Refugee Burning from the Inside Out
by Edwin van Hoof
Guest Staff Writer
[ Originally published in 2008 ] At last! One of melodic rock’s finest moments is finally re-issued on CD. Affairs in Babylon was Refugee’s first strike, resurfacing three years ago on the now disbanded MTM Classix label. The label’s driving force, Mario Lehmann however continued his valuable work for our music with NL Distribution, leading to this excellent re-issue. Buckle up for this ride!
Refugee immediately makes clear their intentions with the band’s acclaimed opening track “Survival in the Western World”. Excellent craftsmanship combined with skilled writing abilities and a fine tuned feeling for emotion, melody and drama, lasting throughout the entire album. Pompous and keyboard driven magic! We’re talking 1987 here, as if it just passed by. “The Beauty of Pain” and the remarkable pomp rocker “Love Survives” take us further down memory lane. “Lay me Down” is the unmistakable power ballad. Warm and honest, almost timidly piano work and soaring vocal work, slowly building up towards the mighty chorus (goose bumps).
Myles Hunter’s vocals are magnificent, soulful and powerful as is Helm’s keyboard playing which is precise and perfectly timed. Walls of sound which pump up to the max as shown in the following title track. Rob Kennedy’s guitars are fine with great soloing all over, never tilting over the top. “Survival in the Western World” is by far one of rock’s finest tunes recorded and has survived the test of time with glance. “Keep the Lion in the Cage” is a short percussion filled tune which showcases Brian Doerner’s great playing. Even though the song is standing out within all this pompous power, it also showcases the other side to Refugee’s qualities. Short, to the point and well timed blooming towards the end. We almost forget gems such as the keyboard driven “American Dream” with its ear mingling chorus, or the taunting slow mover “Violence”. Guitars propel is in harmony with swirling ominous keys, topped by vocals switching between Hunter and Jones (bass). The song wraps up the album which only clocks over 35 minutes. Not one weak track spotted, all sheer magic.
Pat Glaser’s powerful and crisp production is furthermore uplifted by an excellent mastering, giving the album the perfect punch to knock you out instantly.
Refugee’s Burning from the Inside Out is without doubt one of the finest albums ever recorded, and proves this with every spin. This record is my favorite melodic rock CD of all time, and it can well be yours. This re-issue is worth every penny as it already was when it was priced sky-high on Ebay for the last 10 years! All falls into place here … No extra tracks, but who cares … this is simply breathtaking magical. Grab your copy while stocks last.
Band Members:
Myles Hunter – Vocals
Rob Kennedy – Guitars
Brian Doerner – Drums
Howard Helm – Keyboards, vocals
Martyn Jones – Bass
Track Listing:
“Survival in the Western World”
“The Beauty of Pain”
“Love Survives”
“Lay me down”
“Burning from the Inside out”
“Power”
“American Dream”
“Keep the Lion in the Cage”
“Violence”
Hardrock Haven rating: 10/10