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Fireball Ministry, Remember the Story: Taking a Page

Posted in Reviews on November 7th, 2017 by JJ Koczan

fireball ministry remember the story

It’s difficult to believe that it’s been 18 years since Los Angeles-based heavy rockers Fireball Ministry made their debut with Où Est la Rock? (discussed here) on Bong Load Custom Records, but then, it’s also hard to believe it’s been seven since their self-titled (review here) was issued via Restricted Release. Fireball Ministry followed two strong outings in 2003’s The Second Great Awakening and 2005’s Their Rock is Not Our Rock, and while a perhaps overly slick production took away some of the impact one found in the songs on their earlier offerings, the band’s songwriting was as crisp and efficient as ever.

Prior to and following the release of that album, founding guitarist/vocalist James A. Rota spent time in supergroup The Company Band alongside guitarist Dave Bone, Clutch vocalist Neil Fallon, Fu Manchu bassist Brad Davis and CKY drummer Jess Margera, but still, seven years is a significant delay between full-lengths for Fireball Ministry, who in the interim have continued to play shows and brought bassist Scott Reeder (The ObsessedKyussUnida, etc.) on board the lineup with Rota, guitarist/backing vocalist Emily Burton and drummer John Oreshnick.

No doubt that’s a powerhouse presence and I won’t take away from what Reeder brings to the Hollywood rockers’ overall sound on their fifth long-player, Remember the Story (on Cleopatra Records), but as was the case seven years ago and has been the case with Fireball Ministry all along it is still the songwriting that most shines through. Elements bleed in from classic metal, desert heavy and voracious riff rock, but it’s the structural integrity of what Rota and company do with those pieces that makes the 10-song/51-minute full-length so undeniably their own.

Especially after the self-titled, production was a question heading into Remember the Story, but as opener “End of Our Truth” and the following “Everything You Wanted” set a tone through hook, comfortable tempo and a purposeful fervency of groove, the contribution of producer/engineer Paul Fig — who has helmed records for post-reunion Alice in Chains as well as Rush and Ghost, among others of a more metallic ilk — shines through in presenting the songs with a clean sense that nonetheless doesn’t detract from their harder-hitting aspects.

Oreshnick‘s drums push “End of Our Truth” into and through its chorus with ease as Reeder noodles his bassline beneath the core riffing from Rota and Burton, and an immediate balance is established that Remember the Story maintains for its duration as cuts like the bruiser-riffed “The Answer” and the melodic highlight “Weavers Dawn” bring a feeling of variety around the root approach, which remains straightforward and unabashed in its will to engage the audience on the level of classic heavy rock. That is, Fireball Ministry clearly aren’t looking to change the world.

fireball ministry

While peppered with raucous moments as on the cowbell-laden “Back on Earth” here or the transfigured Sabbathian swing and stomp of “All for Naught” — which seems to draw a direct line to “A National Acrobat” — it’s never been Fireball Ministry‘s intention to reinvent heavy rock so much as to highlight the best of what never needed reinventing about it in the first place.

They do that again with Remember the Story, and indeed as the songs play out through the meatier “Dying to Win,” the aptly-titled instrumental “Stop Talking” and the rolling title-track, that indeed becomes the narrative of the record as a whole. It is a story worth remembering, and the hooks the entire way through are earworm enough to make sure that listeners do precisely that, whether it’s the initial energy of the opening two cuts as bolstered by “Back on Earth” or the seeming B-side that begins with “Stop Talking” and moves inexorably toward acoustic-led closer “I Don’t Believe a Word.”

That latter, and last, track is a Motörhead cover taken from 1996’s Overnight Sensation and is given something of a manifesto feel as regards Rota‘s delivery of the lyrics. The perspective is very much in keeping with sentiments like Their Rock is Not Our Rock and the more political mindset of the self-titled — the band setting itself apart from its surroundings and offering a critique from a distant point of view. With Burton joining Rota on vocals in a follow-up to the harmonies that cap “Weavers Dawn” or the call and response in the verses of “Everything You Wanted” back on side A, it’s a moment of departure from the rest of Remember the Story, but still not so far removed as to upset the overarching flow of the record, which after finding itself on the steadiest of ground in its first half takes relative advantage of the opportunity to be a bit more adventurous with its second.

