CleanBreak’s self-titled debut album came as a surprise. The teaming of metal vocalist James Durbin with members of Stryper created a very natural musical union. The Stryper guys brought a broad sense of melody to the table that Durbin’s previous solo album (Durbin’s ‘The Beast Awakens’) often lacked, and this seemed to encourage James to find a rock voice that was much more accessible. The album was loaded with old school rock thrills, drawing influence from Stryper and Dokken, even finding time on occasion to nod towards classic Dio and Glenn Hughes inspired material. It was easily James Durbin’s best work to date. It was an album that would be hard to beat, if and when a second CleanBreak release emerged.

Two years on, this second release immediately presents a weaker band since both Perry Richardson and Robert Sweet have returned to the Stryper fold, and in their place, Robin McAuley’s drummer Nicolas Pappapico and Frontiers in-house man Alessandro Del Vecchio don’t always bring the same creative clout to CleanBreak MKII. That said, the union between Durbin and Riot guitarist Mike Flyntz remains strong, and the best tracks on this follow up shows off CleanBreak’s combined talents admirably, even at times when the songwriting is somewhat cheese-tastic and appears to stem from a world where rock hasn’t progressed beyond the summer of 1989. It’s fair to say that it shows signs of being that “difficult second album”, but judged purely in terms of hard edged production style, fierce riffs and general attitude, ‘We Are The Fire’ is still a record that brings a reasonable of trad metal entertainment.

The album’s top tier brings a quartet of numbers worth the price of admission. ‘Bide Our Time’, in particular, does a great job in showcasing the band’s more melodic chops. By opening with a huge, pompy keyboard line and layering that against hard edged guitars, CleanBreak show off a love for sizeable rock sounds, but more importantly, the bombast provides a great platform for Durbin. He wastes no time in exploring a vocal range that sounds like Toby Hitchcock exploring something with a more metallic edge. He works through the verse, showing off an immense power, but it’s when approaching more of a lilting melody on the pre-chorus he comes into his own. For those who hoped to find a bigger melody, the chorus more than delivers when Durbin and his band sound as if they’re channelling the Euro symphonic metal acts, before an instrumental break introduces a perfect twin lead guitar. In short, this recaptures everything that was great about the debut, but presents CleanBreak in even bigger musical boots.

Leaning a little further into a trad metal style – though far more appealing than most of Durbin’s ‘Beast…’ LP – ‘Unbreakable’ offers some great riffs, but like the best CB material from the debut, there’s more at stake than just old metal being recycled. There are great chorus harmonies here, and James sounds superb wailing over a wall of other multi-tracked Durbins, offering a huge sound that – perhaps never accidentally – might suit Stryper on one of their more melodic days. In addition, guitarist Mike Flintz really steps up, adding a tightly wound solo that shows how well the Riot man can weave semi-angry playing into an otherwise melodic track without anything sounding forced. Blending a very 80s metal style with a more melodic hook and curling vocal, ‘Start To Breathe’ brings together all of CleanBreak’s best traits in a five minute blast. Much less Dokken and far more ‘Rage For Order’ era Queensryche as heard through a CleanBreak prism, the dark sounding verse allows James a little more room to share a great tone but be a little more restrained, volume wise, whilst the bigger focus on the rhythm section pushes Del Vecchio further into the spotlight. He shares a great tone that’s completely sympathetic to the vocal, and moving into a chugging chorus, Durbin unleashes a huge tone that’s even more Geoff Tate-esque.

Better yet, ‘Can’t Lose Hope’ thunders forth with a galloping riff, topped by more twin leads. This is the perfect set up for Durbin, as he curls a huge vocal around the sharp edges, before leading a charge on a more AOR meets melodic metal hook where he’s, again, joined by a choir of his own selves. Although bringing in gifted backing singers might’ve been preferable, this technique really demonstrates ‘We Are The Fire’s big sound – it certainly sounds like one of Frontiers Records’ better productions of 2024. It’s when cast in the role of someone putting his own mark on tunes that pull influence from the early Dokken where James sounds most assured, and this is no exception.

For the more patient listener, ‘Never Gone’ shows CleanBreak exploring more of a battle metal sound, complete with a repetitive, militaristic rhythm. Naturally, this purely bombastic style is perfect for James’s voice, but isn’t always quite so effective when it comes to actual melodic rock charm. Nevertheless, it’s well played; Flintz, especially, appears in good form, showing how effortlessly he can fill the guitar solo remit, supplying the perfect blend of shredding tones and melody. Taking somewhat of a heavier stance, ‘Breathless’ becomes another decent showcase for Flintz as he drops a mid-tempo chug against a solid rhythm. Opting for a full on old school shred, the title cut opens with a proto-thrash riff before branching off into a verse where Del Vecchio tempers the sharper edges with keys that owe more to a prog metal tune. In showing off CleanBreak’s heavier chops, it’s fine, but it’s all very Euro-centric – almost like discovering an old Yngwie number spliced with one of Frontiers Records’ more bombast obsessed acts circa 2020. For those who enjoy trad metal with a twist, it’s likely to impress, of course, and especially so when yet another twin lead break appears in lieu of a very busy solo.

Even more of a “mood piece”, the album’s ballad, ‘Live Again’ eschews the more traditional melodic rock style for something far more suited to the stage – or a Toby Hitchcock album. Those already familiar with Durbin will be aware that he handles this musical equivalent of scenery chewing more than ably, and here, he curls his huge tones around impressively long notes, whilst Flyntz, patiently waiting in the wings, eventually gets to step into the spotlight with some impressive guitar work. In keeping with the mood James has set in place, anything metallic has been tempered by the bluesy, creating a melodic rock style that’s keen to tug at the heart strings. A mood piece it may be, but approached in the right mood, it could be considered an album highlight. Elsewhere, you’ll find the massive swagger of ‘Warrior’s Anthem’, a number big enough to create a perfect contrast, even if its huge sounding battle metal meets melodic metal approach can seem a little silly. Any misgivings about the style can be overlooked, however, since performance-wise, Durbin is in great shape, and the core melody brings just enough overall gloss to avoid things feeling like too much of a bombastic challenge. Although there are better songs here, in terms of an overall sound, this track is a great indicator of CleanBreak’s combined talents at the time of recording.

There are a few too many clichés here, lyrically speaking, which automatically makes this a little less appealing than their debut, and the end result isn’t always as consistent. However, in terms of musical performances, these eleven tracks capture CleanBreak in a pleasingly hard edged mood throughout, regardless of any quality wobbles. For those who loved the debut, this will be a more than worthy collection filler, and for those about to check out ‘CleanBreak’ for the first time, ‘Start To Breathe’, ‘Bide Our Time’ and ‘Can’t Lose Hope’ should provide a more than reasonable insight into how good this band can be. This is a record to approach with slight caution, but a few plays will unveil a listen that’s certainly enjoyable.

October 2024