If this was 1986, Fair Warning would be HUGE! This band is better than most of the stuff that came out in the awesome, guitar driven eighties. Better song writing, better vocals, better lyrics and perhaps most of all, some of the best guitar playing I think I've ever heard. If this was a just world (and we all know it's far from that!), Helge Engelke would be a superstar. This guy is absolutely incredible! He can't seem to make up his mind if he's Uli Jon Roth or Michael Schenker, so he has morphed himself into a two-headed monster of a guitarist. Melody, speed and catchy licks galore are integral parts of his arsenal and he is armed to the teeth on Fair Warning's latest entitled simply "4".

The disc kicks off with the energetic and instantly catchy "Heart on the Run", which is apparently this album's obligatory "heart" song, as all of this band's previous albums have had at least one track with the word "heart" in it. "Through the Fire" follows and is another hook-laden, up-tempo tune featuring a blazing solo from Engelke. Some nice acoustic playing embellishes "Break Free", the first ballad on the record. This track displays another Fair Warning trademark: optimistic lyrics intended to give the listener a lift as opposed to encouraging them to wallow in self pity and spiritual stagnation, as so many modern bands seem bent on doing. It takes a certain amount of guts and strength of character, in my humble opinion, to sing these kind of lyrics in a rock context in the year 2000, given the mindless crud that the media force-feeds the masses. Lead vocalist Tommy Heart delivers once again, proving he is one of the best singers in rock. His voice soars over the power-riffing with such conviction, it seems he was born to it.

Main writer and former Uli Jon Roth and Zeno bassist Ule Ritgen is in top form as evidenced on tracks like "I Fight" and "Time Will Tell", two of the standout tracks on "4". "I Fight" is an anthem of self-empowerment that has you totally pumped up before the first chorus is complete! The opening riff on "Time Will Tell" is a killer and the solo is pure ear candy! Another track that stands out is "Night Falls", a ballad that evokes the feeling of a rainy mid-August evening with its lush melody and emotive vocal lines.

Normally, I'd have a problem with a band that is this ballad-heavy, but when songs are this well written, it's difficult to complain. The one gripe I will make, however pertains to the Engelke-penned closing track "For The Young". This tune is totally unique to Fair Warning and seems out of place on this record as it has a Celtic sound complete with synthesizer bagpipes and some pretty freaky backing vocals to match. I can appreciate the desire to try something different, but this is so far removed from the rest of their material that it just doesn't make sense to me. Oh, but now I'm nit-picking. This CD is a great piece of melodic rock with all the big harmonies and shredding guitar you could hope for!

Reviewed by Nostradumbass

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