SOUL FIRE

Recorded at Magic Garden Studio, Wolverhampton
Tracks 1-3 Recorded and mixed by Gavin Monaghan on Sunday 30th August 1998
Tracks 4-6 Recorded and mixed by Andy Taylor on Sunday 8th November 1998

Razorwire Line-up:
Chris Minney- Vocals & Bass
Dan Peach- Rhythm Guitar
Andy Smith- Lead Guitar
Charlie Cooper- Drums

Track list:

1. Razerz Of The Underground
2. Shadows Of Reality
3. Draconian Blues
4. Shezamin
5. Way Of The Blind
6. Alone

Recorded and mixed in just two days, Soul Fire was a much more professional release than Rough Demos. The first day in the studio was engineered by Gavin Monaghan, who, considering the time and budget restrictions with the bands equipment, did an excellent job. However, the second session in November was not so successful. Illness, poor preparation and a less experienced engineer lead to the next three songs not sounding as good as they could have done. Even so, the last three songs sound very good considering the time and equipment, and still sound much more professional than what was released on Rough Demos.

At the time this CDR was released, CD writers on home computers were something of a rarity. Bands used to have to pay through the nose for CDRs to be written and inlays printed. After a dodgy batch of CDRs had been received and sent back and a new company had been found, it was nearly spring of 1999. Each CDR cost the band nearly £6 each which was a total rip off. Unfortunately it meant that the band had to sell copies at £6 each just to make their money back. Selling demos in pubs and clubs at that price was very difficult. Only about 40 copies of the CDR were sold.

A couple of months before the demo was recorded, the band made the mistake of signing to a management company that did not do the band justice. The company were charging the band £60 a month with the promise of promotion, gigs etc.. The company only got a couple of gigs for Razorwire, all of the other gigs around this time had been organised by the band. The band had some SOUL FIRE tapes without inlays made for promotion purposes, and gave the company a box of them to send out. After months of broken promises, the band asked for a list of venues and magazines that the tapes were sent to. After numerous phone calls, it became apparent that only a couple of promoters had actually received a tape out of a list of nearly 100. The only reviews received were from CDRs that the band themselves had sent out. Guitarist Andy Smith quit the band in the summer of 1999 due to personal commitments. The band still believe that the financial pressures and the lack of progress had a large part to play in his decision.

Nearly a year had passed since work on SOUL FIRE had begun and virtually nothing had been achieved. The band recruited Andy Pancheri, then Brendan Butler to stand in on lead guitar, booked some studio time in Reading, recorded "Wired To The Sin", ditched the management company and began making up for lost time.

Words from the band:

"The night before we recorded the second batch of songs, I ate a dodgy kebab, and got food poisoning. When I wasn't throwing up, I was pissing out of my ass!"- Dan P.

REVIEWS

Here be monsters 'zine # 18
Review by Clive Roberts.

18 months into their stride and Midlands based Razorwire produce a fair blast of confused 90's Metal, maybe trying alittle to hard to run before they can toddle !! The trainee affected Metallica vocals don't convince, but the boys play very well so maybe it'll gel soon....still....what do I know....?!?!?

Hard Roxx (Website)
Review by Matthew Honey

The second demo from Brit metal hopefuls Razorwire sees a much more mature approach to their promising blend of grunge and hardcore with far more light and shade in the song writing. Whilst the quitarwork of Dan Peach and Andy Smith may need a few more years of practising in the nation's downmarket venues to give it the necessary polish it still shows plenty of promise, particularly with the variety of ideas shown on the six tracks on offer. For example opener 'Razerz Of The Underground' features a gloriously belly rumbling riff whilst the next track 'Shadows Of Reality' starts off like Pearl Jam and ends up as rap metal. With vocalist (and bassist) Chris Minney doing a fine job not unlike an English Ricky Warwick the signs are that Razorwire should, by the time the next demo is recorded, be ready for the big time.