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FORGE - "Bring On The Apocalype"


SNR-1023
Total Running Time: 45:32

 

The long-awaited follow-up to the award-winning "Trials" documents the ever-growing power of Forge. New members John Deary (guitar) and Joesmith (drums) add to the sonic onslaught and launch the songs into orbit!

  1. The Fold

  2. One Swift Motion

  3. The Torch

  4. Bring on the Apocalypse (MP3 download)

  5. Mastermind

  6. Days of Destruction

  7. 6.6.44

  8. Secret Mines

  9. Parade of the Forgotten

  10. Stickman

  11. Defenseless

  12. Departure


Ever see a band live, get their record and go home with the hope that the band is just as intense on the record as they are live? Well, Forge not only does that but they satisfied my hopes on this album. I can't say if the intention of the album's lyrics were to be a fairly unbiased look at the political state of things in the world today, but it certainly seemed that way to me. The music on this album is very intense, bringing to mind the sounds of  Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Fugazi, ManOWar, Megadeath, and older Metallica. Steve, Aaron, Joe, and John play their hearts out on this album, if I didn't know better from knowing the band I would say this was a live record with the emotion in the recording. The vocals aren't pretty, but they shouldn't be, they capture the gritty nature of both his lyrics and the music the band plays. Standout tracks are 6.6.44, Secret Mines, One Swift Motion, as well as the title track. Great work guys, I hope to hear more from you in the future. - Johnathon Gallienne - Punk Rock Review

Detroit’s Forge brings a refreshing, yet not entirely new, approach to melodic hard rock on Bring on the Apocalypse. It’s hard rock, yes, but it’s filled with slivers of metal and small pieces of punk rock, all wrapped up in the band’s obvious knack for hooky song writing. By way of explanation, one only needs to listen to a track like “The Torch.” A chorus that leaves you humming combines with a tough riff approach, and I’ll be damned if I didn’t hear some vague Iron Maiden guitar harmonies thrown in. It’s that type of mixture that keeps me from tossing this into some kind of generic hard rock category. This is certainly a guitar-oriented album driven by a crisp rhythm section, yet there are enough influences  outside of traditional hard rock and metal seeping into the songs to make the average listener pay more attention. The title track is another case in pint. The main riff almost had me thinking in thrash terms, but the lyrics and gang shouts of “C’mon! “C’mon!” prior to the infectiously sung line of “bring on the apocalypse” gave me visions of punk rock, though not in any kind of an overwhelming sense. Here we have a tune (actually several tunes) that rocks hard, spices things up with some sneering attitude and thought-provoking lyrics, and grounded by a strong sense of song craft. There is a lot of rocking bluster on Bring on the Apocalypse and some quality song writing. It’s also got plenty of crossover appeal for hard rockers and modern rockers alike. Personally, it’s not one that I may play very often, but the musical quality here is undeniable. - Scott - Live 4 Metal

If you're looking for a little comfort, you'd best get out of the way of the angry, well-equipped tank known as Forge. One of the area's top hard rock bands continues its forward procession with "Bring on the Apocalypse," its first disc since expanding from a trio to quartet (by adding guitarist John Dearry) and gaining new drummer Joesmith.

Dearry's presence bolsters an assault that was already plenty formidable, built on charging, militaristic rhythms, guitarwork that alternately cascades and pounds, and the anguished, foreboding imagery delivered by lead singer and guitarist Aaron Greene, who as a vocalist displays both a throaty, punkish chant and a more soaring voice that's typical of progressive metal.

Forge's world is full of portent, with violence and conflict seen as civilization's inevitable destination. With that kind of subject matter, there is always a risk of becoming cartoonish, thus deflating the intended effect. There's a whiff of that here, but it's mostly sidestepped because of the keen eye brought to the lyrics. Representative is the scorching "Days of Destruction," which skillfully charts the creation and ultimate dehumanization of a soldier: "And the letters that you wrote/ I had to burn them all/ The boy you knew/ Couldn't read them at all/ I lost him along the line/ Between here and there."

In this context, thoughtful is good, but powerful is ultimately much more important, something the guys in Forge implicitly understand. And Godspeed to anyone who wants to argue with them about it. - Steve Byrne - Detroit Free Press

Forge is a Detroit-based band that has already been around since 2001 when the Greene cousins decided a band was the good thing to do. A couple of releases later, they strike hard with “Bring On The Apocalypse”, an album filled with sci fi-influenced lyrics about war and a relatively new take on traditional hard rock.

My absolute favorite on the album is “The Torch” with some Maidenesque riffage and an excellent chorus. Even though Forge always writes songs that seem to be pure hard rock at first, they harbour more than that. Underneath that coat of hard rock, there hides a plethora of other influences waiting to be discovered by the attentive listener. There’s just a bit of punkrock strewn around throughout the twelve songs along with a fair amount of metal. And it’s that variation that makes “Bring On The Apocalypse” a pleasure to listen to! - Thomas - Munchkin Music

Forge have been bustin' ass in the Detroit music scene for several years, releasing a couple of albums in the late '90s and weathering a series of line-up changes. Founded by cousins Aaron and Steve Greene, the band blends classic metal hallmarks with modern aggressiveness and a slightly punk attitude to create a sonic cocktail sure to please any lover of heavy music, regardless of "genre".

The appropriately titled Bring On The Apocalypse is Forge's third studio full-length. Singing about subjects ranging from war to sci-fi, Aaron's gritty vocal style relays feelings of smoldering anger and sense of purpose. Album opener and highlight "The Fold" sets the pace with a driving riff that brings to mind old-school thrash masters such as Anthrax and Exodus. Right away the band displays their knack for blending modern and classic elements to create refreshing metal as the listener is treated to Aaron's euphonious shouts while the rhythm section of drummer JoeSmith and bass player Steve Greene changes pace for the Offspring-like choral passages. A flickering guitar lead from John Dearry heralds the beginning of "One Swift Motion". Ripe with time changes, the song has a slight Killing Joke feel. Aaron's impassioned singing, encompassing several tones, is the focal point of this track. "The Torch" kicks in with a dual-guitar riff that oozes classic metal. Aaron seems a little strained while tackling the upbeat anthemic lyrics, which are sung at a higher range than most of the album, but he still turns in a fine performance and the song is considered one of the many bright points of Bring On The Apocalypse. Sticking with the classic metal riffage, "Days Of Destruction" pummels with driving bass and well-executed guitar leads straight out of the '80s. With a more modern approach, "6.6.44" tells a first-person tale of D-Day. A catchy chorus, varied tempos, and the Steve Harris-like bass from Steve Greene make this one of the more memorable tracks on the disc. My favorite song, however, is "Parade Of The Forgotten". A thundering drum/bass beat blasts from the speakers as Dearry's guitar weaves an intricate lead, all serving as an introduction for Aaron's relation of a conversation with an old veteran of wars long gone. Fictional or not, the lyrics strike a chord with me. Not only because I am a veteran myself of Desert Storm, but because the words manage to capture the essence of those who have served and now have handed the banner to today's men and women in uniform. The song does not drip with patriotism, and is certainly not an anthem. It is, however, a recognition of those who have sacrificed, and more to the point, those that still do even though they no longer wear a uniform.

Forge have crafted a well-thought, tightly executed album encompassing the best of classic and modern metal styles. Every song on Bring On The Apocalypse contains some element that sets it apart from the others. Whether it be the aggressive riffs of "Defenseless" or the sinister guitar intro of "Mastermind", the listener is never left feeling as if they're wading through filler until the next stand-out song comes along. This is an album that can please both the metal purists and those enraptured by today's made-for-radio metal. (4/5 stars) - Harvest Moon Music

Bring On The Apocalypse finds Forge skipping another few grades and making a damn good metal record. They still have the war/sci-fi themes, the Voivod-like grooves and the catchy choruses, but they beef up on classic metal influences and technicality and it fits right in, making them reminiscent of In Flames if they listened to more Voivod and post hardcore instead of whatever fluff they were listening to when they made the horrid Reroute To Remain. Likewise, Aaron Greene’s vocals sound better than ever. After experimenting with his vocals on Trials, he seems very comfortable holding a tune.

I could go on and on about how great Forge are -- just ask me in person some day when I’m drunk. I’ll talk your ear off about Forge! Anyway, this is a very complete album, full of great songs, memorable riffs, memorable choruses, and very full, crisp production. I still can’t believe no bigger label has scooped these guys up yet -- it baffles me! So if you want a great metal record with a sound that’s entirely its own, go pick up Bring On The Apocalypse… while you’re at it, pick up Trials and then try to tell me Forge doesn’t rule! You won’t be able to unless you’re one hell of a liar! (4/5 stars) - Abe Stroker - Toldeo's Glass Eye

Being a major fan of old school metal, I was quite surprised after receiving a copy of the newest album by Forge out of Detroit. With incredible cover art and the band looking ever so hard core on the back I was sure this would be a disc I’ve heard ever so much these days.

On the very first track of ‘Bring On The Apocalypse’ titled ‘The Fold’ I felt swept back to an era where Anthrax ruled the airwaves with their rambunctious brand of metal mayhem. I also sensed a hint of classic metal as the double guitar wailed in the mix throughout this project.

Don’t get me wrong…As the project continues there is an awesome blend of today’s hard hitting rock with these classic overtones. My favorite song would have to be track #2 ‘One Swift Motion’ with its changing tempos and growls mixed with pure emotion.

Heavy Metal, Punk, and their own mix of classic and todays sounds make for an album I could not get bored with.

Out of 20 INDIE CDs I have received…FORGE is the only disc that gets the RockRelease.com stamp of approval this month! - RockRelease.com

Forge surely had warfare-cum-doomsday on the brain when crafting its third release. The sullen, bolted-steel title track says it all: “Of human achievement/The further we advance/The closer we come to our extinction/I say we do it/Let’s stop waving swords/Let’s get them bloody/Let’s satisfy the hordes … Bring on the apocalypse.” And, the best part is, they’re not being ironic. No tongue-in-cheek, look-how-badass-we-are fanfare here, kids; the band is serious as the last cockroach left scuttling.

See, these east-side clinched-jawed heavymen (drummer Joe Smith, bassist Steve Greene, guitarist John Dearry, and singer/guitarist Aaron Greene) offer up a colossal fusion of thrash metal and punk rock with Sepultura, Flotsam and Jetsam, Black Flag and Fugazi all figuring in as antecedents. What’s more, they’ve a literary bent that’s lost on 99 percent of the down-tuning mooks weaned on the aforementioned.

The songs are fiercely anti-political and inflexibly direct; death, toil and war as a forgone conclusion run the our-anguish-is-universal-anguish theme spectrum. From the doleful eyes of a society’s forgotten soldier to adolescents raised in post-apocalyptic caves to life-as-a-sinking-boat metaphors, the songs are full of party favor stuff, to be sure.

Aaron Greene’s tuneful shout props him up as half-seer, half-nihilist, with an atypical proclivity for creating choruses with staying power. Battle-cry anthem “The Torch” even borders pop (gosh!) and would fit nicely on any alternative radio station. The quartet is taut and tense, bursting with machine-gun kick drumming, twin-guitar walls o’ riffola, and clavicle-rattling bass. File under ear-singeing music suited for nuclear blackouts and other manmade disasters. Maybe the next record will include a few tips on survival strategies! - Brian Smith - Metro Times