Metal Church founding guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof returns with his other, other band Hall Aflame (don’t want to forget his prog rock celebrating other side project Presto Ballet), back with their long-awaited sophomore album, Amplifire. With a legacy dating back to 1989, Hall Aflame scorched the scene way back in 1991 with their debut album, Guaranteed Forever, a surprisingly more melodic take on hard rock than Vanderhoof’s main band. At the time, they shared stages with the big boys like ZZ Top during the Recycler tour of 1991 and the future looked bright. However, faced with the seismic shift in rock music known as the “grunge era,” the band took a hiatus, only to resurface with renewed vigor in late 2023.

Amplifire is evidence of the band's never-ending spirit and quest for the Herculean riff, with 12 blistering tracks that reignite the fire of Hall Aflame. Vanderhoof reunites with original bassist Brian Smith, drummer Bill Raymond, and frontman Scott Nutter to deliver a record that was worth the wait. Reflecting on how the second album finally emerged, Vanderhoof shares, "This album came about as a project to document all the songs that we had written for the second album that never came to be. We revisited the songs and realized they had to be recorded properly. Then it blossomed into something much better than we had even hoped!" Smith echoes Vanderhoof's sentiments, affirming that Amplifire is a natural progression from their debut, promising fans a "new and improved 'Part II' of Hall Aflame."

The album bursts with energy from start to finish, from the fiery opener "Helltown" to the anthemic closer "Keeping Them All Away." Tracks like "Ripcord," "In The Same Gutter," "It Ain't Enough," and "Gunnin'" showcase Hall Aflame's knack for crafting real hooks and melodies, while deeper cuts like "Pullin Me Apart" and "1974" highlight how deep their songwriting well goes. Drawing inspiration from classic rock titans like Bad Company and Thin Lizzy, Amplifire offers a seamless blend of timeless melodies that come alive in the here and now. It’s proof that their brand of rock-n-roll is as potent as ever.