Blackfire Revelation is a blues-metal band from New Orleans, LA founded by J.R. Fields in the summer of 2002.
Fields was in film school at the University of New Orleans at the time and growing increasingly disinterested in both college and the film industry. Later that year, his grandfather, a farmer and Baptist deacon from Mississippi, passed away and left him an inheritance of $5000 dollars. He used the money "wisely" and dropped out of college, bought two half stacks, a drum set, and rented a rehearsal space. In July of 2004, his band entered producer Jerry Teel's Funhouse South studio in New Orleans to record their debut recording Gold and Guns on 51.
Touring followed and they soon caught the attention of Fat Possum Records. Gold and Guns on 51 was licensed to Fat Possum through Fields' own Southern Reconstruction label and was released nationally in March of 2005. Following its release, the band toured extensively throughout the United States both on their own and as the opener for New York noise-rock legends Unsane on their 'Blood Run' tour. While on the road supporting the record in August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans leaving the future of the band and its hometown uncertain. Unable to return home BFR would spend the next several months picking up gigs where they could to earn cash and stay afloat and lived briefly in Atlanta, Memphis, and Oxford, MS.
The Blackfire Revelation record we are now considering was made, however, after a handful of dates around the U.S., Fields put the band on indefinite hiatus and the record was shelved. Five years later, the album will finally see the light of day with Southern Reconstruction set to release it on July 5, 2011. Though there are no immediate plans to record or perform Fields remains intent that the Blackfire Revelation is not over and refers to his absence from music as merely a "pro-longed sabbatical."
The last bit is good news because Blackfire Revelation is a more than solid blues-metal album which at times sounds a little like Five Horse Johnson and even a slightly depressed Alabama Thunderpussy. There are some excellent little tunes on here (he said somewhat patronisingly) such as "Act Like a Believer Redux". Given the record's background it is much more uplifting than one would suspect and in an alternate universe "Left Hand Black" would be a massive radio hit and would be everywhere making people happy. Unfortunately we don't live in that world so you will have to seek out Blackfire Revelation for yourself. You won't be sorry.
Track Listing:
- Flood
- Act Like a Believer Redux
- Diamond in the Rough
- Left Hand Black
- No Paradise
- Skull Mask
- Gods and Gamblers
- Each Day I Rise
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