Nikki Dimage of Line of Fire

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Line of Fire guitarist Nikki Dimage checked in with Hardrock Haven to talk about their brand new studio album Momentum; how he’s doing after beating cancer; the behind the scenes vidoes they made to depict the “making of” Momentum; why they covered Dokken’s “Breaking the Chains” and the arrangement of the cover; upcoming tour plans; and a whole lot more.

After hearing Line of Fire, you’ll hear that Europe isn’t the only continent that can churn out world-class Melodic Rock — this is as good as it gets! Tune in now to get to know Dimage and Line of Fire, and pick up Momentum immediately!

Online: On MySpace

(If the embedded player doesn’t populate, click here to stream the interview in a stand alone player.)

Line of Fire Momentum

by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer

Momentum seems like an odd title for the second Line of Fire album. Momentum is exactly what the US-based melodic rock band lost in the five years since their well-received self-titled debut was released. Of course, the delay is understandable, given that guitarist/keyboardist/songwriter Nikki Dimage was sidelined for two years with cancer. Now healthy and once again focused on Line of Fire, Dimage and vocalist Shawn Pelata (recently active with Liberty n Justice) are back with another well written, brilliantly executed slice of melodic rock.

For those of you who missed the band’s debut, Line of Fire plays a brand of melodic rock that’s influenced by classic bands like Journey, Boston and Foreigner, but has a modern energy and precision that rivals European bands like Khymera and Brother Firetribe. The band seems to acknowledge their long absence up front, with the appropriately titled “It Takes Time,” which was originally recorded by Nikki Dimage’s 80s band Dimage. This was one of the better songs from Dimage’s It Takes Time collection, and it sounds even better with Pelata singing it. After that comes the very catchy “Obsession,” which is the album’s first single. The Street Talk-sounding ballad “Ghost In Your Heart” is another song that seems made for AOR radio. Of course, there aren’t many, if any, songs on Momentum that wouldn’t make great singles (well, not here in the US of course). The whole album is just packed with catchy melodies, great guitar hooks, and some very impressive vocals. Pelata sounds absolutely incredible here. His vocal range and control seem to have grown measurably since the debut, and he gives these songs an additional measure of both power and heart. The vocal harmonies in particular are just gorgeous. And if that weren’t enough, the album is impeccably produced, mixed and mastered.

Momentum is one of the absolute best melodic rock albums released this year, and proof positive that the Europeans don’t have a monopoly on high quality modern melodic rock. With any luck, the band will stay healthy and this album will prove successful enough to regain that lost momentum.

Note – The CD version of Momentum features an exclusive cover of Dokken’s “Breaking the Chains.” Line of Fire takes a stripped down, acoustic approach to the song, and the results are positively chilling.

Genre: Melodic Rock

Band:
Shawn Pelata (v)
Nikki Dimage (g) (b) (k) (v)
Thomas Clark (g)

Track Listing:
1. It Takes Time
2. Obsession
3. Give Me All
4. I’ll Be the One Tonight
5. I Belong
6. The Fire Never Dies
7. I’m Crying (For You)
8. In the Stone
9. Undone
10. Ghost In Your Heart
11. Breaking the Chains

Label: Tribunal

Website: www.myspace.com/LoF

Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10