Again, classic form. And giving that classic form a modernist execution is what Fireball Ministry have done best for going on 20 years. Listening to Remember the Story, one can’t help but wonder if the band’s intention wasn’t to remind its audience of that in the first place — an urging toward recall rather than, say, the suggestion that this outing is the complete story to be remembered. It may or may not be, but especially as the title-track and “All for Naught” roll into “I Don’t Believe a Word” and the band get ready to make their collective exit, there’s a sense of summary that seems to extend beyond this record itself, speaking perhaps for the work of Fireball Ministry across their discography and examining the group’s place in the heavy rock underground, their accomplishments, their letdowns, and what they might still hope to do.

The question that will remain to be seen, especially with a seven-year gap between the last LP and this one, is whether Fireball Ministry‘s story has received its last chapter, or if it will continue. For what it’s worth, the returned vigor to their impact serves them remarkably well throughout here, and though well expected, their level of craft is as uncompromising in its accomplishment as ever. It’s not like they didn’t know what they were doing all along, but maturity suits them, and if this might be their final statement, they’ve reaffirmed their place among deeply underappreciated heavy rock songwriters.

Fireball Ministry, “The Answer” official video

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Fireball Ministry Post Video for “The Answer”

Posted in Bootleg Theater on September 18th, 2017 by JJ Koczan

fireball-ministry

Executions of heavy rock as straightforward and yet as thoroughly satisfying in their melody and craft as that of Fireball Ministry are not easy to come by. On the West Coast of the US, maybe only Mos Generator would stand up to the standard of songwriting and I’m not sure even that Washington trio has the longevity factor working for them as does founding guitarist/vocalist Jim Rota‘s Los Angeles-based outfit. As Rota, guitarist/backing vocalist Emily Burton, drummer John Oreshnick and the noteworthy addition of bassist Scott Reeder prepare to release the new album, Remember the Story, on Oct. 6 via Cleopatra Records, they’ve posted a video for the track “The Answer” that only draws out some of the best elements the record has to offer.

Those elements? The hook, for one. Fireball Ministry have never been short on chorus quality, and Remember the Story certainly hits that mark as well. There’s also an overarching sense of professionalism at play in “The Answer” and in the video for it that comes through clear. Think “production quality” as a theme bringing together the aural and visual representation of the material The album was helmed by Paul Fig, who’s worked with Alice in Chains and others you can see listed below, and in addition to Rota‘s own video work, the band has partnered with director Brandon Trost for the clip, which seems to portray a narrative of betrayal, with a gutshot protagonist who meets his death in the most righteous and headbanging fashion possible.

Easy to dig for its melody, for the clarity of its performances and the multi-tiered appeal in general, there’s just about no way “The Answer” isn’t four and a half minutes well spent, and if you haven’t heard any of Remember the Story yet, it’s a resounding argument for why you should be looking forward to the release date. And make no mistake, you shoud be.

Video and PR wire info follows, as well as upcoming tour dates on the West Coast that include a stop at Cal Jam ’17.

Please enjoy:

Fireball Ministry, “The Answer” official video

With only a month to go until the release of their long-awaited, 5th studio album, Southern California’s reverends of rock ‘n’ roll Fireball Ministry unveil the video for their new single “The Answer.” The rock anthem is featured on Remember The Story, which debuts on October 6th via Cleopatra Records. Pre-order the album now at iTunes and BandCamp.

“We’re really excited to be teaming up again with director Brandon Trost for “The Answer” video. Brandon most recently worked with [Fireball Ministry vocalist] Jim [Rota] on the latest two Foo Fighters videos as Director of Photography and he has a visionary way of telling stories set to music.” – Fireball Ministry

“The Answer” is Fireball Ministry’s latest track from Remember The Story, and follow up to the previously released song “Back On Earth.” The band’s first album in nearly seven years delivers their tried and true signature stomp and fuzzy swing with an even broader scope and deeper emotional range. The album mines the depths of loss, pain, and confusion, exorcising demons with the spirited uplift this kind of music best delivers.

The record was produced/mixed by Paul Fig, the engineer behind records from Alice In Chains, Ghost, Deftones and Stone Sour. Sabbath soaked rhythms, Priest worshipping melodies, and no-nonsense Thin Lizzy mayhem collide in the Hollywood, California band, a group that has humbly but confidently flown the flag for rock authenticity since the hard-partying year of 1999.

Pre-order the CD/Vinyl of Remember The Story here: FireballMinistry.cleorecs.com

Fireball Ministry will be performing with Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age and more at the Cal Jam 17 Festival on October 7th at Glen Helen Amphitheater and Festival Grounds in San Bernardino, CA. Tickets are available at https://www.caljamfest.com/. The band has also announced a handful of Southwest dates with Red Fang, including a hometown show at the Troubadour, in Los Angeles on October 28th. Buy tickets at http://fireballministry.com/.

