Ever since their formation in ’05 (when they arose from the ashes of former band Element) Portadown’s In Case Of Fire have been blazing a trail that is uniquely their own. This writer actually witnessed one of the band’s first ever gigs on a dreary Saturday afternoon in Belfast and even then it seemed like good things were coming their way. Well, after a few years of false starts, their album Align The Planets finally sees the light of day and it certainly capitalises on their huge momentum right now.
Featuring tracks that have been staples of their live shows for quite some time, their debut is a loud and proud statement of intent. There are no half measures, no compromises and no let up for the full forty minutes or so. Opening with ‘This Time We Stand’ the record rattles along at breakneck pace throwing in hellish riffs and razor-sharp guitar with abandon (‘Parallels,’ ‘Landslides’).
Sadly the decision to go for the jugular has slightly impeded the impact of the record though. There is little light and shade and at times the heavier than thou tunes can blend into one, but the addition of the wonderfully abrasive ‘Plan A’ (which features a speech from Martin Luther King) is a master-stroke. While Align The Planets isn’t quite the incendiary effort we’d hoped for from In Case Of Fire, it’s one of the finest rock releases to come from Ireland in quite some time.

Key Track: 'Plan A'