Road To Eden

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The Celtic component of its music and the warm and slightly hoarse voice of Darren distinguish it immediately from the other formations of the genre. So you get the best of both worlds here – the moody classic Dare mixed with a generally more uptempo vision, with guitars taking a more prominent role and really driving home these songs.

Of those departing, Cox would go on to play with D:Ream before becoming a noted particle physicist and science communicator, [6] while Burns, after a brief stint touring with Asia, would go on to play with groups including Ultravox and Ten, as well as releasing a solo album The Journey in 1999. I saw this band way back in 1992 when they supported Mr Tempest and the boys on the OOTW tour at the fleahouse in Edinburgh to promote their Out of the Silence 1Tour. To me personally, it's another reminder that, while I was focusing on increasingly heavy material in the eighties, there was so much softer and quieter rock music that I should have found worthwhile too. This new discographic offering is therefore eagerly awaited, especially since the single 'Born In The Storm' is responsible for making us salivate.

Something else about the album is that most of them are between 3-5 minutes long and yet sound like epics. With a full headline UK tour set for the UK in October 2022, plus dates in Spain, Scandinavia, and Germany, it’s going to be an exciting year for the band. At the same time the band gave an update on the pending new album: "In the coming weeks we'll be announcing the brand new DARE album, title and release date, plus full UK tour dates for 2022.

Calm Before the Storm marked another change in style towards a mellower sound with Celtic influences. Fire Never Fades’ keeps that strong mid tempo melodic rock ride going, and you’ll be impressed by the sheer quality. The writing and recording of new material began in 2020, under the name Cardinal Black, bolstered by the arrival of bassist Sam Williams.That the keyboard player who actually founded the band had joined Thin Lizzy at 17 and would record three albums with them of more relevance. Getting the fire burning on Come On, this sultry blues number showcases Redferns prowess on his trusty Resonator guitar. When Darren was just 18 year old he became the keyboardist for Thin Lizzy and Phil Lynott took him under his wing, showing him around in the scene. Straddling their native Ireland and their adopted Wales, the quintet is proud of its origins and regularly lifts us off the ground to fly over the green rolling spaces of the British Isles.

I wonder if Professor Brian Cox still listens to this very talented band that he was part of in the early days? With its sharp guitar and a catchy chorus and communicative energy, this track launches the journey through the great Celtic spaces with enthusiasm.The album is often referred to as studio album number seven, given that Calm Before the Storm 2 was re-recording; a "7" also features prominently on the cover artwork.

Sometimes more biting ('Fire Never Fades'), playing on the contrasts between the softness of the verses and the energy of the choruses ('Grace') or switching from a ballad-like introduction to a ride across the moor ('The Devil Rides Tonight'), each track invades the listener with a beneficial warmth. Grace’ is another mid tempo one with bagpipes adding to the celtic feel and ‘I Always Will’ could have sat comfortably on ‘Out Of The Silence’. As it is, it only serves to remind us how impressive the album was early on and how much it had softened up since that point.In fact, the longer I listen to this album, the more it sounds like a janglier, subtly folk infused version of Magnum and it's that folk angle, which isn't a huge one, that delineates them. While they rock, they also have an oddly soothing sound to them which is very refreshing to listen to.