While I may be a product of the ’80s, I have almost no direct memory of the decade itself. Born in 1985, I didn’t gain self-awareness until the ’90s. So, essentially, by the time I could form long-term memories, most of the world’s great music had already been written.
Maybe my unreachable ’80s origins explain why things from and about the era attract me. The strange color schemes, the pompous musical aesthetic, the kitschy but awesome cinema, all give me a satisfyingly melancholy sense of nostalgia. The ’80s feel like my own personal primordial, mythological paradise, an Eden I can never return to. The gate is eternally guarded by a cherub holding a flaming sword, but thanks to bands like Rave in Fire, I don’t have to risk being struck down by the divine to feel like I’m back in the garden, innocent, naked and happy.
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One look at that gorgeous album cover will tell you that Spain’s Rave in Fire exudes ’80s glory. The lead single “Still Standing” sounds like it rode a tiger straight out of Ronnie James Dio’s mind with its dynamic groove, intricate guitar leads and vocalist Sele’s effortless powerful vocals. The track is so ’80s it would fit perfectly over a battle scene or a training montage from Rocky IV (one of my main measures for quality ’80s music, I might add).
If metal did anything cool in the 1980s, it’s very likely that Rave in Fire are doing it too. “Witches’ Hell” captures the swagger of peak Scorpions, the instrumental opener and its successor, Judas Priest of the Screaming era, and “Untiring Eagles” and “Speed and Rave” sound like Megadeth from an alternate reality where Dave Mustaine is a woman and can actually sing. The closing title track shows the band’s most ambitious aims, combining all the aforementioned influences with progressive rock à la Rush and/or Kansas. Overall, Rave in Fire do everything they do with such skill and authenticity that it’s hard not to love them.
My only remark about Square One concerns the transition from the “The Hellion”-evoking opener to the first real track, “Dark Poison.” The change doesn’t fit very well, so much so that I checked several times to make sure I hadn’t gotten the track order wrong. It’s a fairly minor flaw in the grand scheme of a 42-minute album, but it’s deafening every time nonetheless. As musicians, Rave in Fire are full of talent. Guitarist Jonjo delivers a classic metal/rock experience, and the rhythm section (Sara on bass and Jimi on drums) shows impressive chemistry. But the MVP award goes to vocalist Sele. Her passionate performance is simply stunning, sounding so incredibly genuine and giving Square One a pleasant patina of seemingly lost classic status, and, thankfully, the beautiful production only enhances the luster of that patina.
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When I picked Square One out of the promo sump, I had just finished Stranger Things and was aching to fill that ’80s-shaped hole in my heart. Having relistened to it dozens of times, I can say with certainty that Rave in Fire did exactly that. This band is full of talent and I expect more very good albums from them in the future.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Record label: High Roller Records
Websites: raveinfire.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/raveinfire
Worldwide releases: January 30, 2026
You’ll find the source at the link below
https://www.angrymetalguy.com/rave-in-fire-square-one-review/
