Album Review

Palefire- Vicarious

Palefire is a Hardcore band from Southern California. This digital release was reissued and remastered by Indecision Records in 2020. I first heard Palefire in the mid 1990's when I bought the Guilty by Association compilation which was filled with California Hardcore bands of the day. This compilation featured Palefire and was released by Indecision Records. Combining the melancholia and dissonance of emo with elements of melodic hardcore this would come to define the Palefire sound. Vicarious is a compilation of all of the Palefire recordings. During the existence of Palefire they played with many great bands including Snapcase, Earth Crisis, Strife, Unbroken. Female vocalist Christine Doan has such a strikingly beautiful voice. The depth of her voice shows the listener an emotional capacity that is nearly unmatched in Hardcore. The screaming vocals are also a pleasant surprise and they add a unique element to the vocals. Christine Doan also uses aggressive vocals that fit perfectly with that last speedy take on Emo and Hardcore. Some of these songs remind me of the jangle pop of The Smiths and Morrissey. While other songs show me why Palefire used to share the stage with Snapcase and Earth Crisis. I believe it's very difficult to compare Palefire to other bands but they're some bands that sound similar like Far and Sunny Day Real Estate. Some of these tracks are just so beautiful that they overwhelm you with emotion. So much so that they can bring you to tears. I have a long history with bands like The Smiths and Morrissey who are bands that could always bring me to tears. If Palefire has brought me to tears once then they become a classic Hardcore band in my book. Palefire have it all musically and lyrically. This is an underrated classic of Southern California Hardcore. Take a chance on this one.  

Thanks so much for reading this.
Kevin

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