Metal Caravans

Genre: Hard Rock

TRACKLIST:

1. Cry For Help (Intro)/I’ll Be There
2. Forever Once Again
3. Rescue Me
4. Holding On To Your Dreams
5. No Way Out
6. Better Coming
7. I Need You
8. Long Way To Heaven
9. Paying The Price
10. Heart On My Sleeve
11. Fuel That Feeds The Fire

Line-up:
Davey Harkness (d, v)
Paul Logue (b, v)
Graham McLeod (lg)
Stevie A. Durrand (v, g) 

Do not confuse Cry Havoc from Scotland with Finland's Cryhavoc. This band specializes in hard rock with a giant nod to the 80's. The band called it a day several years ago amidst a dispute with its then-label Now And Then, but has reformed to release the assembled songs finally. The question here is not whether these tracks are older or newer. The question rather is whether the music has been altered or reworked since the time of the original recording session in any way.
Whichever the case Fuel That Feeds The fire is a respectable hard rock album, rendered all the more better due to the lack of music of similar style on the market at this time. The album dials up (at least that's the first thing one hears on the CD) with the Cry For Help intro which leads directly into I'll Be There. The lyrics are not quite as positive here as the title indicates, but the Scots quickly establishes themselves musically as an act crossing Dokken and Winger with a more, and perhaps subconscious, melodic sensibility a la Threshold or Vanden Plas. The latter style is more accentuated by the vocals of Steve A. Durrand. Forever Once Again follows next. The song is more related to hard rock similar to Dokken than anything else. Rescue Me begins slower and in the accompaniment of a warm bass sound. It easily reminds one of a White Lion-type power ballad with emotional vocals. The backing vocals make a strong appearance here as Durrand propels the band into AOR territory. A whiff of synthesizers can be heard here. Holding On To Your Dreams is, perhaps predictably, both harder and more upbeat. Reminiscent of Skid Row, the track probably holds the album's heaviest riff. No Way Out is again in the vein of Dokken with vocals in the Survivor mould. Better Coming (odd title) is a song with an attitude. Is that Christopher Cross' Ride Like The Wind that Cry Havoc is emulating? Next up is I Need You. The acoustic ballad is more towards the boring side of the fence. Long Way To Heaven in contrast, begins with a pumping bass sound. This is more like it! It is harder, has an edge and, given how the band is not dead just yet, sports an intriguing title. Paying The Price is more high-octane hard rock, this time with a soaring guitar line. The powerful rhythm section, dual-vocals and the song's construction are collectively reminiscent of the year 1984 and the debut album of Bon Jovi. Heart On My Sleeve pumps more hard rock into Metallian Towers until the title track - given its title ironically at the end of the CD - closes the album with a guitar-oriented song