While I may be a product of the 80s, I have almost zero direct recollection of the decade itself. Born in 1985, I didn’t become self aware until the 90s.1 So, essentially, by the time I could form long-lasting memories, most of the world’s great music had already been written. Perhaps my inaccessible 80s origins explain why I am drawn to things from and about the era. The bizarre color schemes, the bombastic musical aesthetic, the cheesy-yet-awesome cinema, all of it gives me a satisfyingly melancholic sense of nostalgia. The 80s feel like my own personal primordial, mythological paradise, a Garden of Eden to which I can never return. The gate is eternally guarded by a cherub wielding a flaming sword, but thanks to bands like Rave in Fire, I need not risk being divinely smote in order to feel like I’m back in the garden, all innocent, naked, and happy.
Just one look at that glorious album cover should tell you that Spain’s Rave in Fire oozes 80s glory. Lead single “Still Standing” sounds like it rode a tiger straight outta Ronnie James Dio’s mind with its driving groove, intricate guitar leads, and the effortlessly powerful vocals of singer Sele. The track is so 80s that it would fit perfectly over the top of a Rocky IV fight scene or training montage (one of my primary measuring sticks for quality 80s music, I might add).
If metal was doing something cool in the 1980s, it’s a good bet that Rave in Fire does it too. “Witches’ Hell” captures the swagger of peak Scorpions, the instrumental opener and its successor scream Screaming-era Judas Priest, and “Untiring Eagles” and “Speed and Rave” sound like Megadeth from an alternate reality, one where Dave Mustaine is female and can actually sing. The closing title track displays the band’s more ambitious aims, mixing all of the above-mentioned influences with progressive rock a la Rush and/or Kansas. Overall, Rave in Fire does everything they do with so much competence and authenticity that they’re hard not to love.
My only real nitpick with Square One involves the transition from the “The Hellion”-esque opener into first proper track “Dark Poison.” The switch just doesn’t match up very well, so much so that I checked multiple times to make sure I hadn’t unwittingly messed up the track order. It’s a fairly minor flaw in the grand scheme of a 42-minute album, but it’s jarring each time nonetheless. Instrumentally, Rave in Fire is stacked with talent. Guitarist Jonjo puts on a classic metal/rock clinic, and the rhythm section (Sara on bass and Jimi on drums) displays impressive chemistry. But the MVP trophy goes to vocalist Sele. Her passionate performance is just spectacular, sounding so unbelievably genuine and lending Square One a pleasing patina of seemingly long-lost classic status, and, fortunately, the beautiful production only enhances the luster of that patina.
When I picked Square One out of the promo sump, I’d just finished Stranger Things and was yearning to fill that 80s-shaped hole in my heart. After spinning this dozens of times, I can confidently say that Rave in Fire has done just that. This band is loaded with talent, and I expect more very good albums from them in the future.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: High Roller Records
Websites: raveinfire.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/raveinfire
Releases Worldwide: January 30th, 2026
