Opening track “Broken Youth” instantly sets the tone for the album, with its chugging chorus and sense of anger giving way to the following song’s pure catchiness and bouncier change of pace.
Having been a band since 2019, the group has released a couple EPs over that time, however Start To Finish marks their first full length recording.
With dual guitars, Start To Finish muscles its way across the aural spectrum, utilizing hooks, pauses, tempo changes, and powerfully somber and introspectively angry vocals, the result being a record that leaves any type of monotony or linearity by the wayside. Songs like “In This House” might evoke the melody of Face To Face, or the crunchy guitars of “Fair Whether Friend” bringing to mind Swingin’ Utters. In any case, on their debut album, Engine Fire hits hard with driving melodic punk reminiscent of the late 90s or early 2000s, but refined with a heavier and modern edge.
Stream Engine Fire’s album, Start To Finish, on Spotify or Apple Music.
Or give the band a follow at their Instagram or Facebook pages.
Engine Fire will play a record release show for their new album on Friday, January 31st with Manchild and Donkey Jaw.
