Australian hard rock/heavy metal band Fly! made a strong first impression last year with their two-song demo, coming out of the gate with a sound that felt like it occupied that sweet spot between the 70s and 80s. A little over a year later they’ve returned with a full length titled ...or Die! and it’s one of those albums that is dripping with charisma and more catchy riffs than most bands can produce over their discography. There’s still plenty of hard rock and heavy metal, but you’ll also hear everything from punk to speed metal woven into these eleven songs. It’s the type of material that’s made for playing as loud as possible while driving as fast as possible, and a perfect example of how a new band can capture the timeless quality of these styles of music.
The brief intro “Into the Wasteland” brings the crackle of thunder and roar of a motorcycle engine blaring out of your speakers, making it clear that Fly! is about to capture that same raw and free energy as a lot of early hard rock and heavy metal bands. This is reinforced when the high-energy leads and infectious rhythms of “Highway Fiend” kick in, which finds that sweet spot between rock and metal. Fly!’s initial sound gives off hints of Venom and Motörhead, but the first few songs also reminded me quite a bit of Tank’s debut Filth Hounds of Hades. Much of …or Die! is oriented around simple yet effective writing, where the band quickly establishes some flashier leads and provides a few twists around them without dragging things out too far. As you make your way further into the album the shades of NWOBHM give way to some additional genres, as “Loser” has more of a punk edge to it while “Freeway Phantom” has solos that wouldn’t sound of place on a Creedence Clearwater Revival album. There’s also some Thin Lizzy in there for good measure, giving a good idea of how much ground the band covers. It’s definitely a familiar sound, but the hooks are there and there’s a rawer, sleazier edge that makes quite a few of these songs sound like lost jukebox cuts from a smoky bar in the 70s or 80s. Admittedly a few of them do run together just to how similarly constructed the material is, with closer “Sweet Leaf” in particular feeling like a retread. But the sheer amount of riffs that have been stuck in my head since that first time through make up for it, drawing me back for one wild ride after another.
Fly!’s singer Willie Cox has a much gruffer pitch that’s not quite a scream or shout, but more distorted than your average hard rock singing range. The style reminds me of Midnight’s Athenor in terms of the sleaze and attitude, though the pitch is closer to something like REO Speedealer. Cox does shake things up on a few of the songs, with “Loser” moving towards a slightly cleaner range that has more of a punk or power pop tone, giving a bit more variety to the performance. Fly! also brought in some guests, as Mafi 'Tuffy' Watson gives some higher pitched back-up vocals that add to the punk vibe, while “6-Pack” has singing contributions from Willie J and drummer Rodney Speedman. I’m not sure which of those two comes in around the halfway point, but whoever it is nails that AC/DC pitch perfectly. There’s also something to be said for the straightforwardness of the lyrics, as the song titles give you an exact idea of what the verses and choruses are about.
Fly!’s debut feels like it was made for my exact tastes, and it has that same future classic vibe that I felt about Speedwolf’s debut back in 2011. Hopefully these Aussie’s don’t get cursed to having one incredible full length and then disbanding years down the road also, but we’ll just have to wait and see. Whether you’re a fan of NWOBHM, hard rock, or anything in between, this is an easy must listen for 2025 and one I don’t expect to get tired of anytime soon. …or Die! is available from Dying Victims Productions.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg