Flame & Blaze

2CD's INCLUDING THEIR SELF PRODUCED ALBUM / NEW MASTERING -EXTENSIVE BOOKLET WITH EXCLUSIVE PICS AND LYRICS - FLAME is a Bay aera Hard Rock quintet who released a self-produced album in 1989 under the name of BLAZE, called Rockhill before being picked up by the major label Warner. Rockhill was raw and hard driving and three years later with the production of Bill Wray, the album came out cleanly produced. FLAME's lineup consisted of Phillip Andrew, Billy Harvey, Dennis Bostok, and Steve Smith. When you listen to their self-titled debut album on the Giant label, the first thing that comes to mind is Led Zeppelin and Foreigner. They were clearly influenced by Led Zeppelin, especially the guitar. What's more, the modern part of FLAME's sound is that the songs are not too aggressive, and the vocal melodies have an easy-to-listen aspect. However, this may be the influence of the producer of this album, Bill Wray. Bill Wray was a producer based in New York and he had been working on an album by Trixter, a New Jersey band that debuted in 1990 (this album received a Gold Disc in the United States). He had worked too on albums such as Scandal and is known as a producer who makes use of pop-rock sounds. Fronted by Phillip Andrew, the quartet lay down melodic rock with an edge throughout most of the fourteen-song album. No tricks. No hype. No hairspray. No pose. A true rock and roll band - this is the band policy that FLAME had set out. This was unfortunately the only release from this East Bay band on the Giant label before getting dropped. This was due to the grunge scene hitting hard, starting their wave/style, getting signed over the hard rock/metal/glam "pretty boys makeup" metal bands. Billy Harvey returned then as a solo artist during 1997. Steve Smith and Denis Bostock were tapped by Jeff Keith (TESLA) for his own project which evolved in Sofa King then retitled itself BAR 7 in 2000, band signed in France by Axe Killer for a European release