ROCKET REVIEW: EKOTREN – “Light The Fire” (CD)

Cape Coral, Florida’s metalcore kings EkoTren lay it all on the line with their debut full-length Light The Fire via Blind Prophecy Records. This 11-track assault features Lamb of God-style vocals, flourishing guitar play and surefire drumming set amid an overall collection of steady rockers, delivering a literal perfect execution that certainly owes as much to mainstream rock as it does traditional heavy metal. Producer Paul Trust, most widely recognized for his acclaimed work with Boston’s long running Diecast, and who worked on EkoTren’s two earlier EP’s, has now returned, refocusing his genius on their overall sound and experimenting more with young vocalist John Sheldon’s voice. Anyone with an appetite for a bit of life melodrama and a lover’s introspection won’t be let down either by this album – which more than confirms that EkoTren knows how to dig their hooks into the listener and pull them into their ‘Reality Bites’ world. Let this not scare off the fans of the more brutal, dark-themed material out there today. The buyer of Light The Fire will be undoubtedly treated to the band’s explosive and at times highly technical musical display with the two standout jawdroppers: “Tranqualized” and “Chupacabra”.