Fireball Ministry Tour Dates:
Oct 7 – San Bernardino, CA – Cal Jam 17 Festival @ Glen Helen Amphitheater
Oct 25 – Long Beach, CA – Alex’s Bar
Oct 26 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom
Oct 27 – Las Vegas, NV – Beauty Bar
Oct 28 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour

Fireball Ministry on Thee Facebooks

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Fireball Ministry Set Oct. 6 Release for Remember the Story; New Single Streaming

Posted in Whathaveyou on August 21st, 2017 by JJ Koczan

fireball ministry

Been waiting a while for this one. Los Angeles heavy rockers Fireball Ministry are gearing up to release their fifth album, Remember the Story, on Oct. 6 via Cleopatra Records. I’ll admit I wasn’t a huge fan of their last record, a 2010 self-titled (review here) that struck as having tipped the balance accessibility that was always there in their sound over to the sacrifice of the classic heavy rock thrust that made earlier outings like 1999’s Où Est la Rock? (discussed here) and 2003’s The Second Great Awakening so righteous, but one piece of the equation that’s never been missing has been songwriting, and as the streaming single “Back on Earth” (not an Ozzy cover) reintroduces that heavier edge — plus cowbell — they continue to live up to the high standard of craft they’ve set over their 18 years together.

You can stream “Back on Earth,” which also marks the studio introduction of bassist Scott Reeder (yup, that’s the one), at the bottom of this post. Fireball Ministry are also set to play Cal Jam ’17 in October, and they were just out in the desert a couple weeks ago to shoot a video for “The Answer” from Remember the Story, so expect more before the album surfaces. Right on.

Here’s word from the label:

fireball-ministry-remember-the-story

FIREBALL MINISTRY – Remember the Story

Remember the Story, the band’s 1st album in nearly seven years, delivers their tried and true signature stomp and fuzzy swing with an even broader scope and deeper emotional range. The album mines the depths of loss, pain, and confusion, exorcising demons with the spirited uplift this kind of music best delivers.

“Remember The Story is about moving forward while staying connected to your past. With this album we’ve reached a new stage of crystallization and prowess in our riffage.” – Emily J Burton

“This is a very personal record to me and was written from down deep. It’s also an honor to be playing alongside Emily (Burton) and John (Oreshnick) for the last 20 years. Having Scott (Reeder) with us along for the ride has made our greatest music to date in my humble opinion.” – James A Rota

The upcoming record was produced/mixed by Paul Fig, the engineer behind important records from Alice In Chains and Ghost. Sabbath soaked rhythms, Priest worshipping melodies, and no-nonsense Thin Lizzy mayhem collide in the Hollywood, California band, a group that has humbly but confidently flown the flag for rock authenticity since the hard-partying year of 1999.

Remember The Story’s cover artwork was created by Caitlin Mattisson and conveys the album’s theme of death and renewal. Speaking about the art, Mattisson says, “the vulture represents renewal and transformation and has connections to many mythologies and cultures, from being descended from Griffins in Greek Mythology to the scientific (Latin) name of Turkey Vulture translating to Golden Purifier, which ties in to Jim’s theme about a 2nd chance at life. Elements inspired by Hildgard of Bingen have been worked into the border shapes, as well as 2 blown out candles on the front. The book on the front is a Fireball Ministry hymnal shooting light. On the back of the album the candles are lit again and the vulture is flying away towards a new moon, new beginning.”

Fireball Ministry will be performing with Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age and more at the Cal Jam 17 Festival on October 7th at Glen Helen Amphitheater and Festival Grounds in San Bernardino, CA. Tickets are available at www.caljamfest.com.

1. End Of Our Truth
2. Everything You Wanted
3. Back On Earth
4. The Answer
5. Dying Win
6. Stop Talking
7. Weavers Dawn
8. Remember the Story
9. All For Naught
10. I Don’t Believe A Word

Fireball Ministry live:
Oct 07 Cal Jam 17 Glen Helen Amphitheater San Bernardino, CA

Fireball Ministry is:
James A. Rota II – Vocals/Guitar
Emily J. Burton – Guitar/Backing Vocals
Scott Reeder – Bass
John Oreshnick – Drums

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Fireball Ministry, “Back on Earth”

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