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FARENHEIT
Origins EP

F80 (2014)
Rating: 7.5/10

Farenheit (yes, it’s meant to be spelt that way!) is a French heavy rock band formed back in the early 1980s when, according to the press release, Fred A. (aka Fred Avesque, vocals / guitar), TT (aka Thierry Traup, guitar) and Michel A. (aka Michel Antoine, bass) met on the bench of their secondary school in the southern town of Nîmes.

The band did manage to release one 7” single, but as the guys matured into adulthood they went their separate ways.

Fred A. moved to the UK and played in numerous bands, including Troy (with former Angel Witch, Tytan and E.F. Band drummer Dave Dufort), Tour De Force (with ex-Satan / Blnd Fury frontman Lou Taylor) and Driveshaft. Fred also had one of the best daytime jobs in the world when he was on the staff at the legendary Shades record store in London. Meanwhile, TT started a family and went on to become a fine artist and designer, while Michel A. became a mercenary in Africa.

In 2010 the trio crossed paths once again and decided to reform Farenheit, acquiring Portuguese drummer Paulo S. (aka Paulo Santos) to complete the line-up. Although it took a while, a demo was recorded some four years later, and eventually mixed by renowned record producer Steve Loveday; the result being this six-track EP entitled Origins.

Now, with Farenheit having such an exciting background I was praying that I wouldn’t have to say bad things about what seems to be a genuine bunch of guys, so it gives me great pleasure to reveal that Origins is a fine heavy rock release.

The band cites numerous influences in making this opus such as Tesla, Iron Maiden, Y&T, Judas Priest and Thin Lizzy and I’d say that the soulful grit of Lizzy is what comes through most here. The songs most certainly suggest that this is a bunch of musicians who know how to concoct the correct formula to make an accessible, entertaining but above all hard rockin’ opus.

Right from the off with ‘Always’ it’s clear that the guys work well together and have produced a remarkably catchy opening track with a distinctive 80s feel, in that there’s a rich, warm texture to the production, and also with the vocals which are delivered effortlessly.

Further glories abound with ‘So Far Away’, which is a pacey, energetic affair with a driving beat and strong bass. And it’s the bass which really shines throughout this platter, giving the opus a steely backbone to work in tandem with guitar and drum. Okay, so there are no real thrills or standout track but it’s consistently cool throughout, and delivered with an easy-going, knowing sort of presence as proof that the main core of the band has known each other for a while.

‘Stalker’ continues the trend of accessible tunes, but this time it’s a simmering number prompted by a weighty bass trundle before the incessant march of the riff. The menacing plod provides a perfect atmosphere for the lyrics which speak of how “The night is young, I walk alone… cos’ I’m your stalker, waiting night and day” amidst a crescendo of crashing cymbals and cascading guitar tones… excellent stuff!

‘The Fall’ – complete with a movie sample of actor Michael Douglas – cuts in with a razor-sharp Judas Priest-esque flow before setting off onto a mid-paced gallop. ‘Tell Me’, with its solid drum introduction, and closer ‘Prophets’, with its circus extravaganza intro which melts into a blazing riff, round off a compact little record that may not always sit comfortably in the vocal department, but it’s still an opus catchy enough to get feet tapping and heads nodding.

Neil Arnold

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