Season of Fire – Tested by Fire

Season of Fire
Tested by Fire
1987 (no label)
Los Angeles, California, USA

Richard Blatt – Lead Vocals
Kenny Lopez – Drums
Gersom Rivera – Lead and Rhythm guitars, acoustic guitar, background vocals, congas
Jaime Ruvalcaba – Bass, keyboards

Side 1:

1. Suffering
2. Passion
3. Brother’s Blood

Side 2:

1. Maple Street
2. Streetman Disapproval

This album was shared in a Facebook group. It is technically a vinyl rip, but this album is really rare, and the group had a tape demo in 1985, so I thought I would document it here. None of the three songs from the demo appear to have made it on this album. The sound here reminds me somewhat of an American Just the Job, but with less punk and more 80s alternative. To me, they seem to be at their strongest when they are doing the darker alternative sounds on songs like “Brother’s Blood” and Maple Street.” But I can’t deny the catchiness of the power pop influenced open track, either. Not sure where the band went after this release, however.