Finesse & Fury - Fourth Estate

Originally intended for release in 1992, this remastered edition opens up with Bach's "Joy," a boisterous song that shows terrific manual dexterity by lead guitarist Dave Beegle. The track also resembles Pink Floyd's "One of These Days" in its tone and melody. "Grunt Rock" evokes images of a mid-'80s guitar riff by perhaps Jeff Beck or Jimmy Page during his tenure with the Firm. Drummer Jim Iltis plays a prominent role in this song also. "Mason Street Shuffle" is an excellent track that doesn't have a rock element to it so much as a country boogie element to it. The track could also complement "Orange Blossom Special" for its rhythm and arrangement. An asset is the band's ability to adapt to many styles and genres of playing, whether it's a jazz texture in "Juggernaut," a Celtic tinge in "Highlander," or a classic rock mold in the brief but pretty instrumental "Cornerstone." A quality song is definitely "Reflections," a mid-tempo rock song that is very winding and challenging, particularly its middle portion. No songs feature a stellar virtuoso performance from Beegle, but each reflects an obvious joy and pleasure that sounds like it's recorded live. Unfortunately, the exception has to be "Burning Bridges." Here, the song doesn't get off the sonic ground, seeming like an aimless filler tune. Fourth Estate isn't afraid to turn it up a notch, though, as "Sorefinger Road" starts off with a punk rock tempo before nestling into a comfortable pace. On the whole, the album title is appropriate. ~ Jason MacNeil, All Music Guide