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Damn, I reviewed this band's debut almost a decade ago, and it took them a full ten years to release their follow-up. That's normally not a good sign. But with most of the lineup intact and songwriting that has not skipped a beat, Gunfire blast back with a solid second disc.

Ten years spent working on their sound has vastly improved the maturity of their riff-work and songwriting, and this is no longer the somewhat awkward band of a decade ago, but a polished and confident act with style and swagger to spare. Vocalist Drake Borrelli is still not a first-rank singer, but he has assurance and the marks of a lot of practice since last time out, and he sells these lines so well he overcomes his limitations. There is a lot more shade and layers to the songs here than in the old days, and some of the tunes, like opener "War Extreme" and the hooky "City of Light" are absolute classic compositions. Gunfire do have a tendency to go on a bit too long, and a number of the longer cuts could be trimmed down and made sharper. The band tends to dawdle around with long intros that could be cut short and make the songs get to the point faster. Still, once they start delivering, they fucking deliver.

So even after a decade's hiatus, this band has come back improved, matured, and all-around better than I ever expected. A more than solid album with a lot to enjoy.