Musical Style: Classic Hard Rock	Produced By:
Record Label: Independent	Country Of Origin: USA
Year Released: 2004	Artist Website:
Tracks: 12	Rating: 85%
Running Time: 50:34

F.O.G. blends hard rock and doom metal chops with blues based undercurrents.  With its name initially chosen as an acronym for ‘Five-Old-Guys’, F.O.G. traces to Aurora, Illinois where it formed ahead of independently releasing its first two albums Town To Town and Visibility Clearing in 1997 and 2001, respectively, of which details are obscure.  May of 2004 third Broken finds F.O.G. ‘as bent on sharing their passion for Jesus Christ as they are on reviving good old-fashioned musical mayhem’ (quoting its press material).  And rightly so when factoring how the group backs faith based prose with a musical acumen I see appealing to fans of old school bluesy hard rock acts Resurrection Band and Stevie & The Saints not to mention current hard rock meets metal contemporaries Hammerdown, Weapons Of God and Under The Blood.

F.O.G. got its start when vocalist David Miller ‘merged his passion for gut-crunching rock and roll with his newly invigorated faith in Christ and caught a vision’.  Miller proceeded to solidify the bands lineup with guitarists Warren Poi and Gary Moody, drummer Jim Groleske and bassist Rick Shaeffer, friends he met at a local church that ‘shared a love of old-style hard rock, and a common desire to preach the Gospel wherever they could’.  With its roster set, F.O.G. played  wherever opportunity presented - bible studies, youth groups, outdoor jams and some of the roughest biker bards in Illinois and Wisconsin - and in the process fulfilled its dual calling to ‘play classic rock, geared-up worship tunes, and heavy metal re-makes’ and ‘further God's kingdom by reaching out to lost souls through their music’.

“Comin’ In”, a catchy two and half minute opening instrumental innate to at times trudging and others upraised guitar riffs, leads the way to albums title track.  “Broken” identifies as a mauling walk a fine line between hard rock and metal powerhouse impelled by staggering bass and hard charging rhythm guitar.  Miller takes opportune to unveil his fit like a glove course-grained and bluesy soaked vocal abilities.  Lyric snippet;

I once was broken
But now I’m whole
I once was broken
But You saved my soul

Look at me now
I’m shaped into a vessel
I’ve been through the
Kiln and the fire

“Awakened” carries over the rigorous laboring, impactful with its knife-edge Rez Band like guitar authority and conclusive hooks to provoke at moments notice.  What we have is one of many cuts demonstrating the F.O.G. penchant for composing material that while heavy, advocates the needed immediate listening appeal to circumvent any repetitive pitfalls.

Fourth song is a cover to the Black Sabbath classic “After Forever” (off Master Of Reality from 1971).  Not to be unduly critical, but “After Forever” has been covered on so many occurrences within Christian hard music circles as to be flavor of the month, noting the Troglodyte Dawn re-working under the new title “Forever After” (off the groups 2003 self-titled debut), the Deliverance version (What A Joke from 1991) and Stryper rendering (from 2015 effort  Fallen).  Did I miss anyone?  In no way do I intend to be flippant but the appeal to the song revolves around some thought provoking and inspired lyrics:

Have you ever thought about your soul?
Can it be saved?
Or perhaps you think
That when you are dead
You just stay in your grave
Is God just a thought within your head?
Or is he a part of you?
Is Christ just a name that you read in the book when you were in school?

F.O.G. obviously does the song justice with its signature bluesy hard rock take in upholding the same melodic bass impelled melody and undeviating guitar proficiency.  Also, a nice job by the group with the seventies influenced distorted guitar instrumental run.

“88” efficiently captures the doom metal ballad aesthetic.  Song plods to the point of a crawl, unhurried in terms of the acoustic tincturing and deeply woven melancholy, albeit heightening at moments notice as commanding guitar cuts in to further the bleak perceptions.  No one can deny that F.O.G. does not have a deftly melodic songwriting touch.

“Keeper Of The Gate” picks up tempo in comparison but not without forsaking the mid-tempo tension.  Song revels in laid back groove, as revealed in another preeminent bass line - it deserves note albums clean production allowing all instrumentation to separate in the mix - and Miller’s imperious (and highly catchy) riff basis.  The self-assertive refrain is a thing of beauty.  Lyric snippet:

Oh, I’ve questioned everything
And I’ve played a bad way
We’ve all dealt with demons
In our sleep

Warrior of the street
He gives us our peace
He holds all our fate
Keeper of the gate

“Red” reveals a reserved bluesy metal feel.  With open-air guitar to start, song takes a finesse-filled approach as opposed to in your face without compromising heaviness, guitar wallops but in a taciturn sense, nor hooks: riffs and melody connect for three and half minutes of ensnaring groove.

Nine minute “Fire In The Storm” is my choice track.  It proves an unflinching, doom derivative anthem, decelerated with its trade off between faintly done guitar highlighted by Miller’s rusty croon and indomitable riffs traversing sluggish metal corridors.  Awash in poignant melody, song remains refresh with repeat listen despite the span.  Of particular note, is the extended instrumental run with a jazz fusion feel pulsating to Po’s intricate soloing.  Lyric snippet:

I stand today not because of me
You’re the light that makes me see
You’re the strength that carries me
You’re the fire in the storm

You’re the truth that carries me
You’re the flame inside my soul
You’re the flame and the warmth
You’re the fire in the storm

“Struggle” derives of barebones hard rock akin to Rez Band.  Driving, straightforward and no-nonsense, song rumbles its four mid-paced minutes dripping of piercing guitars and muscular overtures while staying true to the intrinsic highly listenable F.O.G. sentiments.  What we have is another in a long line of solid deep cuts.

Hence, “Man Of War” with its steady as it gets low end groove and up-tempo upside.  Force hits with uncompromising authority - the enthusiastic ‘chugga-chugga’ riffs refuse all command to depart - and hooks exude a keen sense of immediacy.  Again, Rez Band is a point of reference.  Lyric snippet:

He is the one known as the man of war
Who you many choose against
But I choose for
With eyes made clear
You’ll see a hallowed site
Horses of fire
To light up the night

Closing the album are two cuts in “Sam” and “Skulls Hill” that while far from bad I rate a notch below those previous.  Whereas the two draw upon a similar hard rock crunch, missing are the catchy instincts, riffs and melodies that connect on first listen.  If each had been cut it would result in a near perfect track listing.

Broken equates to a very good blues based hard rock album.  Its strength resides in the F.O.G. ability to compose material that while heavy roots in strong melodic sensibilities.  Production represents another asset.  Lone drawback resides around a couple potentially skip worthy songs at the end.  Overall, Broken proves a solid release that at the very least ranks alongside fourth and final F.O.G. album Judgement & Redemption from 2009 (85% Angelic Warlord review).  With the F.O.G. back catalog out of print, and either hard to find or not available for download or streaming, the best option is to hope for reissues in the not so distant future.

Review by: Andrew Rockwell

Track Listing: “Comin’ In” (2:41), “Broken” (4:57), “Awakened” (3:14), “After Forever” (5:17), “88” (4:51), “Keeper Of The Gate” (3:55), “Red” (3:20), “Fire In The Storm” (8:53), “Struggle” (4:07), “Man Of War” (3:16), “Sam” (2:53), “Skulls Hill” (3:06)

Musicians
Dave Miller - Lead Vocals
Warren Poi - Guitars
Rick Schaefer - Bass
Jim Groleske - Drums