DANTE FOX – The Fire Within (2025 reissue), MP3+FLAC

As the original release of DANTE FOX‘s second album, 1999’s ‘The Fire Within’ is out of print since long time ago, now the band is re-releasing this very good record. One thing that has always earned our love to Dante Fox from the moment we heard them for the first time almost three decades ago, is the voice of Sue Willetts. Whoever is in the band, as long as her voice is there, it will always be Dante Fox.

Although not specified, ”The Fire Within (2025 reissue)” has been remastered, everything sounds clearer and more powerful than on the original late Nineties version. Musically, the album is late ’80s sounding female-fronted melodic rock with AOR waves here and there. When appeared 1999 (one of the first Frontiers Music distributions) ‘The Fire Within’ resulted like an oasis for all MR / AOR fans.
Opener ‘Over You’ is prime example of big keyboard / guitar driven melodic rock with melodious vocals escaped from a 1988 movie. However Dante Fox’s pristine production is much better than most cheap ’80s soundtracks. The band offer a solid selection of tunes that are simply smothered in choruses with backing vocals, harmony vocals and an equal mix of keyboard and sharp guitar riffs & solos.

Sue Willets has an incredibly full voice and had this been the late 80’s would no doubt have found herself a bigger star. Her pipes are in fact so powerful that the only complaint I have here is that at times you might find the vocals are a just a little too over bearing. Not the brilliant harmony and backing vocals, just a few of the higher screams and occasional more passionate pleas in Matter Of Time for example. But that is a minor point. The remainder of the time, she’s great.
The unique, late Tony Mills provide backing vocals all over the record.

Tracks like ‘Under The City Lights’, ‘All That I Need’, ‘In My Dreams’, ‘Firin’ My Heart’ and the two opening numbers offer more sumptuous Melodic Rock, hooks and melodies than you could wish for.
Guitarist Tim Manford has certainly made himself more known, with more solos on one song than on the entire debut. Keyboards on the album were handled by Hard Rain’s Paul Hodson and provide nice atmosphere and at places cool AOR background.
A very enjoyable album from DANTE FOX and one essential for anyone with Heart, Scandal or Fiona records in your collection.

01 – Over You
02 – Under City Light
03 – A Matter of Time
04 – Firing My Heart
05 – All That I Need
06 – Remember
07 – In My Dreams
08 – Moonlight
09 – Message from My Heart

Lead and Backing Vocals – Sue Willetts
Guitar – Tim Manford
Keyboards – Paul Hodson
Bass, Backing Vocals – Bryn Jones
Drums – Jon Cooksey
Backing Vocals – Tony Mills

MP3 FLAC