Fire At Will – Time Is Mine 12″ EP (Eternalis Records)

Here’s another brilliant release by Eternalis Records that recently arrived at our headquarters. This particular vinyl record will be such a treat to melodic hardcore punk fans. Fire At Will are not strangers to me, and I’ve had a chance to purchase their full-length Life Goes On a couple of years ago at the Cro-Mags show in Novi Sad, Serbia. I instantly fell in love with their sound but never had a chance to hear their previous recordings. Thanks to Quentin of Fire At Will, Fenris Fuzz, and Eternalis Records, I have an opportunity to check out their debut vinyl release. Today Is Mine was originally released as a compact disc back in 2007 by I For Us Records, Nothing To Prove Records, and H2H Records, but Eternalis Records took the initiative to reissue this extended play on its own as 12″ vinyl.

I have to admit this release sounds and looks superb! Fire At Will embraced the comic book and cartoon visual aesthetics, so they had a superhero starring on the cover artworks since day one. The entire artwork forces you to pay utmost attention to this record, so there’s no way you’ll miss this one on merch tables or record store shelves. The vinyl comes in a beautiful red color, and you can also grab this record in a bundle with a compact disc and poster. Everything looks so great. Today Is Mine consists of six energetic melodic hardcore compositions that carry something for everyone. Perhaps, Fire At Will explores contemporary melodic hardcore music to the max, but there are also some old-school hardcore moves lurking around in the mix. Still, Fire At Will are thinking outside the box when it comes to melodic hardcore music, and their tunes are not continuously fast. Therefore, you may stumble upon some slower rhythmic segments empowered by palm-muted chugs and other guitar shreds.

Still, this band has other qualities as well. The high-pitched screams/shoutouts are unquestionably one of the qualities worth mentioning, and it’s nearly mindblowing how this chanting style applies to the melodic sound of the band. The guitars are constantly dueling during the faster sequences by delivering thoughtfully arranged riffs on one and catchy melodic themes on the other side. The bass guitar is properly volumed up in the mix. Therefore, you’ll hear all the low-end tones, which contribute to the massiveness of the group. I am more than positively sure this material was remastered for the vinyl, so each song sounds divine on the turntable. There are so many other reasons why you should grab this vinyl record, but I’ll not spoil all the surprises by analyzing this record to the max. Time Is Mine is still available at Eternalis Records, so head over to their Bandcamp page and purchase this melodic hardcore masterpiece.