I love The Pineapple Thief. I’ve been following them since 2014’s Magnolia (and yes, I know I was late to the party) and have been catching up with their back catalogue and new releases over the last 6 years. (Fun fact: I even saw Bruce’s previous band Vulgar Unicorn numerous times at the CRS).
Hot on the heels of their Dissolution tour comes this, the inevitable live album. It’s pretty much the complete album live (missing out Pillar of Salt) and makes a change from the usual album / tour / live album treadmill that some artists find themselves on in that the only track from the band’s past is 3000 Days.
Following on from the multi-media package that was the Where We Stood live album from 2017 (a great tour), releasing another live album could have been quite a risky gamble. However, by focusing purely on the latest release, this is more a companion piece to Dissolution rather than a ‘greatest hits live’ package. What makes Hold Our Fire a much more tantalising prospect, if you’re a PT fan, and with Gavin Harrison on board as a fully-fledged member, the album itself was a co-write with Bruce, and this has made a difference to the sound.
Also as with the previous tour, there is an additional live guitarist in the form of George Marios, who steps up and really delivers the goods, the added bonus here being that it gives Bruce the opportunity to be the frontman that he is. And whilst George does some of the heavy lifting (which in no way detracts from Bruce’s superb guitar work), it fleshes out the sound and brings the dynamic power of Disolution to the stage.
Having seen these guys live three times, the energy, emotion and power of a Pineapple Thief gig is a joy to behold, and having it captured here in aspic, a souvenir of a moment in time, is what the best live albums get right, and here they judge it perfectly. It brings Disolution to life and is an excellent album for those who were there, and for those who wish they were there.
The Pineapple Thief never disappoint, and on this live album you get to enjoy the mighty performances that they bring to the stage.
TRACK LISTING
01. Try As I Might (4:49)
02. Threatening War (6:43)
03. Uncovering Your Tracks (4:38)
04. All That You’ve Got (3:26)
05. Far Below (4:46)
06. Not Naming Any Names (2:16)
07. White Mist (10:35)
08. Shed a Light (5:44)
09. 3000 Days (7:17)
Total Time – 50:08
MUSICIANS
Bruce Soord – Vocals, Guitar
Jon Sykes – Bass, Vocals
Steve Kitch – Keyboards
Gavin Harrison – Drums
George Marios – Guitar
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Kscope
Catalogue#: KSCOPE656
Date of Release: 15th November 